A Celebration Of Comic Art And Memorabilia

A space historian's tour through astounding spaceflight history and the Smithsonian's collection of space and science fiction memorabilia Spanning from the 1929 debut of the futuristic Buck Rogers to present-day privatization of spaceflight, Space Craze celebrates America's endless enthusiasm for space exploration. Author Margaret Weitekamp, curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, writes with warmth and personal experience to guide readers through extraordinary spaceflight history while highlighting objects from the Smithsonian's spaceflight collection. Featuring historical milestones in space exploration, films and TV shows, literature and comic strips, toys and games, and internet communities, Space Craze is a sci-fi lover's dream. The book investigates how spaceflight, both real and imagined, has served as the nexus where contemporary American concerns, such as race, gender, sexuality, freedom, and national identity, have been explored and redefined. Chronological chapters include: Chapter 1: Buck Rogers, Ray Guns, and the Space Frontier Chapter 2: Space Forts, Television, and the Cold War Mindset Chapter 3: John Glenn, the Apollo Program, and Fluctuating Spaceflight Enthusiasm Chapter 4: Star Trek, Star Wars, and Burgeoning Fandoms Chapter 5: Generation X, the Space Shuttle, and Promoting Education Chapter 6: Space Stations, Spaceflight Enthusiasm, and Online Fandom Chapter 7: Streaming Services, Battling Billionaires, and Accelerated Change From the almost 650 million viewers who tuned in to watch the first steps on the Moon, to the ardent Star Trek fandom that burgeoned into a cultural force, Space Craze taps into the country’s enduring love affair with space.

Krazy Kat & the Art of George Herriman is a tribute to one of the most influential and innovative comic strips and creators of all time. This unique collection of rare art, essays, memorabilia, and biography highlights the career of the first genius of comics, George Herriman, and his iconic creations, Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse. During its 31-year run, Krazy Kat was enormously popular with the public, as well as influential writers, artists, and intellectuals of the time. This book includes original essays by Jay Cantor, Douglas Wolk, Harry Katz, Richard Thompson, Dee Cox (Herriman's granddaughter), Craig McCracken, Bill Watterson, and authorized reprints of two seminal essays on Herriman by Gilbert Seldes and E. E. Cummings, alongside newly discovered vintage essays by TAD, Summerfield Baldwin, and Toots Herriman. With Krazy Kat & the Art of George Herriman, Craig Yoe reveals this influential artist and writer for a whole new generation. Praise for Krazy Kat & the Art of George Herriman "The gorgeous volume includes essays by comics historians and creators (including Calvin & Hobbes' reclusive Bill Watterson and poet e.e. cummings) as well as generous servings of sketches, strips, original art and more." --Miami Herald "Craig Yoe has dug up never-published artwork, artifacts, and letters that will bring Herriman to life for the uninitiated while giving fans something new to feast on." --Los Angeles Magazine "It's the ephemera that make this collection invaluable." --The A.V. Club "Craig Yoe has crafted a book that shows as well as it tells; it's a wonderful combination of elegant design and informed and insightful scholarship that does a fine job of conveying why the comic strip is still so fondly remembered nearly a hundred years after its creation." --ICv2

This book complements and expands on the commentary andconclusions of the author's initial inquiry into the modern era ofmedia-made culture in The Visual Focus of American Media Culture inthe Twentieth Century (FDUP, 2004). From the 1890s on to the 1920sand the Depression and World War II years, society's pervasivelycommunal focus demanded idealized images and romanticizedinterpretations of life. But the communal imperative, as it was impactedon by evolving social change, harbored the seeds of its owndisintegration.

After debuting in 1938, Superman soon became an American icon. But why has he maintained his iconic status for nearly 80 years? And how can he still be an American icon when the country itself has undergone so much change? Superman: Persistence of an American Icon examines the many iterations of the character in comic books, comic strips, radio series, movie serials, feature films, television shows, animation, toys, and collectibles over the past eight decades. Demonstrating how Superman’s iconic popularity cannot be attributed to any single creator or text, comics expert Ian Gordon embarks on a deeper consideration of cultural mythmaking as a collective and dynamic process. He also outlines the often contentious relationships between the various parties who have contributed to the Superman mythos, including corporate executives, comics writers, artists, nostalgic commentators, and collectors. Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of Superman’s appearances in comics and other media, Gordon also digs into comics archives to reveal the prominent role that fans have played in remembering, interpreting, and reimagining Superman’s iconography. Gordon considers how comics, film, and TV producers have taken advantage of fan engagement and nostalgia when selling Superman products. Investigating a character who is equally an icon of American culture, fan culture, and consumer culture, Superman thus offers a provocative analysis of mythmaking in the modern era.

The first full-fledged history not just of the Man of Steel but of the creators, designers, owners, and performers who made him the icon he is today, from the New York Times bestselling author of Satchel and Bobby Kennedy “A story as American as Superman himself.”—The Washington Post Legions of fans from Boston to Buenos Aires can recite the story of the child born Kal-El, scion of the doomed planet Krypton, who was rocketed to Earth as an infant, raised by humble Kansas farmers, and rechristened Clark Kent. Known to law-abiders and evildoers alike as Superman, he was destined to become the invincible champion of all that is good and just—and a star in every medium from comic books and comic strips to radio, TV, and film. But behind the high-flying legend lies a true-to-life saga every bit as compelling, one that begins not in the far reaches of outer space but in the middle of America’s heartland. During the depths of the Great Depression, Jerry Siegel was a shy, awkward teenager in Cleveland. Raised on adventure tales and robbed of his father at a young age, Jerry dreamed of a hero for a boy and a world that desperately needed one. Together with neighborhood chum and kindred spirit Joe Shuster, young Siegel conjured a human-sized god who was everything his creators yearned to be: handsome, stalwart, and brave, able to protect the innocent, punish the wicked, save the day, and win the girl. It was on Superman’s muscle-bound back that the comic book and the very idea of the superhero took flight. Tye chronicles the adventures of the men and women who kept Siegel and Shuster’s “Man of Tomorrow” aloft and vitally alive through seven decades and counting. Here are the savvy publishers and visionary writers and artists of comics’ Golden Age who ushered the red-and-blue-clad titan through changing eras and evolving incarnations; and the actors—including George Reeves and Christopher Reeve—who brought the Man of Steel to life on screen, only to succumb themselves to all-too-human tragedy in the mortal world. Here too is the poignant and compelling history of Siegel and Shuster’s lifelong struggle for the recognition and rewards rightly due to the architects of a genuine cultural phenomenon. From two-fisted crimebuster to über-patriot, social crusader to spiritual savior, Superman—perhaps like no other mythical character before or since—has evolved in a way that offers a Rorschach test of his times and our aspirations. In this deftly realized appreciation, Larry Tye reveals a portrait of America over seventy years through the lens of that otherworldly hero who continues to embody our best selves.

Publisher Description

In 1971, my family of four left the bustle of the city for the suburbs of Long Island where we discovered the world of garage sales and flea markets. Before long we were a part of the action, creating "Happy Days," a 30-year family business entailing the buying and selling of antique and collectible toys. We never thought that our middle class suburban family would traverse the United States and the globe encountering humorous and surprising situations wherever we went. After all, who would suspect that something as innocent as selling children's playthings would lead to dealing with mobsters, actors, dreamers, schemers and at least one murderer?!