Collected Lost Art Books Collaborates with Collins’ Grandson for September Release
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND—Lost Art Books, the award-winning publishing imprint devoted to the graphic arts, is proud to announce the release of The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, Vol. 1: The Complete Mitzi McCoy. This volume collects the entire two-year run of the Mitzi McCoy strip for the first time.
While illustrator and comic artist Kreigh Collins is not well-known to today’s audiences, his adventurous globetrotting life, combined with his skillful storytelling and superior illustration, never fails to enthrall new readers. This volume showcases his picturesque landscapes, lovely character designs, and thrilling action sequences brimming with detail and charm.
Collins’ grandson, Brian E. Collins, restored and edited this Mitzi McCoy collection. He grew up knowing little about his grandfather’s comics work, but embarked on a personal quest to learn more and celebrate the artist’s work.
“After having been more familiar with the historical fiction themes of my grandfather’s long-running Kevin the Bold comic strip, coming across the looser, contemporary Mitzi McCoy was like a breath of fresh air for me. Mitzi’s episodes variously included humor, drama, and action, with moods ranging from lighthearted family fare to more ribald scenarios and noir-ish suspense,” said Collins.
“Working on the book, it felt appropriate to pay attention to every detail, to try to do justice to my grandfather’s legacy,” said Collins. “I imagined him appreciating the time I invested, knowing how much time he spent researching, illustrating, and writing Mitzi McCoy. “
Brian Collins joined forces with Lost Art Books publisher Joe Procopio, who had also been accumulating quite a substantial collection of Kreigh Collins illustrated books, magazines, strips, and other ephemera. Together they agreed that Mitzi McCoy should be the first volume in Lost Art Books’ series. Future volumes on Kreigh Collins’ other work, including a collection of his Bible stories, are in development.
“Looking at Kreigh Collins’ work always feels like you’re sharing in his good time at the drawing board as he channels all kinds of things that fire his creative furnace, whether it’s the adventure serials of the time, the great Brandywine School of illustrators, the theatricality of silent cinema, or the adventure strips of Roy Crane and Milt Caniff. Collins gets it all in there with the exuberance of an excited 40-year-old kid who doesn’t quite believe he finally gets to craft these fun romps for a living,” said Procopio.
This collection also includes an introduction by Eisner Award-winning author Frank M. Young, and an afterword by Ithaca College’s Ed Catto. Longtime comics artist Butch Guice also provides a new pin-up of the titular character.
The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, Vol. 1: The Complete Mitzi McCoy is on sale September 15th, debuting at Small Press Expo. More information can be found at www.LostArtBooks.com.
The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, Vol. 1: The Complete Mitzi McCoy is available directly from the publisher (www.LostArtBooks.com) and select retailers.
Details THE LOST ART OF KREIGH COLLINS VOLUME 1: THE COMPLETE MITZI MCCOY Introduction by Frank M. Young • Edited by Brian E Collins • Afterword by Ed Catto • Series Editor: Joseph V. Procopio 148 pp. • color • paper • ISBN: 978-1-94969-920-3• retail: $34.95
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