This edit will also create new pages on comic vine for. Welcome to jerry bails whos who of american comics. We start off with one of the first artists to have worked in the american comic book industry. If playback doesnt begin shortly, try restarting your device. Known as the father of comic book fandom, he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primary force in establishing 1960s comics fandom.
Will dockery entry in the who s who of american comic books 19281999 from the introduction. The who s who of american comic books bails, jerry g on. Comic books are as popular as ever but why is it that fans just cant seem to put them down. Learn about marvel comicss characters and prominent writers and. Pekar saw crumbs work on fritz the cat and other early creations, and came to realize that comics could be more than just childrens literature ten years later, crumb was again in cleveland, and pekar, by then a published writer about jazz, was inspired to write a few stories for crumb to illustrate.
An american comic book is a thin periodical originating in the united states, on average 32 pages, containing comics. In the early days of comics, he explained, the format was rather simplisticthe pictures mainly just presented what the words were already conveying. If kate beaton cant make you love history, then i dont know who can. Five major, iconic characters particularly exemplify this concept. Wonder woman, batman, the hulk, superman, and the silver surfer. Nelson bridwell and others, whos who is a meticulously detailed, alphabetically arranged series of reference volumes that provides personal data, history, and powers and weapons for countless dc characters, both popular and obscure, both new circa mid 1980s and old.
Perhaps comics teach us about our humanity or, maybe, we just enjoy them for the following reasons. The first issue sells almost 300,000 copies, a definite success, and another installment follows each month thereafter. First published in the 1970s, the whos who immediately became a key reference work for the study of comic books. It is not a checklist, but rather a resume of a persons creative career. Vertigo swamp thing, animal man, an imprint of dc comics, published its first issue of american splendor in november. These superheroes embodied the ideal virtues of american soldiers and demonstrated. However, american comic books have portrayed the wwi aces in a more ambiguous manner. Written primarily by len wein and marv wolfman with research by e. The whos who of american comic books, volume one by jerry. Feb 29, 2020 frizell, the director of student learning services at missouri state university, moonlights as a comic writer, and he relishes researching the lives of famous american figures, from christopher. Since the debut of superman in 1938 by jerry siegel and joe shuster, stories of superheroes ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing yearslong sagas have dominated american comic books and crossed over into other media. The who s who of american comic books is a database designed to document the careers of people who have contributed to or supported the publication of original material in u.
If you want to sell old comic books youve just found or inherited, then these are the challenges you are going to face. The new television series is an adaptation of neil gaiman s 2001 novel about the old gods of the old traditions and the new gods of the modern world. Other characters have adopted the alias over the years, most notably bucky barnes and sam wilson. American comics group acg was an american comic book publisher started in 1939 and. Although these comic book characters even doesnt exist in real life, their fame is enough real to make real big money in various industries. The act of buying comic books used to be as simple as stopping by your. Traditional comic books are shortaround the length of a magazine. It is not a checklist, but rather a resume of a person s creative career. In addition to this introduction, youll find the most comprehensive listing of american cartoonists and their work ever compiled. If you are a true comic book reader, and not just a fan of the movies, games, merch, etc. Some of the most important and rare comic books to be published in the golden age appeared as part of all american comics full article. Don rosa cover, john buscema, bob powell, joe orlando and gil kane art. Whos who the definitive directory of the dc universe was a twentysix issue limited series published by dc comics from 19851987. The new television series is an adaptation of neil gaimans 2001 novel about the old gods of the old traditions and the new gods of the modern world.
American comic book chronicles then recognizes the flawed nature of. This 288page digest of japanese comic books, or manga, includes installments of yugioh. First published in 1955, this bimonthly anthology comic. The whos who of american comic books unknown binding january 1, 1973 by jerry g bails author see all 2 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. These 350 reels hold about 7,000 comic books from the 1940s, and all are now listed in our online catalog.
Jerry gwin bails june 26, 1933 november 23, 2006 was an american popular culturist. May 15, 2012 comic books arent as popular as they used to be nowadays but superhero creator companies can still use their fame and keep them alive. Through the grand comics database, i learned that the late jerry bails put together a whole index site of whos who in american comic books. Bails and coeditor hames ware published whos who of american comic books in four volumes between 1973 and 1976, designed to document the careers. Its parent company, marvel entertainment, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the disney company. And it reads, and it isnt superman whos doing this. His covers alone during the 40s stand as some of the bestdesigned and most exiting work ever. The history of american comics began in the 18th century in mass print media, in the era of yellow journalism, where newspaper comics served as a boon to mass readership.
Frizell, the director of student learning services at missouri state university, moonlights as a comic writer, and he relishes researching the lives of famous american figures, from christopher. Marvel comics, american media and entertainment company that was widely regarded as one of the big two publishers in the comic industry. The first american edition of shonen jump, dated january 2003, is released the preceding december. Editing ned pines color color dimensions standard golden age u. A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine. It s simply marvelous, with whole pages featuring alphabetical lists of writers, artists, colorists, editors, publishers, etc. Theyre mostly published monthly, and are often about adventure or superheroes. Some of the most important and rare comic books to be published in the golden age appeared as part of allamerican comics full article. Comics have this history in the united states of either being very funny and silly or having a lot of punching of things, gina gagliano says. Comic books and american cultural history is an anthology that examines the ways in which comic books can be used to understand the history of the united states. On the one hand, you have clearcut examples of zod trying to take over. The political influence of comics in america during wwii sagu.
