The comic book has become an essential icon of the American Century, an era defined by optimism in the face of change and by recognition of the intrinsic value of democracy and modernization. For many, the Middle Ages stand as an antithesis to these ideals, and yet medievalist comics have emerged and endured, even thrived alongside their superhero counterparts. Chris Bishop presents a reception history of medievalist comics, setting them against a greater backdrop of modern American history. From its genesis in the 1930s to the present, Bishop surveys the medievalist comic, its stories, characters, settings, and themes drawn from the European Middle Ages. Hal Foster's Prince Valiant emerged from an America at odds with monarchy, but still in love with King Arthur. Green Arrow remains the continuation of a long fascination with Robin Hood that has become as central to the American identity as it was to the British. The Mighty Thor reflects the legacy of Germanic migration into the United States. The rugged individualism of Conan the Barbarian owes more to the western cowboy than it does to the continental knight-errant. In the narrative of Red Sonja, we can trace a parallel history of feminism. Bishop regards these comics as not merely happenchance, but each success (Prince Valiant and The Mighty Thor) or failure (Beowulf: Dragon Slayer) as a result and an indicator of certain American preoccupations amid a larger cultural context. Intrinsically modernist paragons of pop-culture ephemera, American comics have ironically continued to engage with the European Middle Ages. Bishop illuminates some of the ways in which we use an imagined past to navigate the present and plots some possible futures as we valiantly shape a new century.

Superheroes have been the major genre to emerge from comics and graphic novels, saturating popular culture with images of muscular men and sexy women. A major aspect of this genre is identity in the roles played by individuals, the development of identities through extended stories and in the ways the characters inspire audiences. This collection analyses stories from popular comics franchises such as "Batman, Captain America, Ms Marvel" and "X-Men, " alongside less well known comics such as "Kabuki "and "Flex Mentallo. "It explores what superhero narratives can reveal about our attitudes towards femininity, race, maternity, masculinity and queer culture. Using this approach, the volume asks questions such as why there are no black supervillains in mainstream comics, how second wave feminism and feminist film theory may help us to understand female comic book characters, the ways in which "Flex Mentallo" transcends the boundaries of straightness and gayness and how both fans and industry appropriate the sexual identity of superheroes.

The book was originally published in a special issue of the "Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics."

Graphis Journal Take a deep dive into the minds of some of today's renowned designers, photographers, art directors, and more inside the Graphis Journal A quarterly print and digital magazine we hope inspires your creativity -- The Journal is filled with thought-provoking, intimate, meaningful interviews and stories that take you inside the minds, work, and spaces of top designers, agencies, photographers, artists, and other outstanding creatives around the globe. Each Journal issue is beautifully printed and features 12 lead stories and Q&As from creatives in their own words plus images of some of their finest work. You'll learn the celebrations, challenges, and what inspired them along the way Featuring fine art quality print, full-page images of Platinum and Gold Award-winning work, Silver Award-winning work and Honorable Mentions are also presented.

During a garden party in California, Shelton is approached by a clearly determined individual. The man tells him that he is there on behalf of Wayne's son, who apparently tracked down one Rod Hooker. The thing is, Sergeant Hooker once served under Shelton in Vietnam, on a mission that ended in betrayal and carnage. The hunt is on for our trouble shooter for hire, although there is one problem: he's never had any children...

A light-hearted interactive guide to comics and cartoon-making that uses an activity book format and creatively stimulating prompts to teach the fundamentals of cartooning in a fun and easy-to-follow fashion. From a working cartoonist and comic book making instructor, this all-ages activity book uses humorous and informative one-page comics and exercise prompts to guide young readers (and readers who are young at heart) through easy-to-master lessons on the skills needed to make comics. The activities cover a range of essential comics-making tasks from creating expressions for characters to filling in blank panels to creating original characters and placing them in adventures of their own. Each exercise can stand on its own or work together with others in the book to stimulate creativity via the comics medium. In the end, readers who complete the activities inside the book itself will have created several comics of their own, and will have generated many ideas for more sequential art creations. Praise for Let's Make Comics! "At once playful and complex, this book is a perfect introduction to cartooning, as well as a lovely (and lovingly crafted) tribute to the comics form and a timely reminder that artmaking can be fun."-Roman Muradov, creator of Vanishing Act and On Doing Nothing "Let's Make Comics is a book I wish I had when I was 9, but 29 works too! It's so fun and brilliant and packed with oodles of awesome activities. Great book for learning to make comics or for a seasoned cartoonist to find some new inspiration."-Ben Clanton, creator of the Narwhal and Jelly books "It's fantastic! This book will make you a better writer and a better artist and show you how to think like a comic star."-Charise Harper, creator of the Fashion Kitty and Crafty Cat books "Warning! This book will make you make comics, and it will be fun!"-Greg Pizzoli, creator of The Watermelon Seed, Number One Sam, and The Book Hog "If only we'd had this book! Our comics would be much better."-Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz, creators of War and Peas

