Jeff A. Menges

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About Jeff A. Menges
Jeff A. Menges (b.1965) was born in a small, seaside town in New Jersey. His teen years were shaped by Star Wars, sword and sorcery novels, and Heavy Metal Magazine—his fate was already sealed at this point.
A long-time contributor to the gaming industry, his illustration work continues to grace role-playing products, card games, books and magazines as well. Recent projects include compiling and editing books on legendary illustrators; Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Howard Pyle, and others. Jeff has now produced more than 20 books on Golden Age illustration and painters of the late nineteenth century.
In addition to his freelance work, Jeff has steady experience as an Art Director and Designer, and works with Dover Publications in New York. He currently lives on Long Island with his wife and two children.
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Blog postThe painting, as I found it on ebay.
OK, here's a story that's a bit different. It's about rescue and restoration, and a whole different aspect of illustration appreciation. It's also something that will become more and more important in years to come, as so much illustration art was not regarded as worth saving in its day. Much of it was done on and with inferior materials, and a great deal of it was considered little more than the means to achieve an end (the printed product), not seen f9 years ago Read more -
Blog postThis is a return I hope that I will not need to repeat. Having been working on VIEW for over four years, I haven't needed to step away this long before—but those of you who are aware of my activities outside of VIEW, may know that I have been deep in a project over the past few months, which has all but engulfed me. I'm looking forward to getting back to VIEW much more regularly again. Here's one that's been stewing all this time.
Born into a family of ceramic artists, Louis Rhead9 years ago Read more -
Blog postA Changing of the GuardAlthough my life is steeped in books, I try to not rely on "book review" type of columns for this blog. Once in a while I encounter a volume special and unique, and it can't be helped. This tale—however—marks a transition of sorts, and that change is almost as worthwhile a discussion (although another one all together) as the art that brought it to my attention.
But first, this new batch of art. A few years back a portfolio of naturalist-type plates10 years ago Read more -
Blog postIt seems regardless of my direction these past few weeks, I keep getting pointed to the work of German illustrator and artist Heinrich Kley (1863-1945). Comparably, few know of his work, but it is often held in high regard among those that do. Kley is about to get some attention that is long overdue, and it is worth making sure that more people are aware of his work and the new books on the way.
I found (almost literally… I bought them from a street vender) two volumes that Do10 years ago Read more -
Blog postWhile I'm still tied up in a crazy amount of work, I've had to find a way to mention some of the things that have happened this past few weeks—and—share an amazing Golden Age find with you.
In the last week I spent four days at Illuxcon, in Altoona, PA. If you are unfamiliar with the name, it is a convention focused on art—particularly—that of the genre coming to be known as Imaginative Realism. (A term made relevant by the esteemed artist and author James Gurney) It is traditional10 years ago Read more -
Blog postA little over 10 years ago, Dover published a 6-card postcard book that I compiled on Mermaids in Art.
It was my second effort in pulling together Victorian or Golden Age art into a book (ok, a really small one here) of any sort. There was one piece I really wanted to use in that collection, but despite a good deal of effort, we could not discover exactly when the piece in question had been done, what it was done for, and therefore could not discover if it was truly a public domain10 years ago Read more -
Blog postIn long-ago days of my youth, my quest for the sources of great tales lead me to read a lot of Celtic mythology—something I still seek out. I had an old reprinted copy of Celtic Myth and Legend Poetry and Romance, by Charles Squire originally from 1905. My copy then was an English reprint, but Dover publishes it as well, but I'll have to check to see if they printed it with the illustrations or not. I'll get back with that info shortly. There were a few plates among the stories—and the storie10 years ago Read more
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Blog postIt has come to my attention that sometimes in discussing the more interesting facets of an illustrator, some of the "basics" can be overlooked. Take Harry Clarke (1890-1931) for example. Harry Clarke is one of my favorites of the period. Over the past few years there has been a VIEW post on some really hard-to-find Clarke works, and he was mentioned again in reference to a collected work, more recently. To not offer a look at why I think he's worth some more study, is just, well, wrong10 years ago Read more
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Blog postLast October, I put up a post about some beautiful color work by W. Heath Robinson (1872-1944). The imagery up at that time was from The Song of the English, a long poetic piece of writing by Rudyard Kipling. It was one of the first books I acquired while working on my next Dover outing, Golden Age Illustration of W. H. Robinson. Now I bring it around full circle, to the last book I picked up for that same project.
