Post by MALCOLM XERXES™ on Dec 29, 2004 15:51:13 GMT -5
Here is some intel about what promise to be a collection of literate coffee table volumes about the origins & medium of Comic Books.
There can never be enough homages to the works of MESSRS. STAN "THE MAN" LEE & JACK "KING" KIRBY for my liking.
MX
Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic
Book. By Gerard Jones. Basic Books, $26.
When newspapers began running comics, it didn't take long for
publishers to collect them in books and later in cheap
magazines called comic books. Virtually everyone knows how
comic books exploded into a major medium after the publication
of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's "Superman" in 1938, but "Men
of Tomorrow" takes a deeper look at the people and historical
forces that were in play.
Jones explains how Jewish immigrants, New York kid gangs,
Prohibition racketeers (including the Luciano-Lansky mob), pulp
magazines, the development of science fiction, raunchy "girlie"
magazines, competing magazine distributors, and a bombastic
salesman and skirt-chaser named Harry Donenfeld all took part
in creating the comic book industry.
The Siegel and Shuster story is given in detail: how the two men
persevered and got "Superman" into print, only to sell the rights,
how they endured cycles of modest prosperity and total poverty,
and finally received the credit and benefits they were due. Jones
doesn't neglect other creators and their works, from "Batman" to
"Captain America." He explains how the rise of crime comics in
the 1950s and the public furor over them almost destroyed the
industry, how Mad magazine and Marvel Comics rose to
prominence, and how the collapse of the distribution system
nearly killed comics (again!) in the 1980s.
Michael Chabon fictionalized the Golden Age of comic books in
his well-researched "Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay";
Jones proves that the real story is even more amazing.
Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics. By Paul Gravett.
Laurence King Publishing, $24.95.
The word manga was coined in Japan in 1814 to mean a series
of loosely related sketches. American and European comic
strips in the early 20th century showed manga artists how to tell
stories in multiple panels. The U.S. occupation of Japan after
World War II exposed the Japanese to two more major
storytelling influences: American movies and comic books.
The rise of manga since then has been phenomenal. It's a
$5 billion industry within Japan, and manga - Japanese-style
comics - have spread around the world. It's now the fastest-
growing genre in U.S. publishing. Paul Gravett's history of
manga and its growth from "Astro Boy" (shown on the cover) to
"Lone Wolf and Cub" - and beyond - is eye-opening. Stunningly
illustrated, this is the book for anyone who wants to understand
the manga phenomenon.
Comic Book Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to Characters,
Graphic Novels, Writers and Artists in the Comic Book Universe.
By Ron Goulart. Harper Entertainment, $49.95.
This is the "ultimate guide" to comics only if your idea of ultimate
is big colorful art, big graphics and big type . . . but short
descriptions. However, Ron Goulart is one of the most
knowledgeable of writers in the comics field, and the information
he manages to fit in among all the graphics is accurate and
well-written.
Older comics fans may not find this book very helpful, but it's
perfect for younger readers who are ready to extend their
exploration of comics.
The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book
Icons and Hollywood Heroes. By Gina Misiroglu with David A.
Roach. Visible Ink Press, $29.95.
Here's an "ultimate" encyclopedia that lives up to the billing. Its
color images and graphics support the text rather than
overwhelm it. The book explores heroes' exploits in comics and
in other media, so, for example, you can see how Superman,
Spider-Man or Swamp Thing fared in the movies. Superbeings
that originated in other media ("The Powerpuff Girls" and "Space
Ghost" from the Cartoon Network, or "Sailor Moon" from manga
and anime) get entries, too. A super book for superhero buffs.
Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Dec. 26, 2004.
There can never be enough homages to the works of MESSRS. STAN "THE MAN" LEE & JACK "KING" KIRBY for my liking.
MX
Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic
Book. By Gerard Jones. Basic Books, $26.
When newspapers began running comics, it didn't take long for
publishers to collect them in books and later in cheap
magazines called comic books. Virtually everyone knows how
comic books exploded into a major medium after the publication
of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's "Superman" in 1938, but "Men
of Tomorrow" takes a deeper look at the people and historical
forces that were in play.
Jones explains how Jewish immigrants, New York kid gangs,
Prohibition racketeers (including the Luciano-Lansky mob), pulp
magazines, the development of science fiction, raunchy "girlie"
magazines, competing magazine distributors, and a bombastic
salesman and skirt-chaser named Harry Donenfeld all took part
in creating the comic book industry.
The Siegel and Shuster story is given in detail: how the two men
persevered and got "Superman" into print, only to sell the rights,
how they endured cycles of modest prosperity and total poverty,
and finally received the credit and benefits they were due. Jones
doesn't neglect other creators and their works, from "Batman" to
"Captain America." He explains how the rise of crime comics in
the 1950s and the public furor over them almost destroyed the
industry, how Mad magazine and Marvel Comics rose to
prominence, and how the collapse of the distribution system
nearly killed comics (again!) in the 1980s.
Michael Chabon fictionalized the Golden Age of comic books in
his well-researched "Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay";
Jones proves that the real story is even more amazing.
Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics. By Paul Gravett.
Laurence King Publishing, $24.95.
The word manga was coined in Japan in 1814 to mean a series
of loosely related sketches. American and European comic
strips in the early 20th century showed manga artists how to tell
stories in multiple panels. The U.S. occupation of Japan after
World War II exposed the Japanese to two more major
storytelling influences: American movies and comic books.
The rise of manga since then has been phenomenal. It's a
$5 billion industry within Japan, and manga - Japanese-style
comics - have spread around the world. It's now the fastest-
growing genre in U.S. publishing. Paul Gravett's history of
manga and its growth from "Astro Boy" (shown on the cover) to
"Lone Wolf and Cub" - and beyond - is eye-opening. Stunningly
illustrated, this is the book for anyone who wants to understand
the manga phenomenon.
Comic Book Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to Characters,
Graphic Novels, Writers and Artists in the Comic Book Universe.
By Ron Goulart. Harper Entertainment, $49.95.
This is the "ultimate guide" to comics only if your idea of ultimate
is big colorful art, big graphics and big type . . . but short
descriptions. However, Ron Goulart is one of the most
knowledgeable of writers in the comics field, and the information
he manages to fit in among all the graphics is accurate and
well-written.
Older comics fans may not find this book very helpful, but it's
perfect for younger readers who are ready to extend their
exploration of comics.
The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book
Icons and Hollywood Heroes. By Gina Misiroglu with David A.
Roach. Visible Ink Press, $29.95.
Here's an "ultimate" encyclopedia that lives up to the billing. Its
color images and graphics support the text rather than
overwhelm it. The book explores heroes' exploits in comics and
in other media, so, for example, you can see how Superman,
Spider-Man or Swamp Thing fared in the movies. Superbeings
that originated in other media ("The Powerpuff Girls" and "Space
Ghost" from the Cartoon Network, or "Sailor Moon" from manga
and anime) get entries, too. A super book for superhero buffs.
Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Dec. 26, 2004.
