|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
||||||
|
|
|||||
 |
||||||
|
Annotated Bibliography
for Connecticut Comic Books Alter Ego, vol. 3, no. 2 (Raleigh, N.C.: TwoMorrows, Autumn 1999.) Contains extensive insert, “Fawcett Collectors of America.” See other issues of Alter Ego as well, as FCA is an ongoing feature within this title. Barker, Martin. A Haunt of Fears: The Strange History of the British Horror Comics Campaign. (Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi, 1984, 1992.) Account of Great Britain’s campaign against American (and “American-style”) crime and horror comic books. Barrier, Michael and Williams, Martin (eds.) A Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics. (New York, N.Y.: Smithsonian Institution Press and Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1981.) Book of photo essays from the Smithsonian collection, including essays about Captain Marvel, Jingle Jangle/Carlson, The Spirit/Eisner Walt Kelly, and Mad #4. Beck, C.C. et al. The Shazam Archives, vol. 1. (New York, N.Y.: DC Comics, 1999.) Reprints several issues of Beck’s Captain Marvel originally published by Fawcett. Beck, C.C. et al. The Shazam Archives, vol. 2. (New York, N.Y.: DC Comics, 1999.) Reprints several issues of Beck’s Captain Marvel originally published by Fawcett. Bell, Blake. “I Have to LIVE With This Guy!” (Raleigh, N.C.: TwoMorrows Publications, 2002.) Anecdotes about comic book creators and their relationships with their spouses. Benton, Megan L. and Gutjahr, Paul C. (eds.) Illuminating Letters: Typography and Literary Interpretation (Amherst, Mass.: University of Massachusetts Press, 2001). Benton, Mike. The Comic Book In America: the Illustrated History. (Dallas, Tx.: Taylor Publishing Company, 1989.) Detailed year-by-year look at the comic book industry, 1930s to 1980s. Unfortunately out of print, like all of Benton’s books. Benton, Mike. Crime Comics: the Illustrated History. (Dallas, Tx.: Taylor Publishing Company, c.1993.) A look at crime/detective comics from the 1930’s to the 1980’s. Benton, Mike. Horror Comics: the Illustrated History. (Dallas, Tx.: Taylor Publishing Company.) Benton, Mike. Science Fiction Comics: the Illustrated History. (Dallas, Tx.: Taylor Publishing Company.) Benton, Mike. Superhero Comics of the Silver Age: the Illustrated History. (Dallas, Tx.: Taylor Publishing Company, 1991.) Contains some information about Charlton Comics. Benton, Mike. Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: the Illustrated History. (Dallas, Tx.: Taylor Publishing Company, 1992.) Contains much information about Fawcett Comics during the Golden Age (1940s-1950s). Black, Bill et. al. Don Winslow, Troubleshooter. (AC Comics/Paragon Press, 1991.) Reprints several of Fawcett’s “Don Winslow of the Navy” stories. Black, Bill et. al. Golden-Age Greats: the Fabolous Femmes of Fiction House. (AC Comics/Paragon Press, 1996.) Reprints several Fiction House stories with female protagonists. Black, Bill et. al. Golden-Age Greats: the Fawcett Heroes. (AC Comics/Paragon Press, 1995.) Reprints several Golden Age Fawcett stories, background information on Fawcett, and an in-depth look at the 1940’s movie serial Spy Smasher. There are many other volumes in AC Comics’ Golden Age Greats and Golden Age Men of Mystery series that may also be worth a look. Black, Bill et. al. Official Golden-Age Hero and Heroine Directory. (AC Comics/Paragon Press, 1997.) Directory of Golden Age characters produced by secondary publishers of the 1930’s, 40’s and early 50’s. Brown, Jeffrey A. Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics, and Their Fans. (Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi, 2001.) A look at the history of African Americans in comic books, particularly in Milestone books. Interesting for its examination of comic book audiences in relation to ethnicity. Burns, Bob. It Came From Bob’s Basement!: Exploring the Science Fiction and Monster Movie Archive of Bob Burns. (San Francisco, Cal.: Chronicle Books, 2000.) Contains information and pictures of artifacts from many movie serials and motion pictures, including Spy Smasher and Captain Marvel. Carlson, George Leonard. Learn to Draw Comics. (Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, Inc., 2002. Reprint of 1933 Whitman publication by Jingle Jangle artist George Carlson. Cole, Jack. The Plastic Man Archives, vol. 1. (New York, N.Y.: DC Comics, 1999.) Reprints several issues of Jack Cole’s “Plastic Man,” originally published by Quality Comics. Cole, Jack. The Plastic Man Archives, vol. 2. (New York, N.Y.: DC Comics, 2001.) Reprints several issues of Jack Cole’s “Plastic Man,” originally published by Quality Comics. Comic Book Artist, no. 9. (Raleigh, N.C.: TwoMorrows Publishing, August 2000.) This issue focuses on Charlton Comics. ___, ibid. no. 12, March 2001. Charlton Comics of the 1970s. Comic Book Marketplace, no. 79 (Coronado, Ca.: Gemstone Publishing, Inc., June 2000.) Contains a history of