Comic books in 'Books'

Variant Cover - 1st printing.

By Steve Duin and Mike Richardson.

This lavish volume takes an in-depth look at the history of comics in a manner decidedly unlike the dry timelines and profiles of most reference-style titles. Via alphabetical entries, the authors take an irreverent, often hilarious, behind-the-scenes look at creators, companies, characters, collectors, and conventions, pulling no punches when exposing some of the darker sides of the industry. Containing countless stories gleaned from over 150 interviews of comics industry veterans, Comics Between the Panels is loaded with more than half a century of insider information on the talented and eccentric creators who forged the comics industry and art form. Featuring 670 illustrations and photos -- including dynamic and bizarre cover art compiled under such curious headings as Atomic Bombs, Death with Indignity, Gorillas, Headlights, Hooded Menaces, and Skulls -- Comics Between the Panels will entertain and enlighten the hardcore comic collector as well as the casual reader with an eye for pop-culture curiosity.

Hardcover, 9-in. x 11-in., 500 pages, full color (with Photos).

Cover price $34.95.

2nd and later printings.

By Steve Duin and Mike Richardson.

This lavish volume takes an in-depth look at the history of comics in a manner decidedly unlike the dry timelines and profiles of most reference-style titles. Via alphabetical entries, the authors take an irreverent, often hilarious, behind-the-scenes look at creators, companies, characters, collectors, and conventions, pulling no punches when exposing some of the darker sides of the industry. Containing countless stories gleaned from over 150 interviews of comics industry veterans, Comics Between the Panels is loaded with more than half a century of insider information on the talented and eccentric creators who forged the comics industry and art form. Featuring 670 illustrations and photos -- including dynamic and bizarre cover art compiled under such curious headings as Atomic Bombs, Death with Indignity, Gorillas, Headlights, Hooded Menaces, and Skulls -- Comics Between the Panels will entertain and enlighten the hardcore comic collector as well as the casual reader with an eye for pop-culture curiosity.

Hardcover, 9-in. x 11-in., 500 pages, full color (with Photos).

Cover price $34.95.

1st printing.

Checklist and price guide. Includes individual listings for tens of thousands of comics covering 1961-1994.

Softcover, 560 pages, B&W.

Cover price $14.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $2.50

5th Edition - 1st printing.

Checklist and price guide. Includes individual listings for more than 86,000 comics. Extensively annotated.

Softcover, 624 pages, B&W.

Cover price $16.95.

7th Edition - 1st printing.

Checklist and price guide. Includes individual listings for more than 86,000 comics. Extensively annotated.

Softcover, 704 pages, B&W.

Cover price $17.95.

Add to cart Fine $5.99

Add to cart Very Good $3.99

1st printing.

Covering over 105,000 comics with over 315,000 prices in three grades of condition, this comprehensive price guide features completely updated prices and revised coverage on older comics titles.!

Softcover, 6 1/2 x 10-in, 840 pagesB&W.

Cover price $19.99.

Add to cart Very Good $4.00

1st printing.

You'll find listings and prices for more than 125,000 comics. You'll find photos for easy identification and grading of the comics books you've got and those you need. Whether you've been collecting since Peter Parker was first bitten by a radioactive spider and became spider-man - or you've just begun to find out there's more to comic books than a buch of steroid cases pounding each other - or you're filling in holes in your collection: THE 2005 COMIC BOOK CHECKLIST AND PRICE GUIDE 1961-PRESENT is designed to meet your needs!

Softcover, 6 1/2 x 10-in, 792 pagesB&W.

Cover price $19.99.

Add to cart Fine $6.00

Add to cart Very Good $4.00

First Printing. From the publishers of Comics Buyer's Guide - the leading monthly price guide about comics - the 2006 Comic Book Checklist & Price Guide is the best #1 tool for helping you track and price your collection! Softcover, 6 1/2 x 10-in, Black and white interior. Cover price $19.99.

1st printing.

By Maggie Thompson, Brent Frankenhoff, and Peter Bickford.

No other guide on the market covers the volume of comic book listings and range of era as this does, in an easy-to-use checklist format. Readers can access listings for 130,000 comics, issued since 1961, complete with name, cover date, creator information and near-mint pricing.

Softcover, 840 pages, B&W.

Cover price $19.99.

1st printing. A comprehensive look at the values of Action Figures, Books, cards, games, magazines, posters, and Toys related to comic books. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 360 pages, B&W. Cover price $17.95.

1st printing.

Edited by Tom DeFalco.

