Books about the Funny Books

[Artemaria]

Hi All -

 

The holiday weekend is coming up and it might be a decent time to catch up on some summer reading. Just curious if anyone had any suggestions or comments about real books to read that concern our beloved hobby.

 

I'm not asking for books about how to create or read funny books (e.g.: Eisner's - Sequential Art, or the Scott McCloud series), but other books about artists, the industry, people's lives, etc.

 

I've recently read a couple of pretty good ones:

 

Men of Tomorrow by Gerard Jones - really filled in significant gaps in my knowledge about how these books came to be. Interesting focus on Superman's creators and their plight. Also some great pictures of early comic creators.

 

Secrets in the Shadows by Tom Field - nice book about Gene Colan, his life and art. Was never a big Colan fan, but have come to appreciate what he does after reading this one.

 

Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon - great book, a novel, but borrows heavily from Kirby's adventures in the industry. Read this one a while ago, but what a great read. Then again, they don't give out the Pulitzer Prize for nothing.

 

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone else had some good summer reading comic related suggestions.

 

Best.

 

- A

[matewan1990]

Any of the books from Twomorrows is great reading.

Try the recently released book on John Romita for a good look at the Marvel Bullpen and its creators.

The Legion of Super-Heroes companion book is my all-time favorite, right up there alongside the Image Comics book and the one on Miracleman (but, it's out of print).

Twomorrows puts out quality books and magazines and their books are a great way to learn more about the hobby we love.

Try finding their books at www.twomorrows.com.

I have nearly everything they've published and have to say that every single book is chock full of interesting information and interviews.

The Legion Outpost companion is great, too!

Secrets in the Shadows is published by Twomorrows and it's definitely a great book on one of the greatest artists of the Silver Age.

Mike B.

[Thomas]

This is a great thread! Thanks for the heads up on Men of Tomorrow, I just added it to my Amazon cart for my next order.

 

Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution. I bought this a couple years back and is an awesome read!

 

I've also got Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography by David Michaelis on pre-order.

[Sharkey]

Absolutely!

 

Read the book "Man of Two Worlds: My Life in Science Fiction and Comics" by Julius Schwartz (and Brian Thomsen) -- a semi-autobiography of Julius Schwartz, the long-time sci-fi writer's agent and DC Editor. Interesting reading and an good history lesson on not only DC but the pulps/sci-fi markets of the early to mid 1900s and how they impacted our beloved comics.

 

It's full of anecdotes and stories about many of the people who created and shaped the comic book industry and the crossover with sci-fi fandom and pulps.

 

It's not as detailed about some things as I'd have liked, and Julie comes across as a bit of a name-dropper, but it's still an excellent read.

 

--Steve

 

[Nexus]

One of the most entertaining books I've read, period, is THE MAD WORLD OF WILLIAM GAINES by longtime MAD writer Larry Jacobs. I'm pretty sure it's out-of-print so if you ever come across a used copy, snatch it up.

[Artemaria]

These are great suggestions.

 

Sorry I missed the obvious TwoMorrows publishing house. I have the Legion Companion, and I really enjoy it.

 

Is the Miracleman book called "Kimota!" or is there another? I saw one on the shelf at a local bookstore, and then went back and it was gone, so I guess I'll have to find one on eBay someday.

 

The Julie Schwartz and Bill Gaines books also sound really interesting, and I'll keep a lookout for them. From the little I've read about both of them they were both very remarkable characters, especially Gaines - I mean, come on, publishing a "comic" book for kids where the cover features a beheaded woman and a guy holding a bloody axe in the 50s! That's fracking baaaalllllsy!

 

Has anyone read the "Invisibles" companion? (the exact title escapes me). Was it helpful in deciphering what the series was about, or what Morrison was thinking - or what he was "taking" - when he wrote the series?

 

While I loved the non-stop startlingly original sci-fi utopia gone wrong concepts that Morrison seemed to keep pumping out in the Invisibles, I must confess, I really had a tough time figuring out exactly what was going on. Although when I saw the Matrix (first movie), it made me think of my Invisibles trades (and truth to tell, some screen shots and panels line up a little too well for coincidence).

 

If anyone can give insights as to whether that Invisibles book is any good, I would appreciate it.

 

- A

 

[Sharkey]

you can get the Julie Schwartz book Used on Amazon for a few bucks

[Dick Pontoon]

Men of Tomorrow is a great, great book. I've bought several copies for gifts I liked it so much.

 

Right now I'm reading The Comic Book Makers by Joe and Jim Simon. It's on the anecdotal side, more of a series of memoirs so far but a good read. I've heard the Wally Wood book is good and want to pick that up next. Tales to Astonish by Ronin Ro is okay, but there's a lot of mistakes in it so you have to read it with a grain of salt. Mark Evanier's 1st of 2 Kirby books is due out in October and I have no doubt it will be dynamite. I plan to pre-order and save a few bucks.

 

Oh - and I'll second the TwoMorrows recommendation. Everything I've read they've put out has been terrific.