Stick It will appeal to both artists and art lovers- in fact its the must have publication for anyone with a passion for creativity. Commissioned cutting edge illustration rubs shoulders with stunning typographical messaging, hand lettering and design. From school exercise books to laptops, from folders to making your mark in the urban jungle - the myriad of designs and formats provides unlimited opportunity to brighten up the dull corners of your life. Every child is an artist. Then they beat it out of you. Let the art collected here inspire you to reclaim your birthright. Placement is everything. Finding the right context for each sticker is about you expressing yourself in conversation with the artist and your own real life. How you spin each sticker gives it the magical personal touch. Placement is your art. Carpet Bomb your Culture. And if you don't like it - you know where you can...

From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a meditation on the deeply Jewish and surprisingly spiritual roots of Stan Lee and Marvel Comics Few artists have had as much of an impact on American popular culture as Stan Lee. The characters he created-Spider-Man and Iron Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four-occupy Hollywood's imagination and production schedules, generate billions at the box office, and come as close as anything we have to a shared American mythology. This illuminating biography focuses as much on Lee's ideas as it does on his unlikely rise to stardom. It surveys his cultural and religious upbringing and draws surprising connections between celebrated comic book heroes and the ancient tales of the Bible, the Talmud, and Jewish mysticism. Was Spider-Man just a reincarnation of Cain? Is the Incredible Hulk simply Adam by another name? From close readings of Lee's work to little-known anecdotes from Marvel's history, the book paints a portrait of Lee that goes much deeper than one of his signature onscreen cameos.

About Jewish Lives: Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present. In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award. More praise for Jewish Lives: "Excellent." - New York times "Exemplary." - Wall St. Journal "Distinguished." - New Yorker "Superb." - The Guardian

Includes nearly 750 toys, representing almost 50 years of cartoon collectibles, with items dating back to 1949. All the major players are here: Casper, cereal and advertising characters; Disney; Dr. Seuss; Hanna-Barbera; Looney Tunes; The Peanuts Gang; Popeye; Rocky and Bullwinkle; Underdog, and many more. Jameson Scott and Jim Rash include a value guide, with representative prices for each toy; over 200 full-color photographs; and information on animation companies and figural toys of the post-World War II era. For the very serious collector, for the newly interested buyer, for the grown-up kid, for the nostalgia buff--here is a book for all to enjoy.

While almost everybody knows Ludwig Bemelmans' Madeline, the fact that the illustrator published over forty other titles remains a well-kept secret. The first title in Thames & Hudson's brand-new series, this book offers a visually rich insight into the life and work of this important artist and writer. Ludwig Bemelmans grew up under the Austro-Hungarian empire and emigrated to the United States in his late teens, just escaping the outbreak of the First World War. His illustrations for the Madeline books offer a classic vision of Paris that has created a lasting impression on millions of readers. And every illustrator would love to know how he conveyed all the emotions of a spirited little girl drawn with just a few lines and dots; how did he achieve such clarity in simplicity? Laurie Britton Newell's illustrated essay gathers material from Bemelmans' diverse oeuvre, from novels, autobiographical stories, humorous articles and comic strips to murals and menus for hotels and restaurants. The book makes accessible this mesmerizing material, which is otherwise lost to the public, and connects it to the artist's intriguing life. An icon of a fascinating era, Bemelmans through his magical work gives us glimpses of a life that embodied both hard work and glamour, in Paris and New York.