While lacking the amount of pieces that show up in Song of the Engl10 years ago Read more -
Blog postBeing up to my neck in large scale projects this week—and for quite a few more to come— it's been easy to let days slide away, but I'm determined to attempt to maintain some regular connections.
Before any more time goes by, I have to alert VIEW's readers to two amazing shows currently on display in the Northeast corner of the US. The first is from some folks I'm proud to call friends, Pat and Jeannie Wilshire of Illuxcon fame have guest curated an exhibit now on display at the All10 years ago Read more -
Blog postThough I find small pockets of admiration for this illustrator around the web, I have no idea if my readers have found him, so it falls to me to point him out. That's the basic gist of what this is all about.
Years ago, in a legendary box delivered to me by the archivist at Dover, I found among the other treasures there, three plates by an artist whose name was new to me. Sigismund de Ivanowski (1875-1944) was Ukrainian born, he was taught in some of the best art cities of Europe, (10 years ago Read more -
Blog postIt is not that uncommon for a group of siblings to grow up to be artists (in this case, illustrators) together. Growing up in a house that encouraged creativity, spurred on by a desire to outdo each other, families like the Robinsons, the Brocks, and the Leyendeckers, all yielded more than one successful career illustrator. On what seems to me to be be a somewhat rarer occasion, a child follows in the career of the parent. I don't think this happens as frequently due to the fact that foll10 years ago Read more
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Blog postBump in the road, but I'm here now.
A few things on the list, but it's been quite a while since I posted a Fine Lines, so I'm going to go there today. It's also good because a Dover book I've been waiting for (to mention here) is now available, so should you thirst for more, 'tis but a few clicks away.
Last Fall when I was putting together a syllabus for my History of Animation and Illustration class, I came to an area for required reading. All of the books I'd like to10 years ago Read more -
Blog postThis ALMOST would have been an entry for the "working class illustrator" column. Some solid work from someone you've likely never heard of. Almost. Then James Gurney (Yes, THAT James Gurney) brought this portfolio of work to our attention at Dover. Two portfolios, actually, originally published in 1920. Two printed portfolios of figure studies, all done from life.
Arthur Ignatius Keller (1866-1924) was one of the founding members of the Society of Illustrators, and became10 years ago Read more -
Blog postDid you know... that Carroll never uses the phrase mad hatter? The readership has adopted that term over the years. It was the party, that was described as a mad tea-party...
Well, this is a nice development. A few topics on deck, and my latest Dover "image collection" comes in a bit ahead of the latest predictions.... so I find myself with the new material to give you a glimpse of, and a leg up on next entry. All good.
I will admit, that when Dover asked me a10 years ago Read more -
Blog postSome weeks ago I was tooling down I95 on the east coast, bringing my son to school in Baltimore after his Winter break. (I know! I can't believe I'm old enough to do that either!) Here was a golden opportunity to see one of the exhibits I've been waiting for, actually for years. The Howard Pyle show that marks a century since his passing. It was practically on our way, and I was not about to just pass by. I'd been making some noise about it, so everyone in the car knew we would be there for a bi10 years ago Read more
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Blog postIn an age before what is now known as "gaming".... before The Lord of the Rings had hit the big screen in any form, there were a different set of mythic heroes. They are still around, but they don't command the stage they way they did in a time before role-playing, blu-ray, and the "six-book series"...
Books that were read over and over, stories told for generations, were some of the tales that got the royal treatment when it came to illustrated editions that app11 years ago Read more -
Blog postPart of my mission here on VIEW has always been to bring to light some of the period illustration that for one reason or another, did not survive the ages. Yes, it's there for us to dig up, but not all of it is as easy to find as Arthur Rackham and Maxfield Parrish. I like finding the "Illustrators that Time Forgot". Most of them did some great work—otherwise they wouldn't have gotten the job in the first place...
