BERNIE WRIGHTSON Original Illustration Art CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF August Plate for Sale

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BERNIE WRIGHTSON Original Illustration Art CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF August Plate For Sale

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BERNIE WRIGHTSON Original Illustration Art CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF August Plate:
$11000.00

Greetings. Offered for sale is the original artwork for the August black and white title plate from CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF by Bernie Wrightson (written by Stephen King).
Description:-Art Type: Book illustration original artwork.-Medium: Pen and ink over pencil/graphite on art board.-Publisher: Land of Enchantment (hardcover) and Signet (paperback)-Publication Date: 1983/1985-Dimensions: 18.25" wide by 12.25" tall (image area); framed to 26" by 20"-Signed: Yes. Signed "Wrightson 1983".-Description: This is the original artwork for the "August" title plate from Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King (writer) and Bernie Wrightson (artist). Cycle of the Werewolf tells the tale of a werewolf stalking a remote Maine town over the course of a calendar year. Each chronological month-by-month chapter is a vignette unto itself, yet fitting into the framework of the overall story. The novella was adapted into the motion picture "Silver Bullet" released in 1985.
Bernie Wrightson created three illustrations for each month/chapter of COTY. The first illustration was in black and white and served as the title plate to each month/chapter. Wrightson's chapter illustrations focused on capturing the "feel" of the month, and he was devastatingly successful in doing so, as they clearly evoke a mood. He also created a color painting for each month, capturing a scene from King's prose. The final Wrightson illustration for each month/chapter was a small black and white (pen and ink) image, depicting the aftermath (or one aspect of the aftermath) of the action in the chapter.
The title plate for August depicts a river which runs past Tarker's Mills, Maine. The scene is dark and features the dank bubbling river slowly moving past the overgrown reeds, a dead tree and an abandoned barn on the riverbank. Wrightson has perfectly captured the mood of the dog days of August, the heat, languid pace of life, and the decaying vegetation as nature's summer splurge beings to rot. No summer swimmers dare this section of the river as it looks particularly uninviting, almost daunting. This is the darkest and creepiest, or maybe a better term is disquieting, image of any of the chapter title plates. You only need to see this image to know that something is seriously amiss in Tarker's Mills.
The artwork has been professionally matted and framed by Corporate and Museum Frame, Inc. of Richmond, Virginia. The frame looks to be tooled black wood, and the art is double matted with white (outer mat) and black (inner mat). The frame has a couple of dings to it but is solid and looks very good.
Bernie Wrightson (1948-2017) was one of the premier illustrators, particularly of horror-themed material, of the latter half of the 20th century. He is best known as co-creator of DC Comics' Swamp Thing, and for his magnum opus, Frankenstein. He was a masterful artist, renowned for his intricate pen and brushwork, and a member of the legendary group of artists known as "The Studio" with Jeff Jones, Barry Windsor Smith and Mike Kaluta.
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a peak-period Wrightson illustration (the COTW illustrations were created shortly after his Frankenstein pieces; which are priced out of reach; the cover of Frankenstein sold for $1.2M in 2019 at HA). Condition:
-The art is in excellent overall condition. Minor age/handling wear to frame.-Owned by an adult collector in a smoke-free home.
Shipping/Payment:-Domestic buyer pays $250.00 for USPS priority mail shipping (includes tracking and insurance); this also includes packaging/handling charge.-International buyers please note that international shipping is handled by international shipping.-Customs fees, duty, charges and taxes, including VAT, are the sole and exclusive responsibility of the buyer.-Payment is due upon purchase/sale ending. If you wish a non-standard payment method, please message me to discuss.
Thank you. Please check my other listings for a selection of comic strip original art, comic book original art, books, graphic novels, music CDs, DVDs, knives, and other collectibles.