Latest Suntup Editions Sales ARC artist edition broadside classic edition collectible lettered numbered paperweight portfolio print roman numeral set special state supplement Select Title Select Author Select Year Cover Title Value Last Sale Last Price Sales Total Last Sale Type Database update Starship Troopers AE $245 10/21/2025 $125 104 Auction 10/20/2025 Johnny Got His Gun numbered $200 10/20/2025 $125 40 Private Sale 10/20/2025 Imajica AE $215 10/20/2025 $125 176 Private Sale 10/20/2025 Guests numbered $285 10/20/2025 $125 54 Private Sale 10/20/2025 Hannibal AE 4 book set $900 10/20/2025 $725 29 Fixed Price Auction 10/20/2025 The Collector numbered $285 10/20/2025 $125 44 Private Sale 10/20/2025 Legion AE $85 10/20/2025 $100 49 Fixed Price Auction 10/20/2025 Life of Pi classic edition $300 10/20/2025 $250 43 Fixed Price Auction 10/20/2025 The Island of Dr. Moreau numbered $180 10/20/2025 $300 49 Private Sale 10/20/2025 Swan Song numbered $995 10/19/2025 $825 8 Auction 10/20/2025 Page 1 of 32 Filter by Title Select Title Year equals Select Year Filter by Author Select Author Cover Title Fair Market Value Last Sale Date Last Sale Price Last Sale Type List price Limitation Sales Total Publisher Year Author Artist Intro Author Series Database update Starship Troopers AE $245 10/21/2025 $125 Auction $125 750 104 Suntup Editions 2021 Robert A. Heinlein Dan Dos Santos None Standalone 10/20/2025 Johnny Got His Gun numbered $200 10/20/2025 $125 Private Sale $385 350 40 Suntup Editions 2022 Dalton Trumbo Ūla Sveikauskaitė Cindy Sheehan & E.L. Doctorow Standalone 10/20/2025 Imajica AE $215 10/20/2025 $125 Private Sale $195 1000 176 Suntup Editions 2021 Clive Barker Jody Fallon Clive Barker & Phil&Sarah Stokes Standalone 10/20/2025 Guests numbered $285 10/20/2025 $125 Private Sale $295 350 54 Suntup Editions 2021 Kealan Patrick Burke Kealan Patrick Burke Kealan Patrick Burke Standalone 10/20/2025 Hannibal AE 4 book set $900 10/20/2025 $725 Fixed Price Auction $210 1000 29 Suntup Editions 2021 Thomas Harris Jason Mowry / Tom Bagshaw None Hannibal saga 10/20/2025 The Collector numbered $285 10/20/2025 $125 Private Sale $595 350 44 Suntup Editions 2022 John Fowles David Alvarez Bradford Morrow Standalone 10/20/2025 Legion AE $85 10/20/2025 $100 Fixed Price Auction $135 750 49 Suntup Editions 2023 William Peter Blatty Matt Mahurin Michael Peter Blatty Exorcist sequel 10/20/2025 Life of Pi classic edition $300 10/20/2025 $250 Fixed Price Auction $185 500 43 Suntup Editions 2023 Yann Martel Jon Ching Yann Martel Standalone 10/20/2025 The Island of Dr. Moreau numbered $180 10/20/2025 $300 Private Sale $365 350 49 Suntup Editions 2021 H.G. Wells Benz and Chang Megan Sheperd & Adam Roberts Standalone 10/20/2025 Swan Song numbered $995 10/19/2025 $825 Auction $675 250 8 Suntup Editions 2024 Robert McCammon Ed Binkley Robert McCammon Standalone 10/20/2025 Swan Song classic edition $255 10/19/2025 $200 Fixed Price Auction $215 850 57 Suntup Editions 2024 Robert McCammon Ed Binkley Robert McCammon Standalone 10/20/2025 Misery AGE $475 10/19/2025 $325 Fixed Price Auction $110 1250 131 Suntup Editions 2018 Stephen King Rick Berry & Dave Christensen None Standalone 10/20/2025 Slaughterhouse 5 AE $175 10/18/2025 $125 Private Sale $155 1000 88 Suntup Editions 2022 Kurt Vonnegut Julian de Narvaez / Edith Vonnegut Jess Walter Standalone 10/20/2025 Horns AGE $210 10/18/2025 $200 Private Sale $85 1000 105 Suntup Editions 2019 Joe Hill Magdalena Kaczan Joe Hill Standalone 10/20/2025 Divine Comedy numbered $800 10/18/2025 $800 Private Sale $895 250 13 Suntup Editions 2024 Dante Alighieri William Blake None Standalone 10/20/2025 Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator - artist edition $165 10/18/2025 $175 Fixed Price Auction $145 500 1 Suntup Editions 2025 Roald Dahl Quentin Blake / Gris Grimly Donald Sturrock Standalone 10/20/2025 Dark Matter AE $210 10/17/2025 $175 Fixed Price Auction $135 1000 88 Suntup Editions 2022 Blake Crouch Hilary Clarcq Andy Weir Standalone 10/20/2025 Starship Troopers & Stranger in a strange Land set AE $350 10/17/2025 $350 Private Sale $260 750 43 Suntup Editions 2021 Robert A. Heinlein Dan Dos Santos & Thomas Canty None Standalone 10/20/2025 Johnny Got His Gun AE $65 10/17/2025 $125 Fixed Price Auction $125 1000 80 Suntup Editions 2022 Dalton Trumbo Ūla Sveikauskaitė Cindy Sheehan & E.L. Doctorow Standalone 10/20/2025 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd numbered edition $575 10/17/2025 $575 Private Sale $595 250 1 Suntup Editions 2025 Agatha Christie Anna & Elena Balbusso Martin Edwards and John Curran Standalone 10/20/2025 Page 1 of 16

Bibliography information for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd lettered edition | Author: Agatha Christie | Publisher: Suntup Editions | Artist: Anna & Elena Balbusso | Introduction by: Martin Edwards and John Curran | Market Value No Data The Murder of Roger Ackroyd lettered edition Agatha Christie Bibliography Published by Suntup Editions 2025 26 List Price $1,950 Limitation Market Value No Data October 20, 2025 Artist Anna & Elena Balbusso Introduction by Martin Edwards and John Curran Last recorded sale Unknown Value Pages Description from Suntup Website The Suntup edition of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie is presented in three states. The edition measures 6” x 9” and features seven color illustrations by award-winning Italian artist duo Anna & Elena Balbusso, an introduction by Martin Edwards and an afterword by John Curran. The text is set in Monotype Bell and printed letterpress on Fedrigoni Arena 120 gsm, mouldmade Liber Charta 135 gsm and handmade Velké Losiny 120 gsm papers by Pat Randle & Ellen Bills at Nomad Letterpress on a Heidelberg cylinder press in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. Design and typography by award-winning designer Mark Argetsinger. The Lettered edition is limited to 26 copies. It is a full goatskin binding with a foil blocked cover featuring a custom Art Deco design—an aesthetic nod to the period elegance that permeates the novel. Endsheets are marbled, and head & tail bands are leather. The edition includes a fold-out of the Artist edition dust jacket illustration. It is printed letterpress on handmade Velké Losiny 120 gsm paper, produced by the historic Velké Losiny mill in the Czech Republic, which has been crafting fine paper since the 16th century. The paper features a custom dagger-shaped watermark, echoing the ornamental device used throughout the text. The edition is housed in a cloth covered clamshell enclosure with velour lined trays. It is signed by Anna & Elena Balbusso, Martin Edwards, and John Curran. Also check the other states of the book: Artist edition - Numbered

