500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes - Softcover

Mike Conroy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844110044 ISBN 13: 9781844110049

Publisher: Collins & Brown, 2002

Synopsis

'500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes' is both a great pocket reference tool for aficionados - and a superb introduction to a host of fascinating information for newcomers to the subject. Want to know when Superman or Batman first appeared, and who created them? Or how Flash Gordeon got his name? Or who illustrated the first X-Men stories? - the answers are all here! The book begins with a concise history of comics and action heroes and heroines, tracing their development from the first US comics - such as Busch's Max und Moritz, which was published in the 1870s - right up to present-day developments. The main part of the book is divided into six chapters, each covering a different category of action hero. Forty key characters are profiled on dedicated double-page spreads, while a typical spread profiles some four characters, providing all the core information the reader will require. Special stand-alone features are interspersed with these reference pages. Covering topics of particular interest in depth - whether it's the life and career of Stan Lee, the amazingly creative partnership of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, or how comic creators' perceptions of the Cold War influenced their storylines - these spreads provide a wealth of background information, and insights into the role comics have played in shaping popular culture. The book is illustrated in colour throughout - not just with classic artworks of famous characters' key scenes, but also with many rarely seen gems from the past.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

[back cover]
500
GREAT
COMIC BOOK
ACTION HEROES

?Perhaps the most significant contribution of heroes into the popular literature of the 20th century was made by the form of graphic narrative known as comics.?
?from the foreword by Will Eisner

[front cover flap]
Superman, Batman, the Flash, Sheena of the Jungle, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Blade, Vampirella, the Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man! These and hundreds more masked and costumed crime fighters are shown and discussed in this collection that spans the decades of comic book publication from the 1930s to the present day. Hundreds of reproduced covers and pages are presented with succinct written histories of virtually every comic book hero ever created in the United States and Britain. Combining an absorbing text with a wealth of full-color archive reproductions, 500 Comic Book Action Heroes celebrates the great caped crusaders and fabulous females from the fascinating world of comics.

[back cover flap]
Mike Conroy is a veteran comics journalist and historian, the news editor of the U.K.-based trade paper Comics International, and the founder of the Eagle Award, one of the comics industry?s most coveted international prizes. He has published articles in many periodicals devoted to the comics industry.

Will Eisner is a world-renowned comic book artist whose career has spanned more than 60 years. Among his creations are Sheena of the Jungle, The Spirit newspaper strip, and many others.

About the Author:

Veteran comics journalist and historian Mike Conroy is news editor with Europe's trade paper, Comics International, where he also has his own monthly column discussing the interaction between movies and comics. He is also editorial consultant to the Cool Beans World website. The founder of the Eagle Awards, one of the comics industry's earliest established and most coveted international prizes, he has written on comics for London Editions and Marvel UK as well as for such magazines as Comic World, Fangoria, SFX, Starburst and Starlog.

About this edition

• Publisher: Collins & Brown
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1844110044
• ISBN 13: 9781844110049
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 376