Opus, Vol. 1

Barry Windsor-Smith has been a pop culture icon ever since his fantastic and meticulous drawings brought Conan the Barbarian to life in the pages of Marvel Comics in 1970. In 1999, Fantagraphics presents the first in a series of full-color editions featuring scores of never-before published paintings and drawings from the artist's thirty-year career, while reprinting many of his classic works from the 70 s and 80s. The texts in these gorgeous "art books" are sure to create excitement and controversy among his legion of fans, while attracting the New Age community and followers of the paranormal.

Library Journal

In the early 1970s, Windsor-Smith rose to almost legendary status as the illustrator of Marvel Comics's Conan the Barbarian. After that, he left the comics field but has "returned" periodically ever since. This five-volume series collects much of his published and unpublished works and commentary on everything from his own life to the paranormal. The book's arrangement is eclectic: for example, the illustrations, which range from color comic book panels to full-page illustrations (both color and black-and-white), are presented in a confusing stream-of-consciousness manner rather than chronologically. Still, because his work had a tremendous impact in the early 1970s, this book is recommended for larger public and academic libraries where popular culture studies are important.--Stephen Weiner, Maynard P.L., MA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Barry Windsor-Smith, 2008 Eisner Award Hall of Fame Inductee, has been creating extraordinary comics art and stories since 1967, introducing diverse artistic influences to graphic storytelling, and developing a distinctive, naturalistic narrative style. Conan the Barbarian, X-Men, Weapon X, Archer & Armstrong, RUNE, and Barry Windsor-Smith: STORYTELLER are among the many works of his 30+ year career. Windsor-Smith is also an acclaimed painter of Romantic fantasy, co-founder of The STUDIO, and author of BWS:OPUS, a series of art books collecting his paintings and drawings. The text of the series, called Time Rise, is an anecdotal, sometimes humorous, memoir of his paranormal experiences. He lives in Kingston, NY.