Complete overview of releases by Suntup Editions with links to bibliography, picture galleries and market value pages Filter by Title Filter by state Filter by Author Publishing Year The Covers Collection ARC The Eyes Of The Dragon art potfolio ARC numbered The Eyes Of The Dragon art potfolio ARC lettered The Eyes Of The Dragon art portfolio numbered View More

Since Suntup Editions first burst into the small/fine press world, Paul has brought us some of the most beautiful editions within the modern fine press movement. When he first announced the production of the landmark novel, American Gods, it was clear that this was going to be a special production. Years later, with most of the editions now in the hands of collectors, it is clear that this was worth the wait. While during this time there has been controversy surrounding the author, it does not take away from the energy, creativity and passion that was put into this project from some of the most talented artisans in the fine press world. From the choice of materials and typeface to the newly commissioned artwork, every detail has been crafted to create a whole even greater than its parts. In this conversation, we explore the journey of bringing American Gods to life in a form that is as much an object of art as it is a vessel for story. Paul Suntup   Q: You first announced American Gods  back in November of 2022, but we all know that you have been thinking about this publication for longer than that. Tell us about the inception and evolution of this project and why you think American Gods  is a book that deserves the Suntup treatment?   Numbered Edition of American Gods I had to look back on my emails to see when we first started working on this book. It was in September of 2020. It’s hard to believe. We can work on a book, and during the process, you have a sense of time passing, but not of exactly how much time because you get caught up in everything it takes to keep it moving forward. Then something prompts you to take a look, like this question, and I can’t believe that much time has passed.   As to the inception part of your question, we knew our customers wanted us to publish something by Gaiman, and when it came to identifying the book, I turned to American Gods. It is a fan favorite and an award-winning novel. So, with that baseline, it made a lot of sense. As with many books, this one took on a life of its own. When we started out with it, we had not realized it would evolve into as large of a production as it did.   Q: You brought on some truly incredible collaborators for this production, reaching across the pond for a usual suspect on the lettered binding, but also some new faces including the fine press mainstay Pat Randle for the printing, the endlessly creative Kate Holland to tackle the roman numeral binding, as well as Yoann Lossel and his wonderful artistic flair. How did you select the contributors to this project and what do you think each brings to this publication?   I will have to dust off the memory banks here! Let’s break it down though. Kate on the Roman state. I’ve wanted to work with her for some time but hadn’t found the right project until this came along. What she brings to the table is not only her exceptional bookbinding skills, but also her creativity and resourcefulness.   Jacek on the Lettered. Well, that was an obvious move for us since he’s done a good number of our previous titles which have always been well-received, and his bookmaking talents are impressive to say the least. He brings, like Kate, his creative flair to the binding materials and design, and his finishing is impeccable.   Classic Edition of American Gods As for the printer, well I guess Pat was the only one crazy enough to take on a print job of this size! Over 840 pages printed letterpress across all four states. Pat and the team at Nomad Letterpress have a sterling reputation and very high standards when it comes to fine letterpress printing, so I could trust them completely with this. The paper handling alone was quite the undertaking. We’re talking over 100,000 sheets of paper. This required the assistance of Garry Phipps from Green Street Bindery in Oxford, who was a lifesaver with the paper logistics. He also bound the Classic edition.   Another collaborator not mentioned is Michael Russem, a highly skilled book designer who has designed several of our titles, and who created the interior typographic design. On the art front, we came up with a list of potential artists which we reviewed and then narrowed down, and then we sent our shortlist to Neil for review. He liked Yoann’s work and we reached out. Yoann was very excited to collaborate, and he worked on the art for at least a year, really immersing himself in the project to the extent that he made his own costume for one of the models and took extensive notes during the planning stages. We also did something different with this one. We had Yoann manage the printing of his artwork. Usually, we handle that ourselves, but the art has these gold foil accents and Yoann has a lot of experience with this so we handed the reigns over to him so that he could make sure it was produced to his satisfaction. He worked with his preferred printer and managed the printing process with our direction when needed.   Jacek Tylkowski – Lettered Edition Bookbinder   Q: You have been commissioned for more lettered editions than any other binder since the inception of Suntup Editions, so it is no surprise to me that you were selected to do such an important edition as American Gods . What does this partnership with Suntup mean to you and how did you try to start to wrap your head around this particular story when Paul first presented it to you?   My collaboration with Suntup Editions is very important to me. Now, from the perspective of working with Suntup Editions over the past few years, I have more experience and more thoughts. Of course, I was apprehensive at the beginning, but I guess that's normal when you start something new. Lettered Edition of American Gods Beginning a new relationship with a foreign publishing house was completely different than anything I had done before. Don’t get me wrong, I have been binding books for many, many years, but this work requires a different approach and preparation. I am glad that my work has been so positively received by Paul Suntup and those who follow Suntup Editions, which, I think, influences the fact that I receive more and more new titles for binding. When I was asked to prepare a project for American Gods , I thought it was another big challenge, but as I mentioned, I now have much more experience on edition bindings, so I think it was easier for me to prepare. However, I keep my feet firmly on the ground and I know that nothing lasts forever and appreciate each new project.   Q: As usual, your design is wonderfully elegant and minimalist, executed with an obvious level of talent that speaks to how long you have been honing your craft. Tell us about where you drew your inspiration from with this particular design and how you achieved the beautiful gradient effect on the leather cover. Did having two volumes present any unique challenges?   