Masters Of American Comics

Presents the work of America's most popular and influential comic artists, and includes critical essays accompanying each artist's drawings.

"Masters Of Spanish Comic Book Art is a celebration of the great artists who revolutionized American horror comics in the 1970s with their work on Warren's Vampirella, Creepy, and Eerie horror comics. This first-ever comprehensive history of Spanish comic books and Spanish comic artists reveals their extraordinary success -- not just in Spain and America, but around the world. Their global influence has been little known until this celebration of their contributions. Containing artwork from over 80 artists, this in-depth retrospective includes profiles of such legends as Esteban Maroto, Sanjulian, Jose Gonzalez, Jordi Bernet, Enrich, Victor De La Fuente, Jose Ortiz and Luis Garcia Mozos. With 500 illustrations, over half scanned directly from the original artwork, Masters Of Spanish Comic Book Art honors the "Golden Generation" whose artwork inspired the imagination of comic book lovers everywhere."--

"Alfredo Alcala is one of the most disciplined and perceptive artists inking in comics. The years of distinguished work have earned Alfredo a special place in comics history." — Gil Kane. In the late 1960s, an extremely talented group of Filipino illustrators took the American comic book industry by storm — and the late Alfredo Alcala led the way, working for both Marvel and DC on such popular characters as Conan the Barbarian and Batman. This unique work is loaded with amazing art and pointers on observational methods, composition, and other techniques. In addition to insightful interviews with Alcala, the book features pages from his groundbreaking masterwork, Voltar, which was hailed as a new concept in comic book form, an epic in narrative art, and a milestone in sequential art illustration. Students, professionals, teachers, and fans will treasure this inspiring volume and its insider's look at comic book artistry. "A wonderful look at the thought process of one of the best artist/inkers in comic book history and should be read, not just by comic book fans, but by anyone who appreciates great art." — Rushford Public Library

This informal history of the comic book chronicles, largely in their own words, the lives and careers of the artists and writers who created the most significant and memorable comic books and graphic novels. Stretching from Will Eisner, who started his work in the industry in 1936, to Marjane Satrapi, whose latest graphic novel was published last year, 11 comic book masters are discussed, including Art Spiegelman, Neil Gaiman, Stan Lee, Dwayne McDuffie, Kyle Baker, and Ho Che Anderson. Amazing stories of how these artists and writers fell in love with the genre and built up their careers are coupled with never-before-disclosed anecdotes and previously unpublished self-portraits that will surprise even the most knowledgeable fans.

Contributions by Kenneth Baker, Jaqueline Berndt, Albert Boime, John Carlin, Benoit Crucifix, David Deitcher, Michael Dooley, Damian Duffy, M. C. Gaines, Paul Gravett, Diana Green, Karen Green, Doug Harvey, Charles Hatfield, M. Thomas Inge, Leslie Jones, Jonah Kinigstein, Denis Kitchen, John A. Lent, Dwayne McDuffie, Andrei Molotiu, Alvaro de Moya, Kim A. Munson, Cullen Murphy, Gary Panter, Trina Robbins, Rob Salkowitz, Antoine Sausverd, Art Spiegelman, Scott Timberg, Carol Tyler, Brian Walker, Alexi Worth, Joe Wos, and Craig Yoe Through essays and interviews, Kim A. Munson’s anthology tells the story of the over-thirty-year history of the artists, art critics, collectors, curators, journalists, and academics who championed the serious study of comics, the trends and controversies that produced institutional interest in comics, and the wax and wane and then return of comic art in museums. Audiences have enjoyed displays of comic art in museums as early as 1930. In the mid-1960s, after a period when most representational and commercial art was shunned, comic art began a gradual return to art museums as curators responded to the appropriation of comics characters and iconography by such famous pop artists as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. From the first-known exhibit to show comics in art historical context in 1942 to the evolution of manga exhibitions in Japan, this volume regards exhibitions both in the United States and internationally. With over eighty images and thoughtful essays by Denis Kitchen, Brian Walker, Andrei Molotiu, Paul Gravett, Art Spiegelman, Trina Robbins, and Charles Hatfield, among others, this anthology shows how exhibitions expanded the public dialogue about comic art and our expectation of “good art”—displaying how dedicated artists, collectors, fans, and curators advanced comics from a frequently censored low-art medium to a respected art form celebrated worldwide.

Jillian Tamaki, co-author of This One Summer, picks the best graphic pieces of the year. Jillian Tamaki, coauthor of the New York Times bestseller This One Summer, selects the best graphic pieces of the year. The Best American Comics 2019 showcases the work of established and up-and-coming artists, collecting work found in the pages of graphic novels, comic books, periodicals, zines, online, in galleries, and more, highlighting the kaleidoscopic diversity of the comics form today.

“There’s something thrilling about seeing people invent new ways to tell their story. To me, it’s proof that the art form of comics is healthy: it lives and grows and reinvents itself. It’s alive!” –Roz Chast, from the Introduction FEATURING Lynda Barry, Kate Beaton, Cece Bell, Geneviève Elverum, Ben Katchor, John Porcellino, Joe Sacco, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Julia Wertz, and others Roz Chast, guest editor, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her cartoons began appearing in The New Yorker in 1978. Since then she has published hundreds of cartoons and written or illustrated more than a dozen books. Her memoir Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? was a #1 New York Times bestseller and a 2014 National Book Award Finalist. Bill Kartalopoulos, series editor, is a comics critic, educator, curator, and editor. He teaches courses about comics at Parsons and at the School of Visual Arts. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. For more information please visit: on-panel.com.