Heroes Of The Comics

Featuring over 80 full-color portraits of the pioneering legends of American comic books, including publishers, editors and artists from the industry’s birth in the ’30s, through the brilliant artists and writers of behind EC Comics in the ’50s. All lovingly rendered and chosen by Drew Friedman, a cartooning legend in his own right. Featuring subjects popular and obscure, men and women, as well as several pioneering African-American artists. Each subject features a short essay by Friedman, who grew up knowing many of the subjects included (as the son of writer Bruce Jay Friedman), including Stan Lee, Harvey Kurtzman, Will Eisner, Mort Drucker, Al Jaffee, Jack Davis, Will Elder, and Bill Gaines. More names you might recognize: Barks, Crumb, Wood, Wolverton, Frazetta, Siegel & Shuster, Kirby, Cole, Ditko, Werthem… it’s a Hall of Fame of comic book history from the man BoingBoing.com call “America’s greatest living portrait artist!”

Discover over 100 Marvel super heroes with this pocket-sized, collectable guide! Marvel Comics: Mini Book of Heroes is the ultimate on-the-go handbook to the amazing heroes of the Marvel Universe. Filled stats, origins, and secret identities, this mini book is perfect for fans who want to learn the ins and outs of their favorite heroes. From the most iconic heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Wolverine to fan favorites like Squirrel Girl, Moon Knight, and Beta Ray Bill, this book truly has everything on the very best of Marvel Universe. Look for the Marvel Comics: Mini Book of Villains companion guide available in finer books stores everywhere.

The first history of modern costumed-hero comic books, from the start of the Silver Age in 1956 up to today. Focusing on DC and Marvel Comics, the story begins with the efforts of DC to revitalize such Golden Age heroes as the Flash, Superman, and Green Lantern in the wake of the anti-comic furor of the early 1950s. The authors cover the science fiction rage of the late 1950s, the birth of the experimental Marvel Comics Group in 1961, the emergence of such classic Marvel characters as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, the "camp" craze set off by the "Batman" TV show in 1966, and the socially conscious and politically relevant comics of the early 1970s. Later chapters describe the slump of the mid-1970s, as the medium lost touch with its young readers, followed by the comics' resurgence of the 1980s, as many new companies help DC and Marvel to extend the boundaries of the field with innovation, daring, and a new sophistication. Factually thorough and written in a lively, narrative style, this history includes behind-the-scenes glimpses at the men who wrote, drew, and published the comics, the impact of their creations on the fans, and critical assessments of the works themselves. Illustrated throughout with examples of comic book art, The Comic Book Heroes will inform and entertain both the hardcore fan and the casual reader of this most popular of American mediums.

Chronicles the first thirty years of Superman's career, recounting more than one thousand adventures and highlighting the villains and disastrous events Superman has saved his adoptive planet from.

Friedman features portraits of the pioneering legends of American comic books. Each drawing is accompanied by a one-page synopsis of their life and work.

Exploring the complex personas of Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men and others, Zimmerman unveils their cultural significance as models of moral character, virtue and heroism.