Gods' Man: A Novel in Woodcuts by Lynd Ward

• Forewords & Introductions

Forewords & Introductions

The most important work of major American artist and illustrator Lynd Ward, God's Man is a powerful, evocative novel, told entirely through woodcuts. Ward (1905-1985), in employing the concept of the wordless pictorial narrative, acknowledged as his predecessors the European artists Frans Masereel and Otto Nuckel. Released the week of the 1929 stock market crash, God's Man was the first of six woodcut novels that Ward produced over the next eight years. It presents the artist's struggles in a world characterized by both innocence and corruption, and can be considered a forerunner of the contemporary graphic novel, popularized by artists such as Daniel Clowes. Although best known for his "novels in woodcuts," Ward was also a successful illustrator for children's books. In 1953 he won the Caldecott Medal for The Biggest Bear, which he also wrote and illustrated. His illustrations also appeared in numerous books that were recipients of the Newbery Medal. Ward's final work was the acclaimed wordless novel The Silver Pony (1973). Until now, God's Man had only been widely available in high-priced original editions. This top quality, low-cost republication of Ward's masterpiece will be welcomed by collectors of his work, as well as by his readers new to his achievement.