View Full Version : Comic Book History Books
davegraham
06-19-2007, 09:45 PM
I just started reading Men Of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book (http://www.amazon.com/Men-Tomorrow-Geeks-Gangsters-Birth/dp/0465036562) by Gerard Jones and I am digging it. Sometimes I feel I don't know enough about the stories behind the stories. Yeah, I can ramble on about the history of the Marvel Universe, but I don't know much about Stan, Jack, and a lot of the creators that built the industry. Does anyone have any favorite books on the comic book industry that they will share?
george-khoury
06-19-2007, 11:19 PM
Hi,
A nice informative book is Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics by Les Daniels. It's a perfect starting point to get your feet wet in comics history. I consider that book to be one of the perfect comics history books out there.
BTW, I just finished writing a book called Image Comics: Road of Independence that takes a good look at the last twenty years of this industry. Flip through it when you see it on the stands. It might be something that you'd like.
welcome to the forums George. Sounds like interesting reading.
iSteve
06-20-2007, 12:13 AM
One of my favorite comic history books is All in Color for a Dime (http://www.amazon.com/All-Color-Dime-Richard-Lupoff/dp/0873414985) by Richard Lupoff and Don Thompson.
horatio616
06-20-2007, 04:28 AM
If you want comic book drama read Kimota, which details the sordid history of Miracleman and all the legal issues around it. It should be an easy book to locate for cheap.
esophagus
06-20-2007, 05:59 AM
I just started reading Men Of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book (http://www.amazon.com/Men-Tomorrow-Geeks-Gangsters-Birth/dp/0465036562) by Gerard Jones and I am digging it. Sometimes I feel I don't know enough about the stories behind the stories. Yeah, I can ramble on about the history of the Marvel Universe, but I don't know much about Stan, Jack, and a lot of the creators that built the industry. Does anyone have any favorite books on the comic book industry that they will share?
Heh. I just bought this yesterday. But I also bought about seven other novels and a buttload of comics, so I haven't started it yet.
george-khoury
06-20-2007, 06:18 AM
welcome to the forums George. Sounds like interesting reading.
Thanks Fred!
george-khoury
06-20-2007, 06:21 AM
If you want comic book drama read Kimota, which details the sordid history of Miracleman and all the legal issues around it. It should be an easy book to locate for cheap.
Thanks for the mention. Kimota has been out of print for over three years; Jim Hanleys in NYC might still have some at cover price. There's a possiblity that I might be working on a new edition of that book. I'll know by the end of the year.
paulsharkey
06-20-2007, 10:41 PM
I used to read a lot of books on comic book history back when I worked in comic shop and didn't have to pay for them.
Anything Les Daniels is worth reading and fun too along that line there is a book called the Golden age of comics that has a good history of DC, Atlas and EC (among others).
All in colour for a Dime is good but can get a little specific about stories more than creators.
There is a great Magazine out at the moment called back issue, which I only found and there are great articles about old comics in it.
Oh and there is at least one great DVD called Comic Book Confidential.
labor_days
06-20-2007, 10:44 PM
One of my favorite comic history books is All in Color for a Dime (http://www.amazon.com/All-Color-Dime-Richard-Lupoff/dp/0873414985) by Richard Lupoff and Don Thompson.
I have to agree, All In Color For A Dime is quite good.
mikegraham6
06-21-2007, 03:50 PM
Another great book about comics is Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society by Danny Fingerroth (it's not really comic book history though). I used it for a University paper i was writing about the rise in popularity of Superhero movies in a post 9/11 society. Its a facinating read and has a section that goes into Superhero stories throughout history (Greek mythology to Rambo) so it's more of a history about the idea of heroes rather than the comic book medium itself but you should check it out, it's a fun read.
paper
06-21-2007, 04:05 PM
Not a history book, but I just ordered some nonfiction in the form of Writers on Comic Scriptwriting, vol. 2 (http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Comics-Scriptwriting-Vol-2/dp/1840238089/ref=sr_1_1/103-6876989-8922202?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182437864&sr=8-1). Features essays from Bendis, BKV, Johns, Brubaker, Rucka, Kevin Smith, Dini, etc. If it's any good I'll probably go back and pick up the first one, which includes authors like Gaiman, Morrison, Waid, Ellis, Ennis, and Dixon.
mikegraham6
06-21-2007, 04:14 PM
Not a history book, but I just ordered some nonfiction in the form of Writers on Comic Scriptwriting, vol. 2 (http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Comics-Scriptwriting-Vol-2/dp/1840238089/ref=sr_1_1/103-6876989-8922202?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182437864&sr=8-1). Features essays from Bendis, BKV, Johns, Brubaker, Rucka, Kevin Smith, Dini, etc. If it's any good I'll probably go back and pick up the first one, which includes authors like Gaiman, Morrison, Waid, Ellis, Ennis, and Dixon.
Alan Moore also wrote a book similar to this
Alan Moore's Writing For Comics Volume 1
I haven't read it but it came up when i was searching Alan Moore on Amazon :
http://www.amazon.com/Alan-Moores-Writing-Comics-1/dp/1592910122/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0690041-7930809?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182438830&sr=8-1
paper
06-21-2007, 04:19 PM
Also on my list, along with the Eisner books (http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Storytelling-Will-Eisner/dp/0961472820/ref=pd_sim_b_1_img/103-6876989-8922202?ie=UTF8&qid=1182437864&sr=8-1). I'm not really expecting to learn comic scriptwriting from any of these books, but reading writers' thoughts on the experience of writing is always inspiration for me. The enthusiasm in contagious.
davegraham
06-21-2007, 04:20 PM
Another great book about comics is Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society by Danny Fingerroth (it's not really comic book history though). I used it for a University paper i was writing about the rise in popularity of Superhero movies in a post 9/11 society. Its a facinating read and has a section that goes into Superhero stories throughout history (Greek mythology to Rambo) so it's more of a history about the idea of heroes rather than the comic book medium itself but you should check it out, it's a fun read.
I read that last fall and I did enjoy it. The main character in any action movie does just as many "super" feets any comic book hero. It makes perfect sense classify them as superheroes.
kahunablair
06-21-2007, 04:51 PM
Alan Moore also wrote a book similar to this
Alan Moore's Writing For Comics Volume 1
I haven't read it but it came up when i was searching Alan Moore on Amazon :
http://www.amazon.com/Alan-Moores-Writing-Comics-1/dp/1592910122/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0690041-7930809?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182438830&sr=8-1
I actually have it sitting on my dresser with about a thousand other books I want to read. I'll have to crack it open and give some input.