Jess David Spurlock (born November 18, 1959) is an American author, illustrator, editor, and artist's-rights advocate best known as the founder of Vanguard Productions, a publisher of art books, graphic novels, and prints.

Early life J. David Spurlock was born on November 18, 1959, in Memphis, Tennessee.Spurlock, J. David "The J. David Spurlock – Edgar Rice Burroughs Connection", Volume 2195, n.d. He moved to Dallas, Texas in 1973.

Career He has taught art at The University of Texas at Arlington, the Joe Kubert School, and the School of Visual Arts in New York.The Spirit Archives, Volume 24 (DC Comics, 2008), Introduction, p. 12. He has served as a president of the Dallas Society of Illustrators.

As a comic book artist, he co-penciled and inked the alternative press comic Sparkplug #1 (March 1993), from Heroic Publishing's Hero Comics imprint, credited as David Spurlock. The following year he contributed a text page to a Dallas, Texas, tribute comic honoring industry legend Jack Kirby, who had recently died.J. David Spurlock. Grand Comics Database

Spurlock founded Vanguard Productions in 1993,Baker, Bill. "In Praise of Great Men", Comic Book Marketplace #111 (April 2004), p. 29 although he had used that name, in conjunction with Sparrowlake Enterprises, to self-publish the comic book Badge #1 in 1981.Badge, Vanguard Productions, 1981 Series at the Grand Comics Database The company initially had been founded to publish a comics anthology, Tales from the Edge, with 15 issues released as of 2010.Tales from the Edge at the Grand Comics Database The company then moved into art books, biographies and eventually graphic novels, including Neal Adams' Monsters (2003),Baker, pp. 29–30 (originally serialized in the comics anthology series Echoes of Future Past, published by Adams' Continuity Studios), with four additional story pages plus additional Adams material.NealAdams.com: News: "Neal Adams Monsters Book Proofs Just Arrive. Wow!" , n.d. DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz, an architect of the Silver Age of Comic Books, said "Spurlock's line of books serve as the vanguard of Silver Age comics histories."Baker, p. 30 Other comics magazines and collections published by Vanguard beginning in 2001 include Space Cowboy, Jesse James Classic Western Collection, Steve Ditko: Space Wars and Wally Wood's The Complete Lunar Tunes and The Wizard King.Vanguard Productions at the Grand Comics Database

In an article on the Fort Worth, Texas, comics artist Pat Boyette, Don Mangus, who assisted Spurlock during this time, wrote of the early Vanguard comics that,

Philanthropic works Spurlock co-created the Wally Wood Scholarship Fund with Wood's brother, Glenn Wood, for students of the School of Visual Arts.Vanguard Productions, Wally Wood Scholarship Fund Baker, p. 31 In a joint venture with Marvel Comics and Diamond Comic Distributors, Vanguard Productions in 2002 sponsored artist Jim Steranko's "The Spirit of America" benefit print,"The Spirit of America", Vanguard Productions, 2002. . created to fund an art scholarship "for victims of anti-American terrorism"."New York Comic Con Releases Expanded Guest List for their February Show", New York Comic Con press release, January 20, 2009, via Comic Book Resources. WebCitation archive (requires scrolldown). There is no public record of recipients, if any, of these grants or scholarships and it is unknown if they're still being offered.

In 2008, Spurlock, with artist and publisher Neal Adams and the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies Arts & Letters Council, spearheaded a petition campaign in which over 450 comic book creators and cartoonists urged the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum to return to artist Dina Babbitt seven portraits she was forced to paint in the Auschwitz death camp in 1944.Open Letter from Neal Adams & J. David Spurlock for Holocaust Survivor , ComicsBulletin.com, September 24, 2008

Awards and nominations Vanguard Productions' Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip was a finalist for a 2003 Independent Publisher Book Award (the IPPY) in the "Popular Culture" category.Independent Publisher, 2003 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results It was nominated for a 2002 Eisner Award for "Best Comics-Related Book".Hahn Library, "2002 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards"

Vanguard's Wally's World: The Brilliant Life and Tragic Death of Wally Wood, the World's Second-Best Comic Book Artist (2004), by Spurlock and Steve Sarger, was nominated for a 2007 Eisner Award for "Best Comics-Related Book"."2007 Eisner Nominations" , ComicsBeat.com, April 19. 2007

The original self-published limited edition of The Art of Nick Cardy by John Coates (Coates Publishing, 1999), which was reissued in a wider edition by Vanguard in 2001, was nominated for a 2000 Eisner Award for "Best Comics-Related Book".Hahn Library, "2000 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners"Vanguard Productions, The Art of Nick Cardy page

In March 2011, he was named Inkwell Awards Special Ambassador. He still holds that recognition at present.

Legal issues In June 2025, Jesse David Spurlock was sanctioned by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Frazetta Properties, LLC et al. v. Vanguard Productions, LLC and Jesse David Spurlock (Case No. 8:22-cv-581-WFJ-AEP). The court found that Spurlock had misrepresented a 2015 document as being signed by members of the Frazetta family to falsely suggest a license agreement existed. Forensic evidence confirmed the signatures were not authentic, a fact the defense later admitted. The court determined that Spurlock “fooled the Court (and the lawyers),” reinstated summary judgment in favor of the Frazetta plaintiffs, and ordered Spurlock to pay their attorney fees.

The case stems from a copyright dispute over the use of Frank Frazetta's “Death Dealer” images in a coffee table art book. In 2022, Frazetta Properties sued Spurlock and Vanguard Productions for unauthorized publication and false claims of licensing authority.

Bibliography as author, editor and/or publisher Steranko, Jim. Steranko: Graphic Prince of Darkness (1998) Spurlock, J. David, ed. The Al Williamson Sketchbook (1998): Schumer, Arlen, compiler, The Sketch Book a.k.a. Neal Adams: The Sketch Book (1999): Spurlock, J. David, and Bill Pearson, compilers. Wally Wood Sketchbook (2001): Infantino, Carmine, with J. David Spurlock. The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino (2000): Pratt, George, compiler. Jeffrey Jones Sketchbook (2000): Motter, Dean, and J. David Spurlock, compilers. Echoes: Drawings of Michael William Kaluta (2000): Coates, John. The Art of Nick Cardy (2001): . Originally Coates Publishing limited edition, 1999 Spurlock, J. David, and John Buscema. John Buscema Sketchbook (2001): Zeno, Eddy. Curt Swan: A Life in Comics (2002): Kane, Brian. Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip (2002): Adams, Neal. Monsters a.k.a. Neal Adams Monsters (2003): Spurlock, J. David, and John Romita. John Romita Sketchbook (2002): RGK: The Art of Roy G. Krenkel (hardcover 2004; trade paperback 2005): Sarger, Steve, and J. David Spurlock. Wally's World: The Brilliant Life and Tragic Death of Wally Wood, the World's Second-Best Comic Book Artist (2004): The Thrilling Comic Book Cover Art of Alex Schomburg (2004): Spurlock, J. David, compiler. Grand Master of Adventure Art: The Drawings of J. Allen St. John (2005): Gammill, Kerry, and J. David Spurlock, eds. Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos (2005): Korshak, Stephen D. The Paintings of J. Allen St. John: Grand Master of Fantasy (2008 limited edition): Spurlock, J. David, compiler. Mythos: Fantasy Art Realms of Frank Brunner (2007):

Footnotes

References Michigan State University Libraries, Special Collections Division: Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection

External links