Stuffed with exclusive sketches and script pages, this book offers an in-depth history of the Fantastic Four, featuring interviews with every major creator, from original co-creator Stan Lee to classic writer/artists Walt Simonson and John Byrne, right up to recent and current stars such as Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo!

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 272 pages, B&W.

Cover price $17.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $17.50

Add to cart Fine $13.00

1st printing.

Edited by Tom DeFalco.

Comic industry luminaries discuss the impact and importance of Spider-Man, and give insight into the creative processes involved in bringing the web-slinger to life on the page over the last 40 years.

Featuring interviews with some of Spider-Man's most famous writers and artists, this book overseen by DeFalco gets to grips with the lively creative genii behind the wall-crawling wonder. Featuring Stan Lee, Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Buckingham, Todd McFarlane, Mark Bagley, Ron Frenz, John Romita, Sal Buscema, Gerry Conway, Roger Stern, Howard Mackie, David Michelinie, J.M. DeMatteis, Marv Wolfman, Paul Jenkins and Len Wein.

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 248 pages, B&W.

Cover price $16.95.

1st printing.

Edited by Tom DeFalco.

Packed with exclusive sketches, script pages and essential information on every X-Man, this definitive look at the mighty mutants includes interviews with co-creator Stan Lee, writers Roy Thomas and Chris Claremont, superstar artists John Byrne, Neal Adams, and Alan Davis, and controversial writer Grant Morrison!

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 256 pages, B&W.

Cover price $17.95.

1st printing.

By Françoise Mouly.

Filled with activities, Comics: Easy as ABC is a fun way for young readers to effortlessly and playfully start thinking like writers and artists.

This simple guide is also aimed at parents, teachers, and librarians: all will enjoy learning the ABCs of this popular and rapidly growing medium. Children kindergarten-age and up are shown how to use basic shapes to make faces, eyes, noses, and design their own characters. Ivan Brunetti's funny and incisive advice on the language of comics (panels, lettering, balloons, and so much more) naturally leads budding artists and writers into thinking about their characters, settings, and prompts.

A section with essential tips on how to read comics with young children rounds out the package.

Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 56 pages, full color. All Ages.

Cover price $16.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.95

Add to cart Very Fine $5.49

Add to cart Very Fine $5.49

1st printing.

By Françoise Mouly.

Filled with activities, Comics: Easy as ABC is a fun way for young readers to effortlessly and playfully start thinking like writers and artists.

This simple guide is also aimed at parents, teachers, and librarians: all will enjoy learning the ABCs of this popular and rapidly growing medium. Children kindergarten-age and up are shown how to use basic shapes to make faces, eyes, noses, and design their own characters. Ivan Brunetti's funny and incisive advice on the language of comics (panels, lettering, balloons, and so much more) naturally leads budding artists and writers into thinking about their characters, settings, and prompts.

A section with essential tips on how to read comics with young children rounds out the package.

Softcover, 56 pages, full color. All Ages.

Cover price $9.99.

1st printing.

By Andy Schmidt.

This is the book on writing you've been waiting for, a nuts-and-bolts guide to writing fiction for comics. While it is true that there is no set way to write a comic book script, no set format, no industry standard, it is equally true that someone learning to write comics needs structure. That's where Comics Experience Guide to Writing Comics can help. Comics veteran Andy Schmidt offers sage advice and practical instruction for everything from writing realistic dialogue to communicating your ideas to other comics professionals.

Softcover, 8-in.x 9-in., 176 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.99.

Add to cart Very Fine $14.25

Add to cart Fine $10.75

1st printing. By James Van Hise. Art by Jack Kirby and John Byrne. A comprehensive looke at the first 25 years of Marvel's First Family. Featuring interviews with Jack Kirby, Roy Thomas, John Byrne, Roger Stern and Mike Carlin and includes dossiers on the heroes, villains, and supporting cast of the world of the Fantastic Four. Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 66 pages, B&W. Cover price $5.95.

1st printing. Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 56 pages, B&W. Cover price $5.95.

1st printing. The Avengers have been the premiere superhero team in the Marvel Universe for over two decades (1963-1986) now, ever since they started with a line-up including virtually every major superhero that Marvel Comics published in the early 1960s. They have not always been the most popular, the best-selling, but they have always had the distinction of being one recognized by the government, the one where writers could promote heroes that they wanted to give more attention. Featuring a complete history; All Line-Ups; "A Typical Day"; and much, much more! Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 58 pages, B&W. Cover price $8.99.

