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Superhero Publishing Explored! - Learn about comic books...  

INDEX

Superheroes? Absolutely!>

 

I don't pretend to know everything about superhero publishing, but what I do know I will share with you in this column.

Celebrating the superhero fiction found in comic books and graphic novels, old and new, highlighting favourite characters, creators and showing you the beauty of the form!

So here goes.

Rawle Austin presents...

Introductions

Comic books have been around for over 70 years covering many different topics, fact and fiction.

I'm focusing on American superhero comic books as they are the market leaders, originators and innovators of this genre.

In Japan, comic books are called Manga (which literally means 'entertaining visual').

They are a greater part of everyday culture, read by people of all ages and backgrounds.

There is a wealth of mature, relevant and entertaining material being produced by the mainstream publishers and a thriving independent press.

I want to help highlight some of these works.

Click here to check out the Infinite Crisis (DC Comics) trade paperback by Geoff Johns and George Perez

   

To join others, already in the industry, spreading the word and celebrating comic book culture, past, present and future.

Annual comic book sales in 2000 were over US$250 million (roughly £100 million) and rising.

I aim to promote and share my love of comic books with you.

There are comic books written for everybody and whatever your personal tastes there's something out there for you.

So. What is a comic book?

Basically, in my opinion, it's a combination of written words and pictures arranged in a particular way and used to tell a story.

Any story.

Unlike movies, where there are budget restraints on special effects, any idea or concept can be realized.

In fact, it's only now that movies are able to show, through advanced special effects, comic book concepts in all the glory that their creators intended.

Click here to check out the House of M featuring the Avengers and the X-Men (Marvel Comics) by Brian M Bendis and Olivier Coipel

   

The good news is that, on a good day, comic books are able to produce literature that can go toe to toe with Shakespeare or Charles Dickens.

Stories that last the test of time.

On a bad day, however, what is produced isn't even worth turning the page!

Unfortunately, there can be more bad days than good ones in the comic book industry but the overall quality is steadily improving.

The comic book creators who inspired me the most have to be the writer, Stan Lee and the late artist/writer, Jack Kirby.

Between these two, at Marvel Comics, they created some of the best known comic book characters and stories of all time.

The personality and energy that Stan put into his stories and the incredible visuals provided by Jack helped define a new dawn for comic books.

I grew up on many reprinted stories written and inspired by these two masters.

Their style is still being emulated by todays creators.

Click here to check out the Essential Fantastic Four Volume 1 TPB (All-New Edition) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

 

They worked for a new company called Marvel Comics (this was the early 1960's) and with other creators produced Spider-Man, X-men, Hulk, Daredevil, Fantastic Four and many others.

Another comic book character, Blade (created by writer Marv Wolfman) was the first successful film featuring a Marvel Comics character and paved the way for the X-Men movie followed by Spider-Man.

Black Panther is another popular Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

The character had recent updates by writers Christopher Priest and Reginald Hudlin.

At this stage I must mention two comic book characters that are probably the most well known throughout the world.

Superman and Batman.

These characters are owned and produced by a company called DC Comics (DC meaning Detective Comics).

They first appeared in comic book form in the late 1930's and early 1940's and are still going strong today.

Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Click here to check out the Essential Avengers Volume 1 TPB (All-New Edition) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

 

The above characters, creators and publishers are just the main icons of the industry.

There are many, many more and well worth having a read.

That's all for now. Join me next time to learn more, about comic books!

 

Superheroes? Absolutely!>

 

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