▁fant asy ▁art ▁and ▁a ▁suggestion ▁from ▁cart oon ist ▁Scott ▁Shaw ▁brought ▁about ▁the ▁idea ▁for ▁Pr eston ' s ▁project ▁of ▁port ra its ▁of ▁artists ▁within ▁their ▁stud ios . ▁The ▁ 1 5 - year ▁long ▁project ▁brought ▁together ▁ 1 0 1 ▁cart oon ists , ▁com ic ▁book ▁artists , ▁and ▁anim ators ▁into ▁an ▁award - win ning ▁book ▁of ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁port ra its ▁of ▁such ▁l umin aries ▁as ▁Frank ▁Miller , ▁Al ▁Hir sch feld , ▁Joe ▁Bar ber a , ▁Jack ▁Kir by , ▁Joe ▁Simon , ▁Mo eb ius , ▁W alt ▁and ▁Louise ▁Sim ons on , ▁and ▁many ▁more . ▁The ▁Art ist ▁Within : ▁Port ra its ▁of ▁Cart oon ists , ▁Com ic ▁Book ▁Art ists , ▁Anim ators ▁and ▁O thers ▁ ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁Dark ▁Hor se ▁Books ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁his ▁first ▁book , ▁Pr eston ▁crow df und ed ▁the ▁companion ▁book . ▁La unch ed ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁the ▁K ick st arter ▁campaign ▁received ▁fund ing ▁of ▁$ 3 0 , 6 2 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁Art ist ▁Within : ▁Be hind ▁the ▁L ines : ▁Book ▁ 2 ▁ ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁and ▁features ▁both ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁and ▁color ▁port ra its ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁hundred ▁artists ▁such ▁as ▁D rew ▁Str uz an ,