I think it would be quite a challenge if I had to bind American Gods  in one volume. Two volumes will naturally mean more work, but from a technical perspective it doesn't change much compared to what I was already binding, and I think it was necessary in this case.   I have my routine, especially when I don't know a given title, and that was the case here. I received standard information about the work, plus materials from Paul, which, as always, makes my work on the project easier.   The main inspiration on this binding was the color palette of the artworks, plus specific small elements from them, which I decided to include in the binding. I decided to dye it myself, so I used leather dedicated to this process. I achieved the gradient effect after performing several tests, finding what worked using trial and error. I like discoveries like this when I start something new and have no idea where it will lead me. This has already happened in the past and it is also true now.   Kate Holland – Roman Numeral Edition Bookbinder   Q: This is your first time working with Paul as a contributor to a Suntup Editions release. You are known for creating wonderfully inspired bindings that elevate the text and truly exemplify the idea of “book as art.” What did you find unique about this project that drew you to it since edition bindings are not your typical fare?   I am used to doing individual bindings one at a time but Paul approached me and I was keen to trial having a bit of a production line where there is an element of repetition. I did once do an edition of 100 books though and that nearly killed me so this much smaller run of 15 books, albeit in two volumes, so actually 30 books, was much more appealing.   Roman Numeral Edition of American Gods Q: While most of your projects are singular bindings, commissioned for a specific client or a personal project, is there something particularly challenging or exciting about having to come together with other artists and collaborators to create a singular and coherent vision?   I'd known Pat's (Nomad Press) work, and his dad (Whittington Press) before him, as being exceptional so it was particularly exciting to be working with him and his team. The illustrations are very strong and vibrant so it was important that my binding design didn't detract from or clash with them. The handmade Losin paper is lovely and a joy to bind, though the weight of it and the number of pages the original single volume was incredibly thick, so I managed to persuade Paul to split it into two volumes, doubling my workload, but I hope making for a more enjoyable handling.   Pat Randle – Letterpress Printer   Q: While your work is well known throughout the fine press world from your numerous collaborations with other presses, I believe this is your first time collaborating with Paul. You are printing all four states of this edition, but they vary in some very important ways from one edition to the next. What are some of the unique challenges that you faced when having to print multiple editions of the same book on various papers, different numbers of volumes, and the other aspects of each particular state?   The American Gods  project was technically relatively straightforward (all one colour, plate work, no wood engravings) project, but a huge print job in terms of its size, both page count and size of the edition. We ran 105,000 sheets through the machine, front and back, which presents obvious issues around storage and organisation.   The book had already been designed by Michael Russem over in America, with (I imagine) an American printer in mind. In the UK we exist in a halfway house between the inch and the centimetre. Our machinery is to the inch, but the paper (for this project) is supplied as B2 sized sheets, making a maximum book size of 170 x 245mm. So, the files needed to be resized before converting to plates. The original plan was to have all four editions printed as single volumes but it became apparent as we collated sets of sheets that the bindings on these huge spines would cause too many difficulties, so the conversion to two volumes on three of the editions was made as we went on with the printing.   Losin Paper and Watermark on Roman Numeral Edition Regarding the papers - the “classic” edition needed to fit into one volume and at that size we needed a thin paper with minimal transparency, in the end opting for a lightweight Munken. This is perhaps the edition I am most looking forward to in book format - the Munken is surprisingly strong with a healthy rattle to it. There’s inevitably some transparency from page to page, but I don’t mind this. I like to think the book will have that Bible aura about it. Then the paper for the Roman Numeral edition, a handmade from the Czech Losin mill that we like, took weeks to prepare. They had to get the weight of the paper and one of the long edges consistent enough for us to be able to feed through the Heidelberg at the same time as the three other editions. The paper for the Lettered and Numbered editions, Mohawk and Somerset, were more predictable.    Yoann Lossel - Illustrator   Q:  American Gods  has been a highly anticipated release for Suntup Editions, teased more than a year before announcing, and for such an important project, we know that Paul is very intentional with his choice of illustrators. Tell us about how you were first approached with this potential collaboration and what was your initial reaction to illustrating  American Gods  by Neil Gaiman?   I will always remember the first contact; it was the greatest dilemma of my career! Paul contacted me through Jason Sechrest while I was still engaged for months in the creation of my own art book—a highly demanding art book that I was developing as a concept book, in the logic of William Morris's Kelmscott Press—massively funded via crowdfunding. I had refused all collaborations that had been proposed to me to dedicate myself entirely to it, at least until the end of 2021. In January 2021, I read: "We are currently publishing a signed limited edition of American Gods  by Neil Gaiman. We would be delighted to commission you for this project, bringing you aboard as the illustrator for this edition." As I read the message, my eyes literally lit up; illustrating American Gods  was one of my wildest dreams—my mind still buzzing with the thousands of images that reading the book, fifteen years earlier, had generated—but I needed much more time due to scheduling and personal artistic approach. We are talking about an extra year, which is colossal for a publishing project. I declined the invitation, explaining my dilemma, with a heavy heart; one should not commit without being able to give their best, especially with American Gods .   