Comic Book Culture: An Illustrated History

During the Golden Age of comic books, from the middle 1930s to the late 1940s, readers could choose from hundreds of titles colorfully displayed on America's newsstands -- from Action Comics to Zip Comics. Selecting from thousands of cover illustrations of the period, comics authority Ron Goulart has assembled more than 400 of the most entertaining and provocative for this book. All of which are comprehensively indexed for the first time. You'll see images of various characters, including Superman, Batman, Plastic Man, Captain Marvel, The Flame, Cat-Man, the Black Terror, the Blue Beetle and Sheena -- Queen of the Jungle. You'll encounter the most effective output of admired artists such as Will Eisner, Jack Kirby, Lou Fine, Jack Cole, Alex Schomburg and Bill Everett, plus lesser-know cartoonists such as Paul Gustavson, Matt Baker, Gus Ricca, L.B. Cole and Ramona Patenaude. Several covers in this collection have not been reprinted since their original publication. The text provides a concise history of the comic book business, from its shaky beginnings in the early 1930s to its multi-million dollar successes during the WWII years. Through informed copy and profuse images, Goulart offers an intimate look at one of the most popular forms of American popular art.