Angar the Screamer by Calamity Jon Morris
When I was a kid the only thing I loved more than comics were comic book resources, and in the absence of Wikipedia – not to mention, if you can believe it, the commercial internet – I was largely limited to encyclopedic collections like the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. These massive volumes featured information on characters’ powers, affiliations and often lengthy missives regarding their elaborate histories alongside detailed illustrations.
Many a family road trip was saved in my young mind when I’d discover one of these sacred tomes tucked away in the comic book rack of some rundown gas station or backwater drug store. I would lose myself in the pages, obsessing over the minutiae of my favorite characters, and often unearthing fascinating new discoveries like Killraven and Devil Dinosaur.
If you, like me, pored over the pages of these classic guidebooks, then a new collaborative art project entitled the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Reduxe might be right up your alley. Spearheaded by Washington-based artist Calamity Jon, it’s an ongoing anthology that pairs original entries from the series with brand new illustrations from contemporary designers.
New pages are posted regularly, and there’s even an easy-to-understand submission process for artistic-types itching to participate.
