2026 PCGG Day Seven: The Comics of William Stout

Our third and final pick in today’s all-book-day of The 2026 PopCult Gift Guide is the perfect gift for fans of underground comics, Edgar Rice Burroughs, or legendary artist, William Stout.

William Stout’s Comics Volume 1
by William Stout (Author, Artist)
Flesk Publications
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1640411036
$59 Signed Hardcover from the publisher
$42.03 Paperback from Amazon

I have been a huge fan of William Stout since I first discovered his work in underground comics over fifty years ago, when I was too young to legally buy underground comics.

Stout, who I’ve been lucky enough to meet a few times at Wonderfest USA, has had a remarkable slate of careers as not only a comic book artist, but also an illustrator of movie posters and album covers, a designer and art director for movies and theme parks and as an acclaimed muralist specializing in dinosaur paintings for museums. As his bio says, Stout is “a visionary artist whose work spans comics, film, paleontology, and themed entertainment. He earned a full scholarship to the Chouinard Art Institute at seventeen, launching a career that has spanned nearly sixty years.”

Stout’s career in art began professionally in 1968. In 1971, he assisted Russ Manning on the Tarzan of the Apes Sunday and daily newspaper comic strips. Stout also joined Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder on Little Annie Fanny for Playboy in 1972. By the 1970s, he was gaining international recognition for his rock album covers and magazine work.

In 1977, Stout created his first movie poster, Wizards, and ultimately worked on the advertising for over 120 films. His first one man show, The Prehistoric World of William Stout, also took place in 1977. Stout has worked on over thirty feature films, including both Conan films, First Blood, The Hitcher, and Invaders from Mars. Return of the Living Dead made Stout the youngest production designer in film history.

Beginning in 1987, Stout worked for Walt Disney Imagineering for a year and a half as a conceptualist, designer, and producer for EuroDisneyland, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Walt Disney World. After leaving Disney, Stout continued themed entertainment design work, contributing ideas and designs to many Disney and non-Disney projects. In 1989, he was hired by Lucasfilm/Industrial Light and Magic as conceptualist and chief designer for their first foray into themed entertainment centers. In late 1995, Steven Spielberg chose Stout as senior concept designer for GameWorks, a Sega/ Universal/DreamWorks SKG joint project. For two years, Stout and his team oversaw the concepts, design, and execution of the first three GameWorks facilities in Seattle, Tempe, and Ontario.

A lifelong fascination with prehistoric life led Stout to publish The Dinosaurs: A Fantastic New View of a Lost Era, now celebrated as a seminal work in paleoart, as well as children’s classics like The Little Blue Brontosaurus. His paleontological paintings have been featured in record-breaking exhibitions at the Smithsonian, the British Museum, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Stout’s expeditions to Antarctica and Patagonia informed his latest work, Lost Continent: Modern and Prehistoric Life in Antarctica, blending scientific observation with artistry. In 2007, Stout painted twelve large murals depicting the prehistoric life of San Diego for the San Diego Natural History Museum.

And he’s a hell of a nice guy, too.

I actually helped crowdfund this book because I’ve been such a fan for so long. Now it’s widely available, and would be a great gift for any art lover, comic lover or just someone with great taste.

Let’s hit that publisher’s blurb…

The definitive first volume exploring the formative years and early comics career of legendary artist William Stout, told in his own words and artwork.

William Stout’s Comics, Volume 1 is the first installment in a three-volume celebration of the legendary artist’s comics career, focusing on his formative years and early professional work. Featuring more than 75 complete comic pages, over 370 comic-style illustrations and personal works, and rare historical photographs, this volume is a visual treat for his fans and comics historians alike.

Written and narrated by Stout himself, the book traces his journey from childhood obsessions and early superhero creations to his time at the Chouinard Art Institute, where influential mentors helped shape his artistic voice. It explores his pivotal time as an assistant to Russ Manning on Tarzan of the Apes, the impact of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories, and Stout’s wide-ranging early output, from car and motorcycle comics to his unexpected entry as a sports cartoonist.

Also included are never-before-seen early drawings and superhero creations, new portrait drawings of his artistic heroes, and side-by-side comparisons of his earliest and recent works that reveal his remarkable evolution. This volume further documents his first professional assignments, from working as a Disneyland portrait artist and contributing to fanzines to creating comics for CYCLE-toons, rounding out this richly illustrated book.

Carefully crafted over ten years in close collaboration with William Stout, Volume 1 brings to life a cherished chapter in comics history and sets the stage for the volumes to come.

I’ve already got my paperback copy, and I’ll probably ask him to sign it for me at Wonderfest next year. Any fan of his work, or great artwork in general would love this book.

You can order the signed Hardcover from the publisher or the Paperback from Amazon.