Comics: A Global History, 1968 to the Present

Well, it did say Global in the title, didn't it? So that's what you get: a world wide overview of the comics, from the 60's to present times. If you are interested in the roots of manga or other foreign comics such as Tin Tin, look no further. My only gripe about this book was the reproductions tended to be on the small side, and I kept feeling like either I need a trip to the eye doctor's or definitely a magnifying glass would have come in handy. There's plenty of artwork on display throughout and many of the big name illustrators are covered here. At times the text felt a tad too academic, but that was probably the intention. Overall a good introduction to a subject that has been culturally dismissed for much too long. Open this book and consequently, open your mind.

Kinda dry, but talks about a lit of really important stuff.

Great book!

Great

Good overview of comics history since 1968, mainly in The US, Japan and the Franco-Belgian territories, with a few selected titles mentioned from other territories (Italy's Hugo Pratt and Guido Crepax, etc). The book is mostly about comics for older readers, so don't expect a lot of coverage of children's comics. Superheroes are mostly covered when the artist or writer has an 'artistic' edge, like in the case of Jack Kirby, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, etc. Newspaper strips are not covered, so no Calvin and Hobbes.What the book HAS got is a stunning overview of a lot of fascinating comics that would interest modern graphic novel readers, including a lot of foreign stuff that hasn't previously been covered in similar English language books. Some of this material has already been translated, some will hopefully be translated in the coming years.If that's what you're looking for, then this book is pretty definitive.Illustrations are well selected and well printed. It's a visually good looking book.

I am giving this a 5 star rating without even reading it due to the fact that the writer did Not separate the creators named by chapter based on gender. Thank You!

Good overview of comics history since 1968, mainly in The US, Japan and the Franco-Belgian territories, with a few selected titles mentioned from other territories (Italy's Hugo Pratt and Guido Crepax, etc). The book is mostly about comics for older readers, so don't expect a lot of coverage of children's comics. Superheroes are mostly covered when the artist or writer has an 'artistic' edge, like in the case of Jack Kirby, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, etc. Newspaper strips are not covered, so no Calvin and Hobbes.What the book HAS got is a stunning overview of a lot of fascinating comics that would interest modern graphic novel readers, including a lot of foreign stuff that hasn't previously been covered in similar English language books. Some of this material has already been translated, some will hopefully be translated in the coming years.If that's what you're looking for, then this book is pretty definitive.Illustrations are well selected and well printed. It's a visually good looking book.

I'm struggling to finish this book. It concentrates on certain types of comics and fails to realise that the medium is a mixture of art and commerce. Magazines just come into being seemingly through the sheer force of will of creators. Most chapters simply descend into a paragraph on creators that the writers like and the stories they've created. Depressingly what one realises is that many "adult" comics seem to have rather brief periods of acceptance and seem unable to maintain any momentum unless they go the album/graphic novel route (which cuts down on experimentation and focuses in on recognised hits). The medium suffers from a lack of insightful analysis, perhaps it would be a good idea to translate some articles written by French, Italian and Japanese commentators (it couldn't be worse than what we're subjected to at the moment). I try not to be cynical about books written about comics but whenever I make the mistake of picking one up I discover that my initial impulse was correct. The UK and US lag far behind other countries in its appreciation, and understanding, of the comics medium and industry. There's an opportunity there forsomeone that's willing to do some serious work on the subject, but this ain't it.

An academic review of the recent history of comics. Personally, I'm not a fan of academics or their tone but the book is thoroughly researched and reasonably well written. If you're interested in the field than it's essential reading.

Good book

Great book, although not much you won't already know if you're a huge comics fan