Announced a couple months ago, though with not too much to yet hang your hat on, comic aficionado Scott McCloud is making his return to comics next February from First Second with “The Sculptor.”
With the cover and details revealed at USA Today the book stars David, a 25 year old washed up deal who makes a deal with Death that allows him 200 days of talent to sculpt anything he wants. But, as is the way, when he finds himself falling in love he’s forced to question what he wants from art and, in turn, life.
Most fans will recognize McCloud from his seminal works “Understanding…,” “Reinventing…” and “Making Comics,” all of which are fairly essential reads for any fan of the medium. McCloud has also worked on his own sequential fiction, though, particularly with “Zot!,” an alt-superhero story influenced by “Astro Boy” and credits as one of the first manga-inspired American comics. (You should be able to find a “Complete Zot!” fairly easily; it’s quite good.)
“The Sculptor,” on the other hand,” has been in development for nearly three decades as McCloud endeavored to get three aspects to the book just right: the supernatural, the love story and the relationship to New York City, where the story takes place. Given the contributions McCloud has given towards elevating the understanding and appreciation of comics while working on this book, I can only imagine what kind of work he’ll be putting out to push the medium even further. It’s certainly an exciting prospect.
First Second has been publishing some great, must-buy books as of late, such as Paul Pope’s “Battling Boy” or the forthcoming “Wrenchies” by Farel Dalrymple. “The Sculptor” is definitely another fine feather in their illustrious cap, and we look forward to it’s debut in February 2015.