In 2009, diamond comics, one of the worlds largest comic book, graphic novel and merchandise distributors, sent out 79 million comic books and 15. This was followed by a superhero boom that lasted until the end of world war ii. The top 100 artists of american comic books atlas comics. Captain america is the name of several fictional characters appearing in american comic books published by marvel comics. The golden age of comic books introduced the archetype of the superhero. Ive been collecting illustrative and comic art for over 50 years. Jun 27, 2018 known as a font of comic book history trivia, he has delivered lectures on the history of american comic books, japanese manga and cosplay at over a dozen conventions and served as an expert inresidence for a course on graphic novels for librarians at the university of north texas.
One of the first comics to focus on wwi air combat stories was ec comics aces high. It will have enough minor defects that it is in clearly worse condition than a brand new freshly published comic, magazine, or book. In the early days of comics, he explained, the format was rather simplisticthe pictures mainly just presented what the words were. Jul 21, 2016 there are lots of different ways that comic books and graphic novels can be incorporated into a classroom. Whos who of american comic books 19281999 will dockery. We owe bails many thanks for working on this project. With the first versions of superman and famous funnies dating back to 1930s, illustrators and artists have found a new way of displaying their talent. The annual best american comics book a series edited in recent years by bill kartalopouios has had a whos who of comics guest editors since. Right vs wrong the interplay between good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral in comic books is fascinating. Learn about marvel comicss characters and prominent writers and artists. May 09, 2020 about blog founded in 1934 as national allied publications, dc comics is the largest and most diverse english language publisher of comic books in the world. The who s who of american comic books was originally published as a series of magazines. Dec 21, 2006 through the grand comics database, i learned that the late jerry bails put together a whole index site of who s who in american comic books. Jerry bails whos who in american comic books blogger.
The whos who of american comic books is a database designed to document the careers of people who have contributed to or supported the publication of original material in u. In the 21st century, pekar s work was finally embraced by one of the most mainstream comics publishers of all. The easiest way is to use them with reluctant readers. Did you know that comic books were used as propaganda during world war ii. Checklist of the artists, writers, and editors who worked in comic books, edited by jerry g. Gene luen yang, whose 2008 book american born chinese was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a national book award, talked about the evolution of comic books in a big think video. The first and primary character is steve rogers, who was created by joe simon and jack kirby.
Comic books and graphic novels are really a gateway into just the habit of reading, and i know a lot of teachers have had success using comics with reluctant readers just getting. The silver surfer was introduced in the pages of comic book legends stan lee and jack kirbys revolutionary series fantastic four, and came to this world as the servant of galactus, an allpowerful godlike being who sought to destroy the earth, not out of greed, vanity, or hatred for the human race, but simply because he needed sustenance galactus was beyond good and evil, a cosmic force. Since the debut of superman in 1938 by jerry siegel and joe shuster, stories of superheroes ranging from. After the war, these wwi aces were romanticized in american movies like the dawn patrol and hells angels. The whos who was created by jerry bails, a popular faculty member at wayne state university, affectionately remembered as the father of comic book fandom. If you havent read comic books, you really should, especially if you enjoy the movies as the comics nowadays are written and drawn cinematically. Oct 08, 2016 comic books are modern mythology, in that they are modern mans method of explaining the world around them through the fantastical. Whos who of american comic books sc 1973 comic books.
Marvel comics introduced new and popular superheroes and thereby became the leading comics publisher in the bronze age of comic books from the early 1970s to 1985. American comic books archive joins the comic art collection negatives of his amazing personal microfilm library of golden age comic books. Welcome to jerry bails who s who of american comics. Feb 06, 2016 an african american comic book artist and writer. A vital link in learning more about the backgrounds of various comic book creators is this site started by jerry bails. The silver age of comic books began in 1956 with a resurgence of interest in superheroes. We asked readers to name their favorite comics and graphic novels, and we got thousands of answers. If you use the add to want list tab to add this issue to your want list, we will email you when it becomes available.
The whos who of american comic books was originally published as a series of magazines. Why comics belong in schoolsand more ideas from graphic. The whos who of american comic books is a database designed to document the careers of people who have contributed to or supported the publication of. Over the last twenty years, there has been a proliferation of booklength works focusing on the history of comic books, but few have investigated how comics can be used as sources for doing american cultural history. His covers alone during the 40 s stand as some of the bestdesigned and most exiting work ever produced for any comic book publisher.
A book about the best american comics of 2017 redefines. While the form originated in 1933, american comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of action comics, which included the debut of the superhero superman. It features comics, news, videos, games, television and more about the worlds greatest super heroes for all the dc fans around the world. After first gaining attention illustrating the epic comics series alien legion vol. The following is a list of the first known appearances of various superhero fictional characters and teams a superhero also known as a super hero or superhero is a fictional character of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derringdo in the public interest. You can read more about jerry at his wiki link as well. This website remains a continued tribute to his efforts at making sure that those who helped create our favorite fourcolor medium are given the credit that they richly deserve. In the 20th century, comics became an autonomous art medium and an integral part of american culture. On november 23, 2006, the father of comic book fandom and creator of this database, jerry bails, passed away in his sleep. Alan moores jaundiced deconstruction of the american superhero. Known as the father of comic book fandom, he was one of the first to. Please if you register jerry says they can receive a 50% discount if they mention having seen an ad on your site or in one of your publications or handouts. Yes, japanese kids read american comics but only a few of them do maybe because of the following factors. Sep 05, 2017 american gods premieres tonight on starz.
I am blessed to own a set, and have used it as a source of information when writing suspended animation for almost twenty years. The relationship between the words and the pictures is beautifully complex. Oct 01, 2015 the omnipresent influence of comic books is undeniable, and here we take a look at the famous artists from the medium who have shaped the surface of popular culture. Whos who the definitive directory of the dc universe. One of comics first illustrative stars, he influenced and astounded such later greats as alex toth, jim steranko, and gil kane.