The Invisibles artist pays tribute to greatest work of legendary creator who mentored him early in his career
The Treasury of British Comics is pleased to unveil Chris Weston’s brand new cover for a retailer exclusive hardcover edition of the first volume of The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire
With this special cover – available only from selected comic book stores – the artist on Judge Dredd, The Filth and The Invisibles has paid tribute to the inimitable work of the legendary Don Lawrence, artist on Trigan Empire, one of the finest comics creators in British comics history, and Weston’s mentor early in his career.
The retailer variant hardcover with Chris Weston cover will be available to buy from Forbidden Planet, Forbidden Planet International, OK Comics, Book Palace, and other selected stockists.
The hardcover variant, individually numbered with a cover by Don Lawerence, is also available to pre-order from the Treasury of British Comics website until 4th December.
The standard paperback collection will be available in March from all good retailers and comic book stores.
Featuring stunning artwork taken from crisp scans of Lawrence’s original artwork, this 304-page volume includes a touching introduction from Liam Sharp (Green Lantern), who was also mentored by Lawrence, and marks the first time the series is being collected in a mass market edition.
Co-created by Lawrence with writer Mike Butterworth, The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire merges the movie serials of the 1930s, Flash Gordon, John Carter, and ancient history into a sprawling, classic science-fiction epic. It has been named as a major influence by the likes of writer Neil Gaiman (Sandman), artist Dave Gibbons (Watchmen) and Brian Bolland (Judge Dredd), amongst many others.
Originally published in the anthology title Ranger from September 1965, and Look and Learn from June 19966 until April 1982, the series told the story of an alien empire on the planet Elekton that was heavily influenced by history, particularly that of the Roman Empire. Created by Mike Butterworth, who died in 1986, and artist Don Lawrence, who died in 2004, the series’ mix of political intrigue and Lawrence’s lush painted artwork won a host of fans worldwide, and proved to be highly influential, inspiring a generation of comic book creators with its depth and beauty.
Lawrence, who started out as a comics creator in the Gower Street Studios in London, first working on Marvelman before moving on to Karl the Viking for Lion. Other artists who worked on the strip include Ron Embleton, Miguel Quesada, Philip Corke, Oliver Frey and Gerry Wood. Although the strip has seen only limited English-language release it remains one of the most popular comic series in Holland and Germany, with over two million albums sold.
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