I did not expect the response that followed. I was offered not only all the necessary time but also artistic freedom. The ideal conditions, a dream within a dream. Immense joy overwhelmed me and at the same time, I immediately grasped the importance of the project and the responsibility it entailed. It's a blend of hyper-focus and excitement that has never left me.   At that same time, I had just finished developing a technique to reproduce the gilding of my originals on my art prints—I am a versatile artist, bibliophile, and lover of book crafts—Paul contacted me right from the start for this dual role of artist and craftsman, with my experience in the field of printing. This promised to be an absolutely fascinating project as I could put all my expertise to the service of the book as an art object. It was the ideal project, under ideal conditions, at the ideal time.   This is what I remember from Paul and his team's working method: they seek to create the best quality, and they are willing to give themselves the means and all the necessary time to achieve it. It is undoubtedly the best collaborative experience of my entire career.   Q: Tell us a little bit about your background and artistic influences. You are famous for your use of graphite and gold leaf combined, which has this wonderfully magical and ominous feel to it, but at other times, your art can be bursting with color and flamboyance, which is clearly on display from the preview art, depicting the chaotic carousel scene in  American Gods . What did you draw from as inspiration and how did you decide on the tone for these illustrations?   I am a lover of art and craftsmanship, it is the common thread of my life. I grew up in a very creative environment that invited me to experiment with sewing, carpentry, theatre, drawing, collage, painting, mechanics... There was no distinction or hierarchy between mediums: each of them nourished my curiosity, quenched my thirst for understanding, and fed my simple pleasure of creating. As a child I was very sensitive, very contemplative, and not very concerned with the social categories in which we compartmentalise concepts. This later led me to read a lot of philosophy, poetry, politics, and social sciences. As a teenager, I embraced an underground culture with all the range of oddities it opened up for me, a mix of Punk, Post-Punk, Dark Folk, Industrial music, Metal, and Psychedelic Rock; while I became passionate about Dark Romanticism, Symbolism, medieval architecture up to Art Nouveau/Jugendstil, through the Italian Renaissance as well as Fantastic Art from Bosch to Beksiński. Gradually, I discovered the Golden Age of illustration, which I started collecting—the pinnacle for a lover of illustrated books—a perfect union of the art and craft trades.   Inevitably, when I discovered William Morris, it was love at first sight. Artistic love and human love. One can break free from categories and make art while making craftsmanship, anchor it in a political logic, and give it an intimately philosophical meaning. American Gods  is the fruit of this journey; the illustrations were created with a pinch of all that.   To address my creative process more specifically: American Gods  is as much a journey through contemporary America as it is a journey through the stories of all the nations that compose it. It's a journey through the history of the Fantastique and Fantasy that brings together folklore, myth, fairy tales, all the great and small stories. It occurred to me to make this contemporary mythological story a visual journey through the history of fantastic art up to the works that have marked American culture more recently. This allowed me to borrow different styles, evoke different feelings with different techniques and achieve a very great diversity of representations. Thus, among the illustrations, there is a tribute or a nod to Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Arnold Böcklin, Edward Robert Hughes, Gustave Doré, Grant Wood, Edward Hopper, Zdzisław Beksiński, Alfons Mucha, Vincent Van Gogh, and Ferdinand Keller.   Along with this artistic research, and very early in the creation process, Paul Suntup entrusted me with choosing the printer and managing the prints for the illustrations, which allowed me to organise my entire creative process and in particular anticipate a subtlety: my work involved from the start the incorporation of gilding work reproducible in print through hot stamping. It is indeed one of the hallmarks of my work and part of my specificity. Alan Lee, the extraordinary English artist, wrote it beautifully in the preface to my book: "Adding decorative detail to the pages can simply provide a beautiful setting or framing to these vivid images, but it can do much more; adding cultural context, extra layers of storytelling and act as an intensifier. Yoann uses his sinuous and coiled linework to feed energy back into his densely shadowed and mysterious paintings."   Each image had to be designed to add this layer of symbolism, this divine dimension evoked by illumination, which suits a work about gods so well. An additional challenge, but also an additional dimension. These gildings allowed me to play with composition, highlight a detail, or add information. This is what allowed me to tell many things in very few images. This was my visual guiding thread.   Q: I know you have poured your heart and soul into each and every one of these illustrations, but is there one in particular that stands out to you as emblematic of the whole project? Do you have a piece that you know you will be looking proudly and fondly upon years from now?   Three illustrations seem emblematic to me, two are particularly interesting, and one has my special affection.   In January 2022, in the middle of the reflection phase, I was enchanted by a work that I had finally seen with my own eyes at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels: The Fall of the Rebel Angels. I had long contemplated it, American Gods  already in mind. It is a fantastic, crazy, rich, and timeless work, like what I wanted for the book. But above all, in place of Bruegel's angels, I saw Wednesday, Shadow, Czernobog, and Mr. Nancy in the mad carousel race, surrounded by their multiple strange avatars. I had already thought of parodying Hopper, as an obvious choice, by seating Shadow and Wednesday in his famous diner while giving it all the strangeness of a place set in the otherworld, but this approach of anchoring American Gods  in a classical work only concerned the frontispiece at that time. In a flash, it was possible for me to weave broader connections with fantastic art. The carousel, by invoking Bruegel, has the madness of Flemish works and invited me to extend my reflection to all the illustrations. Not to mention that I loved painting it.   