the Charlton character, the Blue Beetle. Comic Book Marketplace, no. 85 (Coronado, Ca.: Gemstone Publishing, Inc., Sept. 2001.) Contains informative article about the comic book printing and color separation process, plus articles about Will Eisner. Disbrow, Jay Edward. The Iger Comics Kingdom (El Cajon, Cal.: Blackthorne Publishing, 1985.) Informative book about artist/art director S.M. “Jerry” Iger and his work-for-hire studio, responsible for much of the outstanding comics work of the 1940s. Cooke, Jon B. and Morrow, John, eds. Streetwise. (Raleigh, N.C.: TwoMorrows Publishing, 2000.) Contains autobiographical essay by Captain Marvel creator C.C. Beck. Ditko, Steve. Tales of the Mysterious Traveler. (Forestville, Cal.: Eclipse Books, 1990.) Collection of Ditko’s best work on this Charlton title. Eisner, Will et al. The Blackhawk Archives, vol. 1. (New York, N.Y.: DC Comics, 2001.) Reprints several issues of Will Eisner’s Blackhawk comic book, originally published by Quality Comics. Eisner, Will et al. Will Eisner’s Shop Talk. (Dark Horse Comics, 2001). Comics creator Will Eisner interviews several classic comic artists, including C.C. Beck and Jack Kirby. Franz, William and Glanzman, Samuel. Under Fire: the Charlton Years. (ACG, 2001). Collection of classic Charlton war comics by Sam Glanzman, a navy war veteran who brought great realism to war comics. Gifford, Denis. The American Comic Book Catalogue: The Evolutionary Era 1884-1939 (London, England: Mansell Publishing Limited, 1990). A chronological catalogue of American comic books published during the industry’s early years. Does not contain much Connecticut content, but does contain detailed descriptions of some of Eastern Color Printing’s early publications. Goulart, Ron. The Adventurous Decade (New Rochelle, N.Y.: Arlington House Publishers, 1975). A survey of adventure comic strips of the 1930’s, many of which were reprinted in Eastern Color Printing’s Famous Funnies. Goulart, Ron. Comic Book Culture: An Illustrated History (Collectors Press, 2000). A look at comic books of the 1930s and 40s; heavy on visual elements but descriptive of some of the more obscure characters. Goulart, Ron. Ron Goulart’s Great History of Comic Books. (Chicago, Il.: Contemporary Books, 1986.) Contains a reference to Picture News, a comic book version of news magazines like Life, which covered contemporary events. The publisher, Leigh Danenberg, was based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and also published the Connecticut Herald. Picture News was published in 1946 and lasted for 10 issues. Goulart’s book also contains much useful information on other publishers with a Connecticut connection. Goulart, Ron (ed.) Encyclopdedia of American Comics: From 1897 to the Present. (New York, N.Y.: Facts on File, 1990.) Biographical information of many comic book artists and descriptions of many comic book and newspaper strips. Hamerlinck, P.C. (ed.) The Best of the Fawcett Companion. (Raleigh, N.C.: TwoMorrows, 2001.) Compilation of the first 59 newsletters of Fawcett Collectors of America. Hartford Courant. (Hartford, Conn.) Feb. 14-17, 1954. Series of articles condemning the content of comic books. ___, ibid. Feb. 3, 1955. Legislative committee to start probe in city. ___, ibid. Feb. 12, 1955. Teachers at Naylor School compile booklet to fight comic books. ___, ibid. Feb. 15, 1955. Distributors approve plan to screen comic books. ___, ibid. June 7, 1955. Legislature bans objectionable comics. Harvey, Robert C. The Art of the Comic Book: An Aesthetic History. (Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi, 1996.) A good overview of the history of comics as an art form, from the 1930’s to mid 1990’s. Horn, Maurice. Comics of the American West. (New York, N.Y.: Winchester Press, 1977.) A history of the Western genre in comic strips and comic books. Horn, Maurice. The World Encyclopedia of Comics. (Broomall, Pa.: Chelsea House Publishers.) Has information on various artists and writers. Inge, M. Thomas. Comics as Culture. (Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi, 1990.) Essays about comics’ contributions to American popular culture. The last chapter, “American Industrial Culture and the Comic Book,” has particular relevance in its discussion of the evolution of the comic book format. Jones, Gerard and Jacobs, Will. The Comic Book Heroes. (Rocklin, Ca.: Prima Publishing, 1997.) Contains quite a bit on Charlton, and some on Fawcett. Keltner, Howard. Golden Age Comic Books Index 1935-1955. Revised Edition. (Gainesville, Tex.: Howard Keltner, 1998.) Comprehensive index of Golden Age publishers and titles with information about character appearances and cover features. Kannenberg, Gene, Jr. Graphic Text, Graphic Context: Interpreting Custom Fonts and Hands in Contemporary Comics. Examines the narrative role of lettering in comic books, and the role of letterer/typographer as artist. Lupoff, Dick and Thompson, Don. All In Color For a Dime. (Iola, Wi.: Krause Publications, 1997.) A collection of essays, including several commentaries on Fawcett, one essay on Fiction House, and brief mentions of Charlton. Malloy, Alex G.