Today's subject falls squarely in that category. While he was neve11 years ago Read more -
Blog postIf you've followed this blog for some time, you know I'm a big fan of the work of British illustrator H. J. Ford. In conversation with a friend recently , we were discussing that appreciation, when he brought up John D. Batten. (1860-1932). I'd been aware of Batten, but I hadn't really explored his work until this came up.
At times in their careers, the works of Batten and Ford might have been nearly indistinguishable. Primarily line artists, both Batten and Ford often relied on int11 years ago Read more -
Blog postLast week was "Illustration Week" in NYC. It was declared so by the mayor—and gave NYC an excuse to tout the rich history of illustration that has passed through it, in the publishing houses, the schools, and of course the illustrators themselves. The Society of Illustrators made the most of it, with a week of special guests, lectures, and events. I was happy to add my two cents late in the week with a lecture on the illustrations of Alice in Wonderland, previewing my upcoming Dover bo11 years ago Read more
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Blog postWhat do I mean by that... you ask? I mean, he hit dead center on this one with his color work.
A few months ago while profiling the Calla Fall 11 releases (there's still one Golden Age reprint left to discuss) I posted a selection of William Heath Robinson's (British, 1872-1944) line work from Midsummer Night's Dream. WHR's line in that volume is beautifully clean and balanced, while the characters are intricate and full of personality. It's gorgeous ink work—but I chose not to revi11 years ago Read more -
Blog postScottish artist Jessie M. King—(1875-1949) created a more emotionally driven image—Unlike most of her contemporaries at the turn of the century, King was interested in portraying a highly stylized figure, and illustration that communicated by its design as well as by its illustrative properties.
King would become quite popular as a book designer and illustrator in her early career, but it was her design sense that sets her apart, making her work readily identifiable. Frail lines, (I11 years ago Read more -
Blog postIt's a lot of change this month. My son started college—it's a bit more quiet at home.
Next week, I'm going back to school, in a way somewhat relevant to this blog. After working out the timing with Dover, I'm about to start teaching
The World of Illustration and Animation at Montclair State University, in NJ.
Not too different from the kind of stuff I've been doing here at VIEW, but much deeper and more thorough. I'm working to iron out how this is all going to come tog11 years ago Read more -
Blog postSummer greetings to you all, especially those who signed on in the past few weeks! There's been a lot of activity in the studio, a few projects I can't discuss just yet, and some things coming together as we, err, speak.
I had thought to take a break from previewing Calla Editions, but then I got an advance copy of Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp, In Rhyme.
My first look at Thomas MacKenzie's illustration happened about three years ago. While working on Arabian Nights11 years ago Read more -
Blog postIn continuing my previews of the upcoming Calla releases, we are brought to an Edmund Dulac's illustrated edition—The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales, retold by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. Quite a while ago, I spent some time on VIEW looking at two of the "edges" of Dulac's range- his more sophisticated works, and the Alphabet book he did early in his career. As a subject, The French fairy tales collected here are much more to the heart of Dulac's work, maybe only Arabian Nights ma11 years ago Read more
Titles By Jeff A. Menges
Wyeth's fame and greatest commercial success derived from his work for Scribners' Illustrated Classics. Starting with the 1911 edition of Treasure Island, the artist provided images for more than 25 volumes in the series. Many of those illustrations appear here, in a treasury of stirring, dramatic visions that captured the imaginations of the storybook readers of a century ago and continue to speak to modern audiences.
Selected from hundreds of the artist's images for books, magazines, and calendars, this original collection spotlights Parrish's work from 1897 through the 1920s. Illustrations include art from publications such as Century Magazine, Collier's, and Scribner's. Numerous advertisements include the famed Edison-Mazda Lamp series, along with ads for Jell-O, Ferry's Seeds, and Swift's Premium Ham. A wide selection of book illustrations comprises scenes from The Arabian Nights, Eugene Field's Poems of Childhood, Louise Saunders' The Knave of Hearts, Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tanglewood Tales, and other treasured works
In addition, this compilation presents two seldom-seen magazine features on the artist: "Arthur Rackham: The Wizard at Home," a 1905 article from The International Studio, and "Arthur Rackham: A Painter of Fantasies," a 1914 article from St. Nicholas Magazine. These articles, not reprinted in over a century, contain pictures of Rackham's studio and residence as well as some stories of his own commentary. Together with scores of strange and wonderful illustrations, they provide fresh insights into the work of the artist known as "the Beloved Enchanter."