The frontispiece, on the other hand, is a particularly telling witness to the additional layer of symbolism that gilding work can bring. The entire gilded frame surrounding this nod to Hopper is a narrative representation of the book (do not look at it in detail if you have never read American Gods!). There are three different gold leaf colours that compose it: a thread for Shadow's destiny, a thread for the old gods, a thread for the new gods. I have hidden all the important scenes and interactions in chronological order. It starts at the top left and reads counterclockwise to the end of the book. I like the idea that the reader can enjoy wandering through it if they wish. In the centre of the image, by invoking Nighthawks, I was already invoking an imaginary world. By treating it in the manner of an old engraving, nourished by Gustave Doré's work, I gave it a timeless dimension. It only remained to hide a Chevrolet with headlights on, reflecting the Moon in its windshield, to evoke the setting of the final confrontation in the background, to stash posters of 69 Love Songs and Twin Peaks, to reserve a parking space for the buffalo-headed god and a second for Odin, to hide a mysterious man in the shadows and to slightly damage everything. I only had to sprinkle a few scattered bones and rubbish and then install two neon signs that indicate where we are and who is who...   The third illustration, the one that has my affection, is Zorya. Because I see my partner in this image, I particularly enjoyed painting it and it embodies my perfect vision of American Gods .   Paul Suntup   Q: As you directed this project from start to finish, what were some of the most difficult challenges of bringing this production to the finish line and what were the most rewarding aspects of it now that it has been released? What are you most excited for people to experience?   Pretty much every part of this production was a challenge. What comes to mind though is the page count. We did not start out with this being a two-volume edition. But after spending a great deal of time deciding on papers for each state, we made some sample books, and it was obvious that a single volume would not work for three of the four states. So, all but the Classic is being published as two volumes. You just have to be careful with this because it basically doubles the binding cost. But we had no choice. With the heavier-weight papers and the inclusion of the two sequel novellas, it bulked up fast. This is an inherent challenge for all high page count books. We have to balance the desire to create an enhanced reading experience by printing on mouldmade and handmade papers, with the need to keep costs down.   As to the rewarding aspects, I’d have to say the point at which things started to come together after several years of work. That is, when I saw the prototypes for the first time, and when I saw the printing for the first time. Everything up to that point is all “theory,” but when you see the fruits of your labor, there is satisfaction in that.   All Four States of American Gods And lastly, what am I most excited for people to experience? I’d say it’s the production as a whole. It’s the beautiful type design, the papers, the quality of the letterpress printing. And then extending outward to the binding designs, and the materials used. The pleasure of seeing a favorite novel given special treatment, and ultimately, once the books are in people’s hands, the unique reading experience it can offer. We worked hard on this book and I hope our customers enjoy it and have a good experience with it.   This interview was done in a series of communications back and forth with all the contributors and we want to thank them all for their willingness to be a part of this series and their dedication to the process. If you want to stay up to date on what Paul is up to with Suntup Editions then you can follow them at https://suntup.press/  and sign up for their mailing list to get updates on production, future projects and information on artists and binders they work with. You can also follow them on Facebook  to stay up with the monthly releases coming from this groundbreaking press. You can follow the other contributors as well on their socials: Kate Holland - Instagram Jacek Tylkowski - Instagram Yoann Lossel - Instagram Interview by: Zach Harney co-founder of Collectible Book Vault

Greg Manchess Few artists capture the sweep of imagination and the intimacy of human expression quite like Greg Manchess. Over his 50 year career, his work has graced everything from National Geographic and The Smithsonian to bestselling novels and cinematic posters. In addition to his commercial work, he’s celebrated for Above the Timberline, a fully illustrated novel that blends narrative and fine art in groundbreaking ways. In this conversation, we delve into the long and winding path that led him to where he is today, his creative process, and his more recent interactions with the small and fine press communities. We are so excited to finally share this conversation with one of our favorite illustrators and hope you enjoy it as well! Q: You have been a working illustrator for almost 50 years now and the scope of your work is extremely diverse. Can you tell us a little bit about how your journey as an artist began from an early age? Were there any defining moments that shaped your path?   Greg Manchess at his home studio It's actually over 50 years, if you count my years in school. I went to art school thinking that I would get taught how to paint and draw. That makes sense, right? An 18-year-old says, “I'll go to art school, and they'll teach me what to do," but they didn't. What actually happened is I graduated four years later, scratching my head thinking, “I guess I'm going to go look for gallery jobs myself.”   A friend of mine had gotten an art director's job at Better Homes and Gardens in Des Moines, Iowa. She told me that she was working with this place called Hellman Design, and I should check them out. They're a studio in Waterloo, Iowa. So, I went down there, walked in the door, and they had a show on the wall of the six artists that were there. I fell in love with their work right away. It was professional, the kind of drawing I wanted to do, and immediately hoped that they would hire me.   I showed them my portfolio, and I got hired based on my drawing ability, not my finished work, because it was all over the place. I had a lot of pencil and charcoal sketches, pieces from my figure drawing classes. They saw that, and that sold them, because they figured I knew how to draw. At that point, I really didn’t know how to paint yet. They kept pushing me away from paint in art school. They said, “Don't oil paint, because it's dead.” Despite that, I tried anyway on my own, and I got into it. Hellman hired me, but I was the low man on the totem pole, and I had to work hard to live up to what the guys around me could do.   