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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 14:57:50 GMT -5
I am looking for recommendations for the best books about the history of comics. Why? I am considering teaching a portion of a class (about comics naturally) at a local college about pop culture/entertainment.
About 10 years ago I took a course at a local college about the history of comic books. It was taught by the owner of the LCS I go to. He started out as a teacher & was a part time teacher until a year ago. He used go to all the high schools in this area & teach some art classes about comic books & comic strips.
Needless to say the homework was great. We got to read comics from different eras & then discuss how they reflected society at the time they were created.
I loved the class. I was the student that had been reading comics the longest. It felt great to have the other students ask me questions about my reading experiences over the years! |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Sept 5, 2014 15:15:49 GMT -5
I never saw a copy of Steranko's History of comics, but I heard a lot of good about it over the years. Has anyone here read it? Has it been topped by more recent treatises?
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 5, 2014 15:30:57 GMT -5
The only one I have that is not devoted to just a single company or character is "GREAT AMERICAN COMIC BOOKS" by Ron Goulart. It's a big picture book type hardcover and more for a general audience than a scholarly one.
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Post by Cei-U! on Sept 5, 2014 15:32:55 GMT -5
Steranko's History is entertaining but outdated. Its chief fault is that it only deals with super-hero and aviation comics of the '40s, so isn't much use for a general survey.
Cei-U!
I summon the book that turned me on to theGolden Age!
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Sept 5, 2014 15:40:50 GMT -5
I read the Steranko volumes and they were the best for what was available at that time. I don't think there is a definitive one volume history book. To be thoroughly authoritative one needs to know the history of newspaper strips and the pulps as well. I've spent a lifetime reading some of the history books but mostly tons of fanzines with interviews from the creators themselves. Alter-Ego magazine is currently the best for those . Back Issue ,The Comics Journal, Comics Interview are some other great sources of history. But be aware, lots of the history books along with the interviews have errors that were discussed in many fanzines later on
The comics medium is more than a century old. I'm still finding new info constantly.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Sept 5, 2014 16:06:14 GMT -5
We're still waiting for Kurt to write the definitive monograph.
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Post by gothos on Sept 5, 2014 16:12:14 GMT -5
There hasn't yet been a definitive history, and the works that have tried usually grunt and groan trying to fit every thing in. At least that was how I found both Denis Gifford's COMIX and Kurtzman's FROM ARGHH TO ZAP.
The most successful tome I've found is the 1996 revised edition of Gerard Jones' THE COMIC BOOK HEROES, because even though it centers upon superheroes, it allows a glimpse at a lot of parallel developments in the history of comics from the Silver Age to the "Iron Age" of Early Image. The worst criticism I've heard about Jones is that at times he enjoys printing a good story more than the bare facts, but he's still got a better handle on interpreting the many meanings of the medium.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
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Post by shaxper on Sept 5, 2014 19:00:20 GMT -5
While I've not read Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, I've heard a lot of interesting information repeated second hand from the book, and I find their facebook page both fascinating and fun. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Sept 5, 2014 19:19:26 GMT -5
Just don't use Supergods!
Unless you want the students to guess what Grant Morrison was thinking when he compared Stan Lee to Mussolini. That might be worthwhile for an extra-credit essay question.
On the other hand, I've always liked Steranko's History of Comics, but I read it back about 1980 and it's probably a bit outdated.
Men of Tomorrow is very good.
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Post by dddegg on Sept 5, 2014 23:10:57 GMT -5
Tomorrows' current American Comic Book Chronicles series seems to cover most comic books.
Michael Barrier's Funnybooks, coming later this year, will concentrate on Dell Comics.
I've always enjoyed Ron Goulart's books.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,459
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Post by shaxper on Sept 5, 2014 23:12:10 GMT -5
Michael Barrier's Funnybooks, coming later this year, will concentrate on Dell Comics. Had not heard of this one until now. Thanks for the heads up (and welcome to the CCF)! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 0:37:29 GMT -5
Michael Barrier's Funnybooks, Another Arkansan made good, I should note. (Along with Hames Ware, of course. I'm sure as heck not including myself!) |
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Post by tolworthy on Sept 7, 2014 2:00:48 GMT -5
"1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die" was my bathroom reading a few months ago. It's not very exciting and almost put me off comics for life (if these are the best, God help us), but it counts as a pretty efficient overview. Even if the author of the Perishers entry thought Boot was called "Boots" - how could anyone make a mistake like that?  For added breadth I recommend another book, which I thought was called The International Book of Comics, but that's the Denis Gifford book and not the one I meant. The one I prefer was landscape format with heavy colour pages(and a price to match), and covered entire countries that are usually ignored. but as I can't remember its name (and I don't think it sold very well) it's probably out of print. Again, it wasn't brilliantly written, but I was impressed by its coverage. But for enjoyment at the cost of a narrower focus, I'd go Marvel The Untold Story, or All In Color For a Dime. www.amazon.co.uk/1001-Comics-Must-Read-Before/dp/0789322714 |
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Post by MDG on Sept 7, 2014 9:17:11 GMT -5
While I've not read Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, I've heard a lot of interesting information repeated second hand from the book, and I find their facebook page both fascinating and fun. It's a good read, especially if you're not a Marvel fan. i don't know of any books that are any books that are a good general overview--the best seem to focus on a specific aspect. althoughits an older book, Les Daniel's COMIX! does a good job on EC, Warren, Kurtzman, the beginning of Marvel and undergrounds. |
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Post by MatthewP on Sept 7, 2014 18:33:14 GMT -5
The Comic Book History of Comics by Fred Van Lente is a pretty wide ranging history of comics, starting from the very earliest books. If feels a little bit chaotic, in part because it is in comic form, but has a lot of info and stories about the creators, publishers, and business of comic books. I still need to read it all the way through, but so far have enjoyed reading random chapters now and then for interesting stories about the history of comics.
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For added breadth I recommend another book, which I thought was called The International Book of Comics, but that's the Denis Gifford book and not the one I meant. The one I prefer was landscape format with heavy colour pages(and a price to match), and covered entire countries that are usually ignored. but as I can't remember its name (and I don't think it sold very well) it's probably out of print. Again, it wasn't brilliantly written, but I was impressed by its coverage. But for enjoyment at the cost of a narrower focus, I'd go Marvel The Untold Story, or All In Color For a Dime.
