By David Ferguson
Some of you may be looking for a summer read and I have got you covered. For my latest 5 Comics piece, I take a look at some non-fiction books that give you some details behind the history of comics, both in the UK and the US.
Four of them are biographies, but they are all more than that, as they give a surprising amount of details about comics history as a whole…
Will Eisner: A Spirited life (2005) by Bob Andelman
• Available in Print | Audio Version (AmazonUK Affiliate Links)
This book explores the fascinating life of Will Eisner. Eisner is known for his creation of The Spirit and being a pioneer in the realm of the graphic novel, most notably A Contract With God. The book explores his early life and how he got into cartooning. The Spirit permeates throughout the book and we get to hear everything from its origins right up to its final appearance in comics. We see Eisner’s experience in the army, and how his comics helped soldiers. This was not an area I was that interested in and I was happy when the story moved back to comics and, eventually, his teaching career. However, it may prove interesting to others. His influence on other creatives looms large and we hear from other creators about how he personally impacted their work and careers. Andelman achieved this through interviews with such luminaries as Alan Moore, Dave Gibbon, Joe Kubert and Stan Lee. I loved the connections that were revealed, with famous names both inside and outside the world of comics.
I listened to the original, read by the author, but there is a deluxe version, too, with new interviews and art.
The Secret History of Wonder Woman (2014) by Jill Lepore
• Available in Print | Audio Version (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
Jill Lepore is a historian and journalist and her experience shows in how thoroughly researched this book is. The Secret History of Wonder Woman is the secret history of Wonder Woman creator William Marston, and his unique family life. Lepore covers his life story and shows how it influenced the creation of Wonder Woman. We hear about his lie detector, his career in psychology; and about his personal attitudes, and they all have meaning when it comes to his comics writing. It is intriguing to see the dots being joined as the book goes along, with Lepore making various direct connections to Wonder Woman comics stories, sometimes pointing to specific panels.
Marston’s story is not told in a vacuum, however, as Lepore gives his comics career context by detailing what was happening around him. So the book is really three histories in one: Marston, Wonder Woman and American Comics. The audiobook is narrated by Jill Lepore. I expected a somewhat dry book from an academic, but this is far from it.
The Mighty One: My Life In The Nerve Centre (2016) by Steve McManus
• Available in Print (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
This book covers McManus’ full career: his time as a junior editor staff in IPC, his time on Action (as a mascot), his time as a Battle assistant editor and, of course, his career in 2000AD. Guiding the prog through the 1980s and commissioning some iconic stories. So there is a lot of interesting ground covered.
What really sells this book is Steve McManus. His positivity and enthusiasm leap off the page and the book is full of humour. He is refreshingly honest and is not afraid to admit that he made mistakes. I picked the book up from the man himself at Enniskillen Comic Fest and anybody who has attended that convention needs this book. The revival of Battle and Action in recent years makes this book even more informative to readers. It’s been ten years, can we get an audiobook version read by the author?
True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee (2021) by Josephine Reisman
• Available in Print | Audio Version (AmazonUK Affiliate Links)
People my age grew up with the genial Stan Lee who introduced Marvel Comics, which always opened with “Stan Lee Presents.” Then there were the Marvel movie cameos. The first cracks in that façade started appearing as people gave voice to his collaborators, who told stories that conflicted with Lee’s accounts of the history of Marvel Comics.
Some have called this book a “hit piece” but I could not disagree more. Reisman presents Stan Lee’s side of the story alongside those of the likes of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. She presents the facts where they are available and questions when somebody’s story conflicts with them. If no facts are readily available, she says so, leaving it up to the reader to decide who to believe. Reisman interviewed Lee’s surviving family members, former co-workers and business partners, and assistants who had worked with his collaborators.
The book is also an interesting look at the origins of American comics from their infancy and covers Lee’s entire career, right up to those Marvel cameos. It is a tough read, but it shows that Lee was a human being like everybody else. A somewhat flawed one.
Comic Book Punks: How a Generation of Brits Reinvented Pop Culture (2023) by Karl Stock
• Available in Print | Audio Version (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
I picked this book believing it was just covering the British comic book creators influence through the likes of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison and more. However, this could more accurately be described as a history of British comics. At 500 or so pages or 15 and half hours of audio, it is quite an intimidating. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wasn’t expecting it to cover comics like the Beano, but they are in there. Before we get to the 1980s stars, we get the people that influenced them. We don’t just get the big publishers like DC Thomson either as underground works are included. Not just pure comics, either, as some anthology magazines, like Deadline, are also included.
Comic Book Punks also covers the development of British comic conventions as well as comic shops. I got the audiobook but I may go get a physical copy, as this is the kind of book you’d use as a reference.
David Ferguson
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David is a writer of stuff on comics and pop culture for GCN.ie. He is also a contributor and editor (Hugo nominated) for Journey Planet
Categories: 2000AD, British Comics, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features, Reviews
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