Illustration "Flight Line" My early pieces were just horrible. And I thought, I'm going to get fired any day, because the drawings just fell apart. But I quickly realized, as I watched what the other artists did, that they were working from photography. They were projecting and tracing, whatever it took. And I thought, "I can't do that. I'm a purist, right?" I'm going to do it the “right way.” Quickly, I realized I was not going to be able to build those skills fast enough to keep up. It was going to take years, and I didn't have that time.   So, I promised myself, “All right, if I do this, I'm going to let it teach me how to draw better.” Turns out that is exactly what it did. And I still train my students to do that now, because it accelerates the learning curve, because you're actually following forms and foreshortening forms, and you're understanding foreground and middle ground and background by tracing that stuff. I learned that guys like Vermeer had used lensing and other similar projection methods.   My skills ramped up really fast, to the point where a couple of years later at the studio, I decided to go freelance. They really wanted me to stay. Some days I wish I had, because they were such an amazing group of people. We're still friends, most of us. We had the best leader, Gary Kelly, and he is one of the most-awarded American illustrators of all time and he's brilliant. It was a wonderful start to my career.   Q: You said that you were somewhat pushed away from oil painting, but frankly, I think that is the medium that most people know you for. What eventually drew you towards focusing on the medium, and how did it become your favorite?   Interior Illustrations for Frozen Hell from Arete Editions I held on to my feeling and my dream of wanting to become like those painters I admired, and they happened to all be oil painters. A lot of new illustrators want to be great painters, but when they start they get knocked down, pushed and shoved. I think that what comes into play most is your stamina and how much you stick to it and dig in. At one point in my early career, I'd had enough. At the time, I had eight different techniques I was working with that were all selling. I had colored pencil, gouache, airbrush, regular pencil, charcoal and more. I was often being asked to emulate someone else’s style and eleven years in, I'd had enough. I thought, I'm going to paint for myself and if I fail, then I fail. Then I'll just go off and be a fighter pilot or something if it all falls apart. But the first thing I painted grabbed a lot of attention and pushed me to continue on.   That first piece was a play on Picnic on the Grass  by Manet. It was a bunch of guys sitting around having coffee in a café, but there's a nude sitting at the table. That got a lot of attention. I learned that building curiosity is how you pull the audience in. And then I started to realize that illustrating is about the ideas just as much as the technique. The two have to marry. We see this now with AI. It's only going for the technique. It's not going for the idea. It has to pull from somewhere, and it's an amalgamation of something else.   Q: Being an illustrator that practices so many mediums, I’m curious with such a long spanning career, how you view the evolution of digital art and how that compares to more traditional and historical mediums?   I remember when I realized, ‘wait a minute, there's something happening with the computer scientists, and it is coming to the art world.’ There was one early depiction I saw of a toothpick through an olive in a martini glass that was created by a computer scientist who wasn’t an artist in the traditional sense. It was low-res, but it looked amazing. And I remember thinking, “Yeah, that's where it's headed.” So, I bought a computer in 1981.   I got my first Apple II Plus and I thought that maybe I was going to be a digital artist, or computer artist, as I thought of it then. The trouble was, at the time, the only way to learn how to use it was by reading a large stack of books that taught you the programs. It wasn’t intuitive at all. Every time I would input something, it would just say ‘syntax error.’ I kept working on it, and while I was trying to learn it, a traditional job would come in and I would take it to survive. Illustrations for Sleepy Hollow from Fablelistik Editions  Then I’d go back to the computer, have all kinds of problems, and another job would come in and I'd go back to drawing. As this went on, the drawing became more interesting to me and I started to get better. The computer eventually got pushed into the corner and started to gather dust. At that point, I was committed to drawing. I didn’t think much about digital for a long time after that.   I painted like crazy all through the ‘80s. In the early ‘90s, National Geographic   Magazine called and I was basically painting chunky oil paint at the time, which is not something they usually bought. They always bought the highly detailed stuff. But they loved what I was doing and we had a relationship for a long time working together. Then digital started to crawl into the field. At that point, I was against it and thought it really didn’t look good, no texture, no strokes. But then I watched as it got better. That was when I met Irene Gallo (at the time Art Director of Tor Books).   We would talk about this all the time. She would say, ‘I don't care what technique it is, as long as it works for the book cover. If they hit the deadline, what's the problem?’ That really changed my opinion and I started to listen to that.   So, I kept painting and I was pretty lucky. I could sell the look of the paint and people were buying it. Then I realized they were buying it because it was unique at that point. A lot of newer illustrators went into digital, but the kind of clever, smart techniques were drifting away from traditionally practiced mediums. Yet the oil paint was still there. And I was moving through it in different ways, using it with different approaches. As I got better and secured more jobs, I just laid my foot on the pedal.   Q: Do you ever play around with digital painting or is that something that you never picked back up?   Yeah. I love it, actually, it's very cool. Now I will often send rough work to a client that's done digitally so they get a sense of where I’m going, but then I do the final in oil.   Q: One of your crowning achievements was an original work of yours, Above the Timberline,  in which you wrote and illustrated the story. What originally sparked this idea and how did it evolve into a fully realized story? I’ve heard legends about how many paintings you did in a single year for that publication.  Can you tell us about the process?   