1st printing. While the second comic book revolution can accurately be stated to have begun with the Fantastic Four in 1961, the focal point of that period would have to narrow down to one character who epitomized the new trend towards "humanized" superheroes. Spider-Man was the alienated adolescent - the geek, the nerd, the outsider who didn't fit in with everyone else and who didn't have a clue as to what he could do to change his lot in life. Then along came a spider.... Take a look at the early years, history, the influence of the Romitas (Sr. & Jr.), and much more as Comics File Magazine puts the spotlight on Spider-Man! Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 56 pages, B&W. Cover price $5.95.

Add to cart VG 4.0 $16.00 View scan

1st printing. This volume chronicles the continuing expanding mutant universe and its impact on comics as a whole. Includes an introduction to the original X-Men, a look at the "Claremont Revolution", the debut of the New Mutants, the Marvel Mutant Universe, and the X-Men's Canadian cousins, Alpha Flight. Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 58 pages, B&W. Cover price $5.95.

Add to cart Very Good $7.99

1st printing. Edited by James Van Hise. It's hard to believe it, but once upon a time the popularity of the uncanny X-Men had fallen so low that the series was on the verge of cancellation. Enter: Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, John Byrne and Len Wein. Together with a new cast of mutant heroes, including Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Wolverine, these Uncanny and amazingly talented creators brought the series back back from the edge of exstinction and now the X-Men is the highest selling comic in the world! Includes a look at the Lee & Kirby years. interviews with Roy Thomas and Chris Claremont, and over a dozen profiles featuring all your favorite X-Men heroes and villains! Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 66 pages, B&W. Cover price $5.95.

1st printing. The Batman. The very words conjure up vivid images of dark alleyways, filth-infested streets and the vermin taht plague the grimmer parts of out cities. He is the creature of the night, the dark night that haunts our worst nightmares - to protect us from evil. His visage can easily scare the good as well as the bad but it was designed to strike fear in the hearts of evildoers, a modern day Shadow. The good need not fear for he is their protector. In this volume you will find the vision come to life in profiles, histories, and interviews. Featuring a look at the works of Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli. Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 68 pages, B&W. Cover price $5.95.

1st printing.

The magazine features a ten page article about the G.I.Joe comic, including interviews with Larry Hama and Herb Trimpe. The interview is identical to the one found in Comics Feature 52 dated February 1987. Both magazines were published by different (but apparently related) companies but had the same editor, Hal Schuster.

Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 56 pages, B&W.

Cover price $5.95.

1st printing. By James Van Hise. Includes an episode guide, interviews with Doug Wildey (creator), Mark Young (Editor), and Joe Barbera. Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 58 pages, B&W. Cover price $5.95.

1st printing.

Cover by Arthur Adams (based on Jack Kirby).

They may be only one notch below humans on the evolutionary ladder, but gorillas and monkeys have for decades climbed to the top of the comic-book world as heroes and villains, monsters and masterminds, and soldiers and sidekicks. Comics Gone Ape! is the missing link to primates in comics, spotlighting a barrel of simian superstars like Beppo, BrainiApe, the Gibbon, Gleek, Gorilla Man, Grease Monkey, King Kong, Konga, Mojo Jojo, Sky Ape, and Titano. Comics Gone Ape! is loaded with rare and classic artwork, chest-thumping cover galleries, and 11 exclusive interviews with apes artists and writers.

Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 144 pages, B&W. Cover price $16.95.

Add to cart VG+ 4.5 $100.00 View scans

1st printing - 1947. Written by Coulton Waugh. The first comprehensive history and analysis of comic strips. Shows the evolution and subgenres of comics from The Yellow Kid in 1895 through the first decade of the modern comic book in the 1940s and considered to be one of the best books ever written on the subject. Profusely illustrated. Hardcover with dust jacket, 6-in. x 9 1/2-in., 360 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $5.00.

Add to cart Fine $5.99

1st printing. By Coulton Waugh. This trailblazing survey of an art form preferred by the masses was the pioneer study of the subject. It shows the evolution and subgenres of the comics from The Yellow Kid in 1895 through the first decade of the modern comic book in the 1940s. First published in 1947 and long out of print, this is considered by diehard aficionados of the comics as the best book ever written on the subject, and not just because it was the first. In this far-reaching study Coulton Waugh set down information that is now common lore, that the comics are revealing reflectors of society. For general readers and scholars alike, this new edition has a comprehensive index and an introduction by M. Thomas Inge, the notable scholar of popular culture and author of Comics as Culture. Hardcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9 1/2-in., 364 pages, Text (with B&W Illustrations) Cover price $9.99.