The Art of The Penguins of Madagascar takes a deep dive into the making of the animated film, featuring everything from concept art, character backstories, and design inspirations, to interviews with key animation talent. Offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at the creation of the remarkable film, this must-have book tells the story behind The Penguins of Madagascar.

"Boys Love Manga and Beyond" looks at a range of literary, artistic and other cultural products that celebrate the beauty of adolescent boys and young men. In Japan, depiction of the "beautiful boy" has long been a romantic and sexualized trope for both sexes and commands a high degree of cultural visibility today across a range of genres from pop music to animation.

In recent decades, "Boys Love" (or simply BL) has emerged as a mainstream genre in manga, anime, and games for girls and young women. This genre was first developed in Japan in the early 1970s by a group of female artists who went on to establish themselves as major figures in Japan's manga industry. By the late 1970s many amateur women fans were getting involved in the BL phenomenon by creating and self-publishing homoerotic parodies of established male manga characters and popular media figures. The popularity of these fan-made products, sold and circulated at huge conventions, has led to an increase in the number of commercial titles available. Today, a wide range of products produced both by professionals and amateurs are brought together under the general rubric of "boys love," and are rapidly gaining an audience throughout Asia and globally.

This collection provides the first comprehensive overview in English of the BL phenomenon in Japan, its history and various subgenres and introduces translations of some key Japanese scholarship not otherwise available. Some chapters detail the historical and cultural contexts that helped BL emerge as a significant part of girls' culture in Japan. Others offer important case studies of BL production, consumption, and circulation and explain why BL has become a controversial topic in contemporary Japan.

One of the most distinctive voices in mainstream comics since the 1970s, Howard Chaykin (b. 1950) has earned a reputation as a visionary formal innovator and a compelling storyteller whose comics offer both pulp-adventure thrills and thoughtful engagement with real-world politics and culture. His body of work is defined by the belief that comics can be a vehicle for sophisticated adult entertainment and for narratives that utilize the medium's unique properties to explore serious themes with intelligence and wit.

Beginning with early interviews in fanzines and concluding with a new interview conducted in 2010 with the volume's editor, "Howard Chaykin: Conversations" collects widely ranging discussions from Chaykin's earliest days as an assistant for such legends as Gil Kane and Wallace Wood to his recent work on titles including "Dominic Fortune, Challengers of the Unknown," and "American Century." The book includes 35 line illustrations selected from Chaykin, as well. As a writer/artist for outlets such as DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and "Heavy Metal," he has participated in and influenced many of the major developments in mainstream comics over the past four decades. He was an early pioneer in the graphic novel format in the 1970s, and his groundbreaking sci-fi satire "American Flagg " was an essential contribution to the maturation of the comic book as a vehicle for social commentary in the 1980s.

From stories of zombie apocalypses to love stories centered on brooding, blood-sucking vampires, the occult and all things goth are immensely popular in today's media. Now, Christopher Hart's latest title in his Manga for the Beginner series, teaches fans and artists how to draw their own spooky people. Inside, readers will find all they need to know about turning a cute child into an undead one, how to draw ghoulish creatures of the night and secrets for injecting any drawing with gothic flair. With his trademark quick tips and helpful hints, Chris Hart provides the most thorough instruction available for this all-time favourite genre of manga fans.

This book reproduces in color all fourteen images from a fifteenth-century manuscript, now part of the J. Paul Getty Museum collection. One of the finest illuminated secular manuscripts produced in the Netherlands during the period, the manuscript features miniatures that illustrate important
episodes from the short life of the legendary Macedonian general. Titled Les fais d'Alexandre le grant, the manuscript is itself a translation of a text attributed to first-century Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus, whose Latin text is one of our principal literary sources for our knowledge of
Alexander. McKendrick's authoritative text places the Getty's manuscript in its contexts as history and art and explains how the text and illuminations have much to tell us as well about the politics and aesthetics of the Burgundian Netherlands and the development of secular culture in Western
Europe.