Above The Timberline Cover Art I’ve had an interest in writing for many years and have written a lot, but my painting always took the lead. A film crew wanted to record a video of how I paint and I had to quickly put together an image. Adventure and mystery poured out and I found myself designing a character struggling on a snowy mountainside with his polar bear pack. It combined my love of hiking and survival with my interest and love for animals and mountains. I called it Above the Timberline  and a friend encouraged me to show it to a publisher. I hadn’t thought to do that, but I gave it a shot and they were immediately curious. I then had to sit down and hash out why my character was on that mountainside. Five years later, I had something to work with and sold it to Simon & Schuster.   When the project first started, I was really excited, but then I realized that I needed to do 123 paintings in 11 months. They weren’t small either. I was working with paintings that were 15 inches tall by 47 inches wide. I love widescreen and horizontal paintings, so this was perfect. It was really fun and since I didn’t have deadlines within that time period, I could start a painting and sit on it for a little while, study it and try to determine what it needed before finishing.   One day, I might paint all ice and snow. Another day I'd paint just characters and another day airships or polar bears. I was able to piece them together going back and forth. And if I had the energy to go ahead and finish one, then I would do it, but it would still go on the wall, where I could study it and tweak it later on. I never had that luxury before, but for the most part, I had the final say on what the painting was going to be.   I was having a great time on my own and really didn’t have a formal art director. However, I had to stop all other work, other than teaching twice a week and finishing a couple of DVD covers for Eric Skillman at the Criterion Collection . I love those guys, so I slid those in there.   Above The Timberline Interior Art After the first three months, I punched out 49 paintings and I was a little bit toasty. So, I slowed down for a couple of weeks and then I picked my speed back up again and carried on through the summer. And in October (two months before the deadline), I had about 22 left to do and finished in time for them to be photographed as well. I had to clean all those up and get them in on the due date. The day I turned in the last painting to the photographer to scan, I thought, “my throat feels funny,” and boom—I was sick as a dog right after that. Stayed just fine the whole year painting and then I got sick. The adrenaline had kept me going.   Seven years after I painted that initial image, the book came out. I’d started the story with very small thumbnail sketches, drawing while daydreaming. This led to curiosities about the main character, which led to places he’d be, which led to conversations of dialogue, which led to an overall story. I basically started in the middle and worked my way outward. I had an ending in mind, and made small steps to connect the dots to get there. The biggest hurdle was trying to keep the story contained to 250 pages…and gathering enough reference to work from. Sometimes I just had to work from my head, but it eventually all got done.   Q: One iconic project that you worked on was a series of covers for the legendary Western Author Louis L’Amour. How did they find you for that project and what was the process like working with the L’Amour estate?   I originally got contacted by the Louis L'Amour Western Magazine  to discuss working on covers for his novels. They saw some of my work in National Geographic and thought I could handle cowboys based on my previous illustrations. I did a few smaller jobs for the Magazine at first, but didn’t know they were looking for an artist shift on the covers. They wanted to get away from super-detailed realism and into more of an expressive painting style for the new covers.   Lonely on the Mountain Cover Art They had been looking for someone for years and Beau L'Amour had seen my work in the magazine (He actually bought the first painting I did for it). He went to his contacts and said, ‘I think this is the guy.’ The first thing they wanted to do was a series of the Sackett family novels, which has 17 books in it. I thought, ‘I don't think I can read all of them and make the deadline.’ So, Beau and I would sit on the phone for hours, and he would tell me the stories and talk about what he wanted to see. Then I would take notes and start doing thumbnails. It got to the point where the art director would just say, ‘call Beau.’ I would send in a sketch to the art director that was already approved by him. I have now done close to 70 book covers for them and even have an exhibit of 50 of these at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art, in Trinidad, Colorado.   Q: You’ve done concept art and promotional work for film projects—how is that workflow different from your illustration background? Were there any film-related projects that pushed you outside your comfort zone stylistically or technically?   I’ve worked in several categories for films: movie posters ( Dune ‘84, The River ), original paintings for on set ( Finding Forrester ), paintings for illustrations within the film story ( Buster Scruggs ), concept work ( Narnia ), credits ( Play Dirty ), and DVD covers (a wide range for Criterion Collection). When directors come to me, they usually want something specific, something they’ve already visualized, since Hollywood productions aren’t crazy about experimenting with budgets. So, I end up pushing myself outside my range. Recently, I used a palette knife to smear paint around while recording the process of painting a couple of portraits for the titles of the film, Play Dirty.   Q: Many of our readers are small/fine press book collectors and will recognize your work from the many illustrated books you have done with presses like Lyra’s Books, Arete Editions, Conversation Tree Press, Curious King, The Folio Society and Fablelistik. What do you appreciate about working in this space and what were some of your favorite projects? Why do you think you have been so frequently used in the modern fine press movement going on right now?   I love working in the limited edition press arena because the publishers come and ask me to give the story my personal vision. While I’m still working for the client, I’m given much more freedom to explore. I share that exploration with the client. We talk and work out the necessary imagery I’ve developed for them with an eye for the final edition and how it will feel to the collector. It’s a collaboration, and that’s always admirable. Recently I worked on a favorite edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for Lyra's Books, and I finished paintings for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in February which should be released soon.   