1st Printing. Flipbook - Bad Girls and X-Files. Softcover, 6.5" x 10", 122 pages, B&W. Cover price $9.95.

1st printing. Softcover, 7-in. x 10-in., 122 pages, B&W. Cover price $9.95.

1st Printing - All about Mutants issue featuring interviews with Chris Claremont, Rob Liefield, Neal Adams, Jim Lee, Len Wein, Marc Silvestri, Wilce Portacio and many more! Softcover, 6.5" x 10", 122 pages, B&W. Cover price $4.95.

1st Printing. In depth look at the X-Men franchise including the 90's animated series. Softcover, 6.5" x 10", 122 pages, B&W. Cover price $9.95.

Volume 1 - 1st printing. Collects Comics Interview (1983) #1-14. By David Anthony Kraft, Bill Cucinotta, and Gerry Giovinco. Featuring the greatest collection of interviews in the history of comic books! Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 688 pages, B&W.

Volume 2 - 1st printing. Collects Comics Interview (1983) #15-28. By David Anthony Kraft, Bill Cucinotta, and Gerry Giovinco. Featuring the greatest collection of interviews in the history of comic books! Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 688 pages, B&W.

Volume 3 - 1st printing. Collects Comics Interview (1983) #29-42. By David Anthony Kraft, Bill Cucinotta, and Gerry Giovinco. Featuring the greatest collection of interviews in the history of comic books! Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 656 pages, B&W.

1st printing.

Written by Janine Utell. Art and cover by Alison Bechdel.

Alison Bechdel is both a driver and beneficiary of the welcoming of comics into the mainstream.

Indeed, the seemingly simple binary of outside/inside seems perpetually troubled throughout the career of this important comics artist, known for Fun Home, Are You My Mother?, and Dykes to Watch Out For. This volume extends the body of scholarship on her work from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives.

In a definitive collection of original essays, scholars cover the span of Bechdel's career, providing insights on major themes in Bechdel's work, such as gender performativity, masculinity, lesbian politics and representation, trauma, life writing, and queer theory.

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 272 pages, B&W.

Cover price $30.00.

1st printing. Written by Jared Gardner and Ian Gordon. Art and cover by Charles M. Schulz. An unparalleled gathering of research devoted to one of the world's most influential comic strips. The Comics of Charles Schulz collects new essays on the work of the creator of the immensely popular Peanuts comic strip. Despite Schulz's celebrity, few scholarly books on his work and career have been published. This collection serves as a foundation for future study not only of Charles Schulz (1922-2000) but, more broadly, of the understudied medium of newspaper comics. Hardcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 192 pages, B&W. Cover price $65.00.

1st printing.

Written by Jared Gardner and Ian Gordon. Art and cover by Charles M. Schulz.

An unparalleled gathering of research devoted to one of the world's most influential comic strips, The Comics of Charles Schulz collects new essays on the work of the creator of the immensely popular Peanuts comic strip. Despite Schulz's celebrity, few scholarly books on his work and career have been published. This collection serves as a foundation for future study not only of Charles Schulz (1922-2000) but, more broadly, of the understudied medium of newspaper comics.

Softcover, 6-in.x 9-in., 234 pages, B&W. Cover price $25.00.

1st printing. First in the new series Critical Approaches to Comics Artists, this edited volume explores Sacco's comics journalism, and features established and emerging scholars from comics studies, cultural studies, geography, literary studies, political science, and communication studies. The Comics of Joe Sacco addresses the range of his work, from his early comics stories as well as Palestine (1993), Safe Area to Gorade (2000), Footnotes in Gaza (2009) to his most recent book The Great War (2013), a graphic history of World War I. Hardcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 272 pages, Text (with B&W Illustrations and photos). Cover price $60.00.

Add to cart Near Mint $4.00

1st printing.

In the world of comics, Joss Whedon created his own dystopian heroine, Fray, assembled the goofy fannish heroes of Sugarshock, and wrote arcs for Marvel's Astonishing X-Men and Runaways. Today, Whedon continues the Buffy and Firefly stories with innovative comics that shatter the rules of storytelling and force his characters to grow through life-altering conflicts.

This collection of essays focuses on Whedon's comics work and its tie-ins with his film and television productions, emphasizing his auteurism in crossing over from panel to screen to panel.

Softcover, 256 pages, B&W.

Cover price $35.00.

1st printing.