This box of postcards representing Disney's modern classics collects concept art-many pieces never before published-and final frames from ten iconic films made since Disney's renaissance in the 1990s, spanning from The Little Mermaid in 1989 to Big Hero 6 in 2014. Copyright (c)2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

The picturebook is now recognized as a sophisticated art form that has provided a space for some of the most exciting innovations in the field of children's literature. This book brings together the work of expert scholars from the UK, the USA and Europe to present original theoretical perspectives and new research on picturebooks and their readers. The authors draw on a variety of disciplines such as art and cultural history, semiotics, philosophy, cultural geography, visual literacy, education and literary theory in order to revisit the question of what a picturebook is, and how the best authors and illustrators meet and exceed artistic, narrative and cultural expectations. The book looks at the socio-historical conditions of different times and countries in which a range of picturebooks have been created, pointing out variations but also highlighting commonalities. It also discusses what the stretching of borders may mean for new generations of readers, and what contemporary children themselves have to say about picturebooks. This book was originally published as a special issue of the New Review of Children's Literature and Librarianship.

Valentin Popov's art combines images of the superhero in American society with traditional religious iconic art from his native Ukraine. His work is in a number of major art museum collections including the National Museum of Ukrainian Art, the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and more. Ironic Icons is his first book.

This definitive edition collects all of Kilian Eng's otherworldly landscapes and retro-futuristic illustrations in one massive volume, including previously unpublished works. Each dreamlike image immerses the viewer in a unique environment, full of engrossing detail and surreal beauty.

This is an affectionate and revealing book about uncovering the story behind this most uncommon trio - a man, a boy and his tiger. For ten years, "Calvin and Hobbes" was one of the world's most beloved comic strips. And then, on the last day of 1995, the strip ended. Its mercurial and reclusive creator, Bill Watterson, not only finished the strip but withdrew entirely from public life. There is no merchandising associated with Calvin and Hobbes: no movie franchise; no plush toys; no coffee mugs; and, no t-shirts (except a handful of illegal ones). There is only the strip itself, and the books in which it has been compiled. In "Looking for Calvin and Hobbes", Nevin Martell traces the life and career of the intensely private man behind "Calvin and Hobbes". With input from a wide range of artists and writers (including Dave Barry, Harvey Pekar, and Brad Bird) as well as some of Watterson's closest friends and professional colleagues, this is as close as we're ever likely to get to one of America's most ingenious and intriguing figures - and a fascinating detective story, too.

Combining the smooth reading experience of the Thomas Nelson NKJV Comfort Print® typeface with the popular format of the Journal the WordTM Bibles.

Do you underline Scripture, take notes during sermons, or express your thoughts through journaling? The NKJV Journal the WordTM Bible is a trustworthy and indispensable resource for anyone who puts pen to paper for deeper engagement with God's Word. The extra-wide lined margins make this Bible ideal for note taking or journaling.

The NKJV Journal the WordTM Bible is truly inspirational from cover to cover and sure to make an excellent gift as a treasured personal keepsake. The Thomas Nelson NKJV Comfort Print® typeface is designed to honor the beauty of the New King James Version, providing a particularly smooth reading experience for longer engagement in God's Word.

A complete guide to the comics work of the writer Alan Moore, this book helps readers explore one of the genre's most important, compelling and subversive writers. In an accessible and easy-to-navigate format, the book covers: * Moore's comics career - from his early work in 2000AD to his breakthrough graphic novels and his later battles with the industry * Moore's major works - including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Saga of the Swamp Thing and Promethea * Key themes and contexts - from Moore's subversion of the superhero genre and metafictional techniques to his creative collaborations and battles with the industry for creator control * Critical approaches to Moore's work The book includes a bibliography of critical work on Moore and discussion questions for classroom use.

Discover the story of Pixar Animation Studios in this coffee-table book illustrated with development artwork from the Pixar archives. Take a walk through the Pixar Museum without leaving the sofa! Discover the story of how this animation studio changed the film industry in just a few years. This large-format book showcases rarely-seen artwork from the official Pixar Studios, including concept drawings from the early stages of popular films such as Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Up, Cars, Coco and The Incredibles. Chronicling the fascinating history of Pixar, this book is a must-have addition to the shelf of all fans of animation, film and Pixar Studios.