Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher TPB

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » February 5th, 2009, 1:28 am

http://billpresing.blogspot.com/

People interested in reading more about Rex Steele might want to get this trade paperback -- Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher. It's available only through Bill Presing's blog as far as I know.

I picked it up for $15.95 online ($10.95 + $5.00 shipping) recently. Worst part was waiting two weeks for the book to finally show up but I think it was worth it!

You can definitely see the inspiration for the animated student short of some years past. One of the stories that features Greta as the leader of a tribe of Amazons is evocative of both the Rex Steele short and the Fleischer Superman short, "Jungle Drums." It's too uncanny to be mere coincidence. Lots of elements from this story were freely adapted for the animated short.

It's a very good book (MUST-buy for Steele fans!) with excellent sketches and pinups by Bill Presing and other artists in the comic book and animation industries. Presing, along with Steele co-creator Matt Peters, both work at Pixar now as storyboard artists.

Unfortunately, both Rex Steele the TPB collection and the Rex Steele DVD are long out-of-print. The DVD is basically unavailable unless you can get your hands on the French edition of the the Rex Steele comic book collection. The French edition is a full-color hardcover with DVD that's all-region. Last I heard, it was only available through Presing in the States and he sold out of his copies at least year's San Diego Comic Con.

The Rex Steele TPB published by the now-defunct Monkeysuit Press is B & W with material not found in the French edition. Presing has mentioned plans to release an English edition of the French hardcover will full-color but we'll see.

Hopefully, there will be a brand new Rex Steele adventure in the future. I'd hate to see this character end up the way The Rocketeer did...

Post by **Randall** » February 5th, 2009, 8:34 am

I bought the book a few years ago, when the DVD came out. Definitely both are highly recommended.

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » February 5th, 2009, 2:00 pm

I would definitely be in for a double-dip if those plans by Presing to get an English version of the full-color French treatment ever come through.

It would also be nice for a lot of people if the DVD were to be reprinted AND included with a color Rex Steele HC or TPB.

You can still see the Rex Steele short on the web -- it's widely available in Flash Video (flv) format, but nothing beats the DVD. It's just packed to death with B& W footage, pencil tests, CGI tests, commentary, and so on. The 2-disc Limited Edition was also the only way to get the soundtrack on CD. I doubt that will ever be reprinted.

Post by **Ben** » February 5th, 2009, 4:45 pm

For those still in the dark:
http://animated-views.com/2004/rex-stee ... d-edition/