Abrams ComicArts Reveals Uncle Sam Cover

Abrams ComicArts announces and reveals the cover of the August 6, 2024, publication of UNCLE SAM: SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION (Abrams ComicArts; August 6, 2024; U.S. $25.99; Hardcover) by writer Steve Darnall and legendary international bestselling illustrator Alex Ross. The book features a striking new cover and afterword by Ross and a new afterword and an expanded illustrated essay on the history and iconography of Uncle Sam by Darnall. Out of print for more than a decade, the long-awaited reissue is a celebratory look inside the two-part comic book first published by DC’s Vertigo imprint in 1997.

From Charles Kochman, editor in chief of Abrams ComicArts: “After being out of print for almost ten years, the time has come for Uncle Sam to be back on the shelves. I am grateful to our friends at DC for the ability to add this timely and seminal book to our list.”

From Steve Darnall: “Collaborating with my friend Alex Ross on this story was—and is—one of the greatest pleasures of my professional life. Of course, every writer harbors the hope that their work will endure over time, which is why I’m so pleased that Abrams ComicArts is reintroducing Uncle Sam to the twenty-first century.”

From Alex Ross: “I’m so proud of the work Steve Darnall and I did for the Uncle Sam book and thrilled that it’s going to be back in print. Uncle Sam was created to respond to real issues in our world and country. It is the most relevant thing I’ve been a part of.”

UNCLE SAM: SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION is a vibrant, hallucinatory tour of modern America—the story of a star-spangled, ragged vagrant named Sam who is guided by the voices in his head and his own fractured memories. Absorbed by history-traveling visions of America’s dark past, Uncle Sam struggles to remember his true identity and piece together the scattered clues of his own experiences in this deep and thoughtful look at America’s checkered past. Scripted by Steve Darnall and fully painted by Alex Ross, UNCLE SAM returns in print just when it is needed most—in time for the 2024 presidential election—as a reminder of American ideals, the promise of our nation, and the democracy that is at stake.

Alex Ross studied illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, then honed his craft as a storyboard artist before entering the comics field. His miniseries Marvels opened a wider acceptance for painted comics. In 1996, he moved on to produce the equally successful Kingdom Come for DC Comics. Ross is also the writer and artist of Fantastic Four: Full Circle—the award-winning national bestseller—and The Alex Ross Marvel Comics Poster Book and The Alex Ross Marvel Comics Super Villains Poster Book, also published by Abrams ComicArts.

Steve Darnall first worked with Alex Ross when the two collaborated on a Human Torch story that served as the inspiration for the award-winning 1993 series Marvels. Darnall served as a consultant on the movie Being the Ricardos and Ken Burns’s documentary Country Music. He is also the editor of Nostalgia Digest magazine and the host of two weekly radio shows dedicated to the golden age of radio.

Written by Steve Darnall

Co-plotted and illustrated by Alex Ross

Introduction by Greil Marcus

Abrams ComicArts / August 6, 2024

U.S. $25.99 / CAN $32.99

Hardcover with jacket / 128 Pages

7¼″ × 11″ / Full-color illustrations throughout

ISBN: 978-1-4197-7768-4