Few artists of Crane's generation achieved careers as varied and successful as his. This compilation reflects the diversity of his subjects, from images for alphabet books, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales to scenes from stories of King Arthur and Robin Hood to illustrations inspired by the classics of Shakespeare, Hawthorne, and Spenser. Editor Jeff A. Menges provides an Introduction that places the artist and his works in historic context.
The imaginative interpretations include vignettes from "Sleeping Beauty," "Cinderella," "Rumpelstiltskin," "Puss in Boots," "The Snow Queen," and scores of other familiar and lesser-known tales. The illustrations, many of which are brilliantly colored, full-page images, appear with a caption that includes the artist's name, the story from which it's drawn, and a descriptive line or direct quotation from the tale. Book lovers of all ages will rejoice in this treasury and its happy marriage of fine art and fairy tales.
These Arthurian legends have inspired numerous film adaptations, including the 2017 release King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Eric Bana, Djimon Hounsou, and Annabelle Wallis.
The Hungarian-born artist studied in Paris and worked in London for a decade before his arrival in the United States in 1915. In addition to his successes as a muralist, set designer, and art instructor, Pogány illustrated more than 100 books. This is the first collection of his selected works, featuring many hard-to-find images that have been out of print for more than 80 years. More than 100 color and black-and-white illustrations include scenes from fairy tales and adventure stories such as Wagner's "Ring" cycle of Parsifal, Lohengrin, and Tannhäuser. Other sources of inspiration include a 1908 edition of Faust, Gulliver's Travels, and Nathaniel Hawthorne's A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales.
Spanning the decades between the 1890s and the 1920s, this volume draws upon images from the Golden Age of Illustration, when technological advances in printing led to a boom in the publication of artwork. Drawings and paintings by Maxfield Parrish, Edmund Dulac, Charles Folkard, and other acclaimed artists of the era appear here, in more than 185 color and black-and-white illustrations with captions. Abounding in mystery and excitement, these scenes from the timeless tales of heroism will captivate all lovers of fantasy and fairy tales, as well as collectors of rare books and art and illustration enthusiasts.
This magnificent collection displays more than eighty of Arthur Rackham's most beguiling illustrations. These phantasmagoric renderings spring from such literary legends as Rip Van Winkle, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Aesop's Fables, Puck of Pook's Hill, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, and A Wonder Book. From the loveliest fairy to the most grotesque goblin, Rackham's art captures the wonder, innocence, and adventure that forever stir the human heart.
More than 100 images include Tenniel's engravings, along with color and black-and-white illustrations by Arthur Rackham, Charles Robinson, Bessie Pease Gutmann, Margaret Tarrant, Millicent Sowerby, Milo Winter, Thomas Maybank, and many others. Editor Jeff Menges offers commentary on the illustrators and their work, and noted collector Mark Burstein shares a bibliophile's perspective. A major contribution to the history of modern book illustration, Alice Illustrated will delight lovers of English literature and children's books, collectors of Lewis Carroll's works, and fans of the great illustrators.
More than 100 illustrations, reproduced in brilliant color and crisp black-and-white, include hard-to-find images from private collections as well as those from sought-after rare editions. Poe Illustrated features scenes from such popular tales as "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Gold-Bug," "The Black Cat," and "The Cask of Amontillado," as well as "The Bells" and other poems. Spanning a fifty-year period, they range from Édouard Manet's 1875 etchings for a French edition of "The Raven" to the 1935 illustrations by Arthur Rackham for "The Tell-Tale Heart" and other stories. Additional contributors include Arthur E. Becher, W. Heath Robinson, Byam Shaw, and Harry Clarke, among others. The editor provides an informative overview, as well as brief introductions to each of the artists, and captions for their images.
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