Illustrations for Wizard of Oz from Lyra's Books I think in the business, it really does work out that if you establish a good working relationship with a client, word gets out you’re not going to stab them in the back. You’re going to meet the deadline and be great to work with. It's kind of like being the Tom Hanks of illustration. Everybody loves to work with him because he understands the problems that need solving and he moves with it and does the work.   Back in 2004 or so, Marcelo Anciano (current owner of Arete Editions) contacted me. He had asked around and was trying to find someone to do the painting for the third volume of books he was doing for a series of Conan stories. He emailed me, and said, “You come highly recommended as an oil painter, would you be interested in Conan?” I told him that I didn’t know anything about Conan and I was going to have to read up on it. We got along as fast friends and I would see him whenever I went to London. That relationship was something he remembered when we weren't working together. Many years later, he got into limited edition books and he called me up about The Picture of Dorian Gray . Initially, I said I would be interested, but the thing about The Picture of Dorian Gray  is that everybody always paints the last painting in the story. I had this idea about watching the picture deteriorate over time, and he loved the idea. I did nine of them and the Oscar Wilde people heard about it and got on board and fell in love with the idea as well.   The Picture of Dorian Gray Interior Illustrations from Lyra's Books While I was working with Marcelo, he had his books produced through Rich Tong, who runs Lyra’s Books. The three of us got talking and they asked me what books I would like to do if I could pick anything. I sent him a list of ideas and they were very interested in the Wizard of Oz , so I was immediately on board. As a kid I used to watch that in black and white TV in my living room with my parents every spring and so I knew the movie inside and out, but I didn't really know the books that well. They’d call and we would discuss aspects of each production and everybody seemed really great in the small press business. They're all just people who love publishing and I've always loved books so it’s a great fit. Q: As your career has evolved, do you find yourself trying to focus more on specific areas of illustration, or are you still open to new and interesting projects that are outside of what you are most known for?   It has certainly narrowed down at this point of my career, mainly publishing and some easel work. I would love to simply work on the books I want to work on and sell the originals in galleries, and become the gallery painter I've always pictured myself becoming. However, every now and then, a special job comes up. I just finished doing 11 murals for a museum in Texas on the early developing days of the state and how it all started. I’ve also done some postage stamps and those are awfully fun . Artemis II Mission Patch Recently, I’ve been doing mission patches for NASA astronauts and that's also been a great experience. It's something you'd think would be simple, but they need everything perfect. I’d spend a year or so going back and forth, but sitting down with astronauts at NASA—it’s just too doggone cool. I recently finished the mission patch for the Artemis 2 crew that's going to circle the moon and come back. I had to design two patches, but I’ll let the astronauts reveal why.    I'm hoping to do more gallery work in the future, primarily through Galerie Daniel Maghen  in Paris. They approached me at San Diego Comic Con and initially I didn’t think much of it, but they kept reaching out to me and at some point I spoke to Charles Vess about it and he spoke very highly of them. He said, “If they want you to do a show, do it.” I started talking to Olivier from the gallery and they did a show for me that was just wonderful. I was supposed to do another show with them, and then the pandemic struck and everything went to hell. So that's kind of the next thing I want to do. Q: Throughout your long and illustrious career, what are the things that have changed the most about your industry and what has remained most consistent?   The work has changed, the styles and interests have changed, and the process of getting work and having steady clients has changed. The people haven’t changed much, though. Deadlines are shorter, and productions are smaller, but the people are all trying to do their best to create a solid visual together. The teamwork is still a remarkable and wonderful aspect when it works well, and it’s still the same kind of failure of attitudes when it doesn’t. So, I try to instill in the students that I mentor that learning to work with people will get them very far, even when the practicalities of the workflow shifts and changes. Roll with the changes, take your risks, and be professional about surviving in the arts.   Q: What are you currently working on and is there anything you can share about upcoming projects in 2025 and 2026?   Cover Art for Last Argument of Kings from Curious King I’m about to start working on several more limited edition books, Frankenstein  and A Christmas Carol , plus the third volume of the Foundation  series for Conversation Tree Press and the third volume of The First Law  series, by Joe Abercrombie, with Curious King. I plan to have an art book of many of my paintings come out in 2026, and another based on my posts for the Muddy Colors website. I’m working on releasing a folio of many of my paintings from some of the limited editions, and hoping to release a book of sketches eventually as well. This interview was done in a series of communications back and forth and a Zoom call and we want to thank Greg for his willingness to be a part of this series and also for collaborating with us on a future broadside. If you want to check out some of Greg's many past works, you can take a look at his portfolio on his website https://www.manchess.com/ To stay up to date on the breadth of everything he is working on, you can follow him on Instagram . Interview by: Zach Harney of the Collectible Book Vault

Less is More. Such simple but eloquent design. This is the limited numbered edition of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot , signed in black ink, - published by Centipede Press. This book feels like a tome when you pick it up in the plain black cloth slipcase. It measures 9 x 13 inches. But when you take it out of the slipcase, the black cloth of the boards feels real nice to the touch and makes the book easy and pleasant to handle. The Mohawk Superfine feels good for such a large novel. Still a heavy paper but not too much. The 2 color printing really stands out next to the gorgeous duotone photographs by Jerry Uelsmann. Signed by Stephen King and Jerry Uelsmann.