Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier

Kirby: King of Comics by Mark EvanierKirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier

Jack Kirby created or co-created some of comic books’ most popular characters including Captain America, The X-Men, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor, Darkseid, and The New Gods. More significantly, he created much of the visual language for fantasy and adventure comics. There were comics before Kirby, but for the most part their page layout, graphics, and visual dynamic aped what was being done in syndicated newspaper strips. Almost everything that was different about comic books began in the forties on the drawing table of Jack Kirby. This is his story by one who knew him well—the authorized celebration of the one and only “King of Comics” and his groundbreaking work.

Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier

The Comics: Before 1945 by Brian Walker

The Comics: Before 1945 by Brian WalkerThe Comics: Before 1945 by Brian Walker

In the five decades after the Yellow Kid first appeared in 1895, the funnies became an essential element of American life. Comic strip characters, Buster Brown, the Katzenjammer Kids, Krazy Kat, Tarzan, Dick Tracy, Popeye, Blondie, Li'l Abner, were everywhere. They starred in live-action and animated films, stage plays, and radio programs. Their phrases invaded the language; their adventures, which reflected societal changes, were retold in books and inspired hit songs.
This visually stunning, comprehensive survey, copiously illustrated with rare original comics art, is the most authoritative history of prewar American newspaper comics currently in print. It documents the major trends in the funnies business, decade by decade, and presents in-depth biographies of 21 of the most influential creators of the era. "The Comics Before 1945 joins Brian Walker's "The Comics Since 1945 to form a classic survey of American popular culture by one of the greatest authorities in the field.

The Comics: Before 1945 by Brian Walker