Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History

Description

A significant expansion of the critically acclaimed first edition, this carries the story of the Kanter family's series of comics-style adaptations of literary masterpieces from 1941 into the 21st century. It features additional material on the 70-year history of Classics Illustrated and the careers and contributions of such artists as Alex A. Blum, Lou Cameron, George Evans, Henry C. Kiefer, Gray Morrow, Rudolph Palais and Louis Zansky. Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: “Good Stories” I. Albert Kanter’s Dream II. Of Musketeers and Mohicans: The Jacquet Shop IV. Eccentricity Abounding: The War Years V. Arnold Lorne Hicks: Transitional Figure VI. Enter Iger: The Fiction House Artists VII. Henry Carl Kiefer and the Classics House Style VIII. Alex A. Blum: “A Prince of a Man” IX. A “Newer, Truer Name”: The Late Forties X. Blood, Sweat, and Rudy Palais XI. Painted Covers and an Extra Nickel: The Early Fifties XII. Maurice del Bourgo: A “Man’s World Artist” XIII. Canonical Matters and Classical Curiosities XIV. Lou Cameron: “If John Wayne Had Drawn Comic Books” XV. Norman Nodel: “A Certain Integrity” XVI. From the Crypt to the Classics: The EC Era XVII. George Evans, Reed Crandall, and the Tradition of EC Realism XVIII. Roberta the Conqueror XIX. High Tide and Greenbacks: The Late Fifties XX. Gerald McCann: The Colors of the Sky XXI. Gray Morrow: “Real People and Real Events” XXII. “Roberta’s Reforms”: The Early Sixties XXIII. William E. Kanter: About a Son XXIV. Five Little Series and How They Grew: Picture Progress; Classics Illustrated Junior; Classics Illustrated Special Issues; The World Around Us; The Best from Boys’ Life Comics XXV. “Frawley’s Folly”: The Twin Circle Era (1967–1971) XXVI. Classics Abroad: The Worldwide Yellow Banner XXVII. The Wilderness Years: The Seventies and Eighties XXVIII. Great Expectations: First Publishing’s Graphic Novels XXIX. “Your Doorway to the Classics”: Acclaim’s Study Guides XXX. Restoration: Jack Lake Productions and Papercutz XXXI. Classics Collected: Notes on the Evolution of a Pastime and a Passion XXXII. Classical Coda Notes Appendices Bibliography Index