(ed.) Comic Book Artists. (Radnor, Pa.: Wallace-Homestead, 1993.) Contains lists of comic books illustrated by specific illustrators, along with the useful biographical information. Mann, Ron (dir.) Comic Book Confidential. (1988.) 90-minute video documentary interviewing top industry talents on the history of comic books from the 1930’s through the 80’s. Contains excellent footage of 1950s senate hearings, and an in-depth look at the independent titles of the 1980s. Martin, Gary et al. The Art of Comic Book Inking. (Milwaukie, Or.: Dark Horse Comics Publications, 1997.) “How-to” guide to comic book inking, useful for info about the importance of inking to comic book art, and about what inkers do. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. (Kitchen Sink Press, 1994.) Although not dealing with Connecticut comic books, this book is a quintessential analysis of comic books as a medium in general. McCloud, Scott. Reinventing Comics. (Harperperennial Library, 2000.) McCloud discusses problems within the comic book industry, potential solutions, and the probable future of comics as a medium. Moore, Alan. The Watchmen. (Warner Books, 1995.) Compilation of classic comic book miniseries based on Charlton characters, and a milestone deconstruction of the superhero genre. Overstreet, Robert M. (ed.) The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, 31st edition. (New York, N.Y.: Gemstone Publishing/Avon Books, Inc., 2001.) The industry standard for pricing guidelines. Also an excellent resource for beginning collectors, containing useful information such as grading guidelines, the history of comic books, and how to start a collection. Although prices for Golden Age books tend to be fairly stable, it might be a good idea to acquire an updated edition every couple of years. Pust, Matthew J. Comic Book Culture: Fanboys and True Believers (Studies in Popular Culture). (Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi, 2000.) A look at comic book fans and their subculture. Reynolds, Richard. Super Heroes: A Modern Mythology (Studies in Popular Culture). (Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi, 1992.) Explores themes and subtexts within the superhero genre. Robbins, Trina. From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Comics From Teens to Zines. (San Francisco, Cal.: Chronicle Books, 1999.) A look at the portrayal of female characters throughout the history of comic books, and at the history of comic books marketed towards female readers. Robbins, Trina. The Great Women Cartoonists (Watson-Guptill Publications, 2001.) Reprint of Robbins’ A Century of Women Cartoonists, Robbins takes a look at female comic artists from the Victorian era to the present. Robbins, Trina. The Great Women Superheroes. (Kitchen Sink Press, 1996.) History of female comic book super-heroines, contains excellent analysis of Fawcett character Mary Marvel. Robbins is known as a foremost authority on feminist comic book history. Sabin, Roger. Comics, Comix & Graphix Novels: A History of Comic Art. (New York, N.Y.: Phaidon Press Inc., 2001) A comprehensive history of comic books from 17th-century woodcuts to anime, written from a British perspective. Savage, William W., Jr. Commies, Cowboys, and Jungle Queens: Comic Books and America, 1945-1954. (Hanover, N.H: University Press of New England, 1990.) Explores comic books as social history, tying into the comic books of the late Golden Age such events as Communism, the Korean War, and the atomic bomb. Sennitt, Stephen. Ghastly Terror! The Horrible Story of the Horror Comic. (U.K.: Headpress, 1999.) A look at the history of the horror genre in American and British comic books. Spiegelman, Art and Kidd, Chipp. Jack Cole and Plastic Man : Forms Stretched to Their Limits. (Chronicle Books, 2001.) A look at the life and art of Jack Cole, artist for Quality Comics and creator of Plastic Man. Wood, Wally, et al. Men of Honor: the Charlton War Collection. (ACG, 2001.) Collection of Charlton 1970s war stories. Wright, Bradford W. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. (Baltimore, Md.: John Hopkins University Press, 2001.) A look at ways in which comic books have reflected America’s culture, from the 1930’s to the 1980’s. Yoe, Craig. Weird But True Toon Factoids! (New York, N.Y.: Grammercy Publishing, 1999.) Collection of odd comic-related trivia, including Elvis Presley’s imitation of Fawcett character Captain Marvel, Jr. Comic Books Publishers from Connecticut
Includes those currently being produced, and minor Connecticut publishers of the past. Note that most of these are small-press titles. Academic Industries Asylum Press Apple Press Inc. Akiran Bench Comics Chrysalis Studios Cornerstone Comics Dark Star Comics Giant Ass Publishing NonDairy Publishing |
|||||
| Top | ||||||