{"product_id":"prince-valiant-16-18-slipcase-set","title":"PRINCE VALIANT 16-18 Slipcase Set","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe series of special slipcased gift sets of the most visually opulent comic strip in the medium's history, based on the King Arthur mythos, continues with Vols. 16 - 18. In Volume 16, Val goes to rescue Gwaine in the desert and ends up tortured. Arn is in a love triangle, there's a slave rebellion, greedy governors, and more. In Volume 17,  King Arthur sends Val on an intricate new mission. In Volume 18 are Foster's final pages before he went to doing layouts and writing only. Val ends a tyrant's rein and must win back the queen of (his) heart, Aleta. Arn defends the kingdom from a coup. Plus extra features in each volume.\n\nHere's complete details on each volume:\n\nVol 16: Val joins a caravan into the desert to try and ransom Sir Gawain from a nomad chief, but ends up a slave himself and endures torture and deprivation. His son Arn goes on his own adventure and meets a lovely young girl who is also a spy for invaders. And there is much more here, love triangles, slave rebellion, greedy governors…Introduction by acclaimed fantasy illustrator, \u003cstrong\u003eGreg Hildebrandt\u003c\/strong\u003e, and a lavish 14-page back-up article on Foster attending the 1939 Mardi Gras and its influence on the next Val story!\n\nFoster historian \u003cstrong\u003eBrian M. Kane\u003c\/strong\u003e provides us with great pictures of Foster and his wife at the Mardi Gras, meeting costumed players and seeing the fantasy floats. He then discusses how Foster tied all this into his next storyline. Even while Foster would give up the artistic reins on his creation in 1970, his skills at this point are not diminished in the least. The story is as suspenseful and exciting as ever, moving from Aleta’s return to the Misty Isles to an invasion of Val’s homeland in Thule. Foster would hand off the art end of Val to John Cullen Murphy in 1970, but he would continue to write the stories for another ten years.\n\nVol 17: After his long sojourn in the Mediterranean, Prince Valiant is back in Britain, where he takes on a new, intricate mission on behalf of King Arthur. Val finds himself in the middle of a conflict between Saxon settlers and violent Viking raiders. Gawain’s return journey to Camelot is fraught with misadventure as he is beset by jealous romantic rivals, a marriage-minded widow and a thieving sorcerer. Young Galan goes on a hunt to capture the fabled unicorn, and Arn, after losing his horse in a Welsh bog, is enslaved and held for ransom.\n\nSpecial Afterword this volume, by \u003cstrong\u003eCaitlin McGurk\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eBrian Kane\u003c\/strong\u003e: Hal Foster Juvenilia. We're are treated to ten pages of artwork from Foster’s youth, showing the first glimmerings of the young artist’s talent and interests, including dragons and humor. Last of all we have a one page tribute by Gary Groth, who at 15 years old was there as Foster received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1969 Phil Seuling Comic Art Convention in New York City. Includes a wonderful picture of Gary, a young Al Williamson, Jeffrey Jones, Gray Morrow, Jerry Weist and others at one of the banquet tables, and a close up of Foster receiving his award from Phil and Carol Seuling, in full color.\n\nVol 18: Here are Hal Foster's final pages leading up to his magnificent final page, #1769 to 1788; then we begin \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Cullen Murphy's\u003c\/strong\u003e pages drawn from Foster's rough pencils. Also includes \"Memories of Hal and Jack\" by \u003cstrong\u003eBrian Walker\u003c\/strong\u003e, and a bonus 13 pages of rare specialty Val artwork by Foster. In Camelot, the troubled Zanedon reveals himself to be a runaway groom as the mischievous twins, Karen and Valeta, hide him in their stable. Prince Arn quenches a coup, Val ends a tyrant’s reign with tough love, and Val must win back the queen of (his) heart, Aleta, when a poet with a wandering eye makes the Misty Isles his playground.\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eRush Service and International shipping would require an additional charge.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fantagraphics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59641384632606,"sku":"PVS06P","price":90.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/0684\/7006\/files\/pvs06p-prince-valiant-slipcase-set-16-18-book.jpg?v=1784504146","url":"https:\/\/shop.budsartbooks.com\/products\/prince-valiant-16-18-slipcase-set","provider":"Bud's Art Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}