Classics Illustrated 7

A significant expansion of the critically acclaimed first edition, Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History, 2d ed., carries the story of the Kanter family's series of comics-style adaptations of literary masterpieces from 1941 into the 21st century. This book features additional material on the 70-year history of Classics Illustrated and the careers and contributions of such artists as Alex A. Blum, Lou Cameron, George Evans, Henry C. Kiefer, Gray Morrow, Rudolph Palais, and Louis Zansky. New chapters cover the recent Jack Lake and Papercutz revivals of the series, the evolution of Classics collecting, and the unsung role of William Kanter in advancing the fortunes of his father Albert's worldwide enterprise. Enhancing the lively account of the growth of "the World's Finest Juvenile Publication" are new interviews and correspondence with editor Helene Lecar, publicist Eleanor Lidofsky, artist Mort K�nstler, and the founder's grandson John "Buzz" Kanter. Detailed appendices provide artist attributions, issue contents and, for the principal Classics Illustrated-related series, a listing of each printing identified by month, year, and highest reorder number. New U.S., Canadian and British series have been added. More than 300 illustrations--most of them new to this edition--include photographs of artists and production staff, comic-book covers and interiors, and a substantial number of original cover paintings and line drawings.

This classic tale is a favorite of comics fans. Not only is it the inspiration for The Incredible Hulk, but Alan Moore, writer/creator of the best-selling Watchmen graphic novel, used Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in his original graphic novel series, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, thus making this CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED version of the original novel sort of an "origin" story for the monstrous Mr. Hyde. Likewise, CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #2, which featured fellow LOEG member "The Invisible Man," will also appeal to fans of Mr. Moore's Victorian Age super-hero team. Of course, this adaptation by "Batman" and "Grendel" artist J.K. Snyder is true to the spirit of the original Robert Louis Stevenson novel, and stands by itself as a fantastic thrilling adventure.

"SINS OF THE FATHER," Part One Featuring the show-stopping talents of SPAWN series artist JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER and the writer behind such hit shows as Wutang: An American Saga, MarvelÕs Runaways, and Starz's American Gods RODNEY BARNES. When a small-town beat cop comes home to bury his murdered fatherÑthe revered Philadelphia detective James Sangster Sr.Ñhe begins to unravel a mystery that leads him down a path of horrors that will shake his beliefs to their core. The city that was once the symbol of liberty and freedom has fallen prey to corruption, poverty, unemployment, brutality and vampires. Welcome to KILLADELPHIA.

Jules Verne's adventure story about a wager to circumvent the globe in 80 days was so popular when it was first published that it spawned several real-life copycats who tried to replicate the adventures of Phileas Fogg and his valet Passepartout. In this adaptation French writer Loïc Dauvillier teams with artist Aude Soleilhac. Soleilhac's vibrant and detailed work captures the numerous people and places encountered in Verne's epic tale, which still manages to elicit wonder and excitement in readers over 125 years after it was first published.

Anna Sewell's story of the horse, Black Beauty, and his experiences in life with various owners - some kind, some cruel. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes a biography of Anna Sewell, theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story. The Classics Illustrated comic book series began life in 1941 with its first issue, Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musketeers", and has since included over 200 classic tales released around the world. This new edition is specifically tailored to engage and educate young readers with some of the greatest works ever written, while still thrilling older readers who have loving memories of this series of old. Each book contains dedicated theme discussions and study questions to further develop the reader's understanding and enjoyment of the work at hand.

Set in 1885, The Ox-Bow Incident is a searing and realistic portrait of frontier life and mob violence in the American West. First published in 1940, it focuses on the lynching of three innocent men and the tragedy that ensues when law and order are abandoned. The result is an emotionally powerful, vivid, and unforgettable re-creation of the Western novel, which Clark transmuted into a universal story about good and evil, individual and community, justice and human nature. As Wallace Stegner writes, [Clark's] theme was civilization, and he recorded, indelibly, its first steps in a new country.

From 1941 to 1971, the well-loved yet controversial Classics Illustrated series brought abridged, comics-style versions of literary masterpieces such as Homer's Odyssey, Shakespeare's Hamlet, Goethe's Faust, and Hugo's Les Miserables to millions of children and adults worldwide. Founded by Russian Jewish immigrant Albert Kanter at the dawn of the Golden Age of comics, the series used the comic-book form to introduce young readers to the works of Melville, Dickens, Stevenson, Twain and other authors. This work tells the story of Kanter's enterprise and examines the cultural significance of the most successful publication of its kind in the context of the times in which it was published. Attention is given to the evolving mission of Classics Illustrated to bring serious literature to popular culture; the publication's ability to stand up to the anti-comics hysteria of the early 1950s; the growth of subsidiary educational series encompassing folklore, mythology, history, and science; and the unsuccessful attempts to revive the series in the 1990s. The careers and contributions of each of the artists are covered, and the text is supplemented by quotations from exclusive interviews and correspondence with such illustrators as George Evans, Gray Morrow, Lou Cameron, Norman Nodel and Rudolph Palais. Detailed appendices provide artist attributions and the contents of each issue in every Classics Illustrated-related series. More than 200 illustrations offer a generous sample of what drew millions of readers to the World's Finest Juvenile Publication.