Michael Wm. Kaluta Sketchbook Series vol.1 & 2
(2012 IDW Publishing)

Don't confuse these with the superior publication, MICHAEL WM. KALUTA SKETCHBOOK, that appears below. Though these contain barely enough arresting images to make it up on to The List, I find it hard to recommend these. The covers are striking color works, but everything inside is indeed the lightest of sketches. So much seems to be vague concept ideas or thumbnail compositions, but, again, about half are interesting to look at if you put yourself in a somewhat impressionistic frame-of-mind. Certainly, there are plenty that you would wish for 'finishing-up' in keeping with his style. Slim volumes of 48 pages each and, beyond the Depression-era character & action compositions, the other large portion of these is more dabbling in the fantasy kingdom that is unique to his imagination. Accompanying some of the tentative drawings is the occasional anecdote about the project they were in service of. If you're keeping score, the second volume scores just a bit better than the first. WINGS OF TWILIGHT, ECHOES, the previously mentioned MICHAEL WM. KALUTA SKETCHBOOK, and THE MICHAEL WM. KALUTA TREASURY certainly all score better than these books. In the final analysis, with the exception of a handful of drawings that I would welcome in some better Kaluta collection, these volumes could be lived without.