In a self-reflexive way, Julie Doucet's and Gabrielle Bell's comics defy easy categorization. In this volume, editors Tahneer Oksman and Seamus O'Malley regard Doucet's and Bell's art as actively feminist, not only because they offer women's perspectives, but because they do so by provocatively bringing up the complicated, multivalent frameworks of such engagements. While each artist has a unique perspective, style, and worldview, the essays in this book investigate their shared investments in formal innovation and experimentation, and in playing with questions of the autobiographical, the fantastic, and the spaces in between.

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 240 pages, Text (with B&W Illustrations and photos).

Cover price $30.00.

1st printing.

Written by Kevin Haworth. Art and cover by Rutu Modan.

The first in-depth study of acclaimed work by a pioneer of Israeli comics. The Comics of Rutu Modan: War, Love, and Secrets conducts a close reading of her work and examines her role in creating a comics arts scene in Israel. Drawing upon archival research, Kevin Haworth traces the history of Israeli comics from its beginning as 1930s cheap children's stories, through the counterculture movement of the 1970s, to the burst of creativity that began in the 1990s and continues full force today.

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 194 pages, B&W.

Cover price $30.00.

Volume 1 - 1st printing. Discover the dark chapter in comics' history when Congress held a series of hearings that explored whether or not comic books contributed to juvenile delinquency. Testimony from Walt Kelly, Milton Caniff, William Gaines, and Frederic Wertham given in April and June of 1954 is included. These are the hearings that almost killed the comics industry and lead to the creation of the Comics Code Authority. A must-have for historians and fans alike. Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 184 pages, B&W. Cover price $25.00.

Volume 2 - 1st printing. "Crime and Horror Comic Books: Delinquency!" A fascinating look at the comics and the courts. The DC vs. Victor Fox suit testimony (including Will Eisner's) is featured, as well at the final report of the 1954 Congressional Hearings into the Comics. Also featured are the depositions in the Kirby Estate vs. Disney/Marvel trial, including Roy Thomas, John Romita, Larry Leiber, and Stan Lee. Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 160 pages, B&W. Cover price $25.00.

Volume 3 - 1st printing. "Kirby Estate vs. Disney/Marvel!" By Greg Theakston. Cover by Jack Kirby. The most important case in comic book history unfolds with depositions by Larry Leiber, Joe Sinnott, John Romita, Sr., Stan Lee, and others. Also included is the 44-page verdict from the judge. Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 160 pages, B&W. NOTE: Even though this book says "V.2" on title page, this is Volume 3. Cover price $25.00.

1st Printing - Collects Comics Revue #369 - 370. Contains two Phantom stories "The Governor's Family" (part 3) and "The Ape Idol of the Durugu" (part 5) by Lee Falk and Wilson McCoy. Other stories include Tarzan, Buz Sawyer, Krazy Kat, Gasoline alley, more. Softcover, 8" x 10.5", 128 pages, color/B&W. Cover price $19.95.

1st printing. By Brian Walker. Both comprehensive and graphically stunning, this humorous compendium stands as a classic survey of American culture since 1945, featuring over 700 illustrations, comic strips, and scores of rare examples from such recognized and beloved cartoonists as Walt Kelly (Pogo), Charles Schulz (Peanuts), Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury), Bill Waterson (Calvin & Hobbes), Scott Adams (Dilbert), and Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), among others. Softcover, 9-in. x 12-in., 336 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $29.99.

2nd or later printing. By Brian Walker. Both comprehensive and graphically stunning, this humorous compendium stands as a classic survey of American culture since 1945, featuring over 700 illustrations, comic strips, and scores of rare examples from such recognized and beloved cartoonists as Walt Kelly (Pogo), Charles Schulz (Peanuts), Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury), Bill Waterson (Calvin & Hobbes), Scott Adams (Dilbert), and Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), among others. Softcover, 9-in. x 12-in., 336 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $29.99.

1st printing.

Edited by Charles Hatfield and Bart Beaty.

In the twenty-first century, the field of comics studies has exploded.

Scholarship on graphic novels, comic books, comic strips, webcomics, manga, and all forms of comic art has grown at a dizzying pace, with new publications, institutions, and courses springing up everywhere. Comics Studies: A Guidebook offers a rich but concise introduction to this multifaceted field, authored by leading experts in multiple disciplines.

An invaluable one-stop resource for veteran and new comics scholars alike, this guidebook represents the state of the art in contemporary comics scholarship.

Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 198 pages, Text.

Cover price $34.95.