Comics and Graphic Novels: Background sources

The result of more than twenty years of meticulous research, American Newspaper Comics is the first comprehensive, authoritative reference work to document this history. It covers over 7,000 different comic strips with dletailed information on important but previously overlooked artists and features. Includes a CD with samples of more than 2,000 cartoon features.

Lists over 1,000 of the classic characters created by DC Comics. Popular super heroes and super villains are here, as well as lesser known favorites and weird and wonderful one-offs. The illustrations are by DC's artists and the authoritative text by DC chroniclers. Double-page features celebrate the vehicles and weaponry, clashes and romantic encounters of popular DC heroes and villains.

Contains more than 1000 of Marvel's greatest, with full details of their powers and their thrill-packed careers. Features art by Marvel's finest artists, while the authoritative text is supplied by a team of top Marvel comic book writers. In addition, double-page features illustrated with classic covers trace the fascinating story of Marvel Comics through the decades.

Librarian Stephen Weiner (Rise of the Graphic Novel, The Hellboy Companion, The Will Eisner Companion), with the crowdsourcing help of professionals in the field, from artists to critics to leading comic store owners, has sifted through the bewildering thousands of graphic novels now available to come up with a list of 101 outstanding titles.

The Best American Comics is a yearly anthology of comics in the United States. For each issue the series editor chooses about 80-120 candidates, from which the guest editor picks 20 or so for publication; many, but not all of the remaining runner-up stories listed in the appendix. The series' editors have been Anne Elizabeth Moore (2006-2007), Jessica Abel & Matt Madden (2008-2013) and since 2014 Bill Kartalopoulos. The guest editors have been 2006: Harvey Pekar; 2007: Chris Ware; 2008: Lynda Barry; 2009: Charles Burns; 2010: Neil Gaiman; 2011: Alison Bechdel; 2012: Françoise Mouly; 2013: Jeff Smith; 2014: Scott McCloud; 2015: Jonathan Lethem; 2016: Roz Chast; 2017: Ben Katchor; 2018: Phoebe Gloeckner; 2019: Jillian Tamaki

The history of the graphic novel from its origins in the nineteenth century to its rise and startling success in the twentieth and twenty-first century. It includes original discussion on the current state of the graphic novel and analyzes how American, European, Middle Eastern, and Japanese renditions have shaped the field.