History and Criticism
Alphabetical by author where possible, title if a magazine or anthology
John Carlin, Masters of American Comics, Yale University Press, 2005
Catlogue from the exhibition which featured Caniff, Crumb, Gould, Feininger, Kurtzman, McKay, Segar, Spiegelman, with essays by Dave Eggers, Matt Groening, Raymond Pettibon, Robert Storr
David Carrier, The Aesthetics of Comics, University park, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000
Analysis of comics by art historian Carrier
Comic Art, Issue 8, Summer 2006
Includes features on Richard McGuire, Drew Friedman, Edd Cartier, and Thierry Smolderen’s in depth history of the speech bubble, “Of Labels, Loops, and Bubbles,” as well as a reprint of McGuire’s classic comic ‘Here’ (1989)
Comic Art, Issue 9, Fall 2007
Features on Jerry Moriarty, Chester Gould, Kaz, Abner Dean and Richard Taylor
Comics Comics, issue 3, New York: Picturebox, 2007
Includes an article by Kim Deitch, Dan Nadel’s review of the ‘Masters of American Comics’ exhibition and interviews between Sammy Harkham with Guy Davis, and Lauren Weinstein with David Heatley
The Comics Journal, no. 200, December 1997
Double sized issue, includes extensive interviews with Chris Ware, Charles Schultz, and a section where comic artists like Joe Sacco and Pat Moriarty show short comics about comics
The Comics Journal, no. 211, April 1999
Issue focusing on Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, includes several insightful criticisms of the work
The Comics Journal, no. 259, April 2004
‘Youthquake’ issue with profiles of Hornschemeier, Ben Jones, Anders Nilsen
The Comics Journal, no. 279, November 2006
Feature on Joost Swarte, interview with Johnny Ryan
Cult Fiction: Art and Comics, London: Southbank Centre, 2007
Catalogue accompanying the exhibition of the same name, curated by Kim L. Pace and Emma Mahony, book includes an essay by Paul Gravett
Vicky Clark and Barbara Bloemink, Comic Release: Negotiating Identity for a New Generation, New York: Distributed Art Publishers, 2002
Catalogue accompanying the art exhibition ‘Comic Release,’ which toured the US in 2003-2004. The exhibition featured works by over 50 artists from both comics and art backgrounds, including James Kochalka, Jason Lutes, Tony Millionaire, Takashi Murakami; essays in the book include Ana Merino, Rick Gribenas and Tom Hall, and contributions from the curators.
Chris Donald, Rude Kids: The Inside Story of Viz, London: Harper Collins, 2004
Will Eisner, Comics and Sequential Art, Tamarac: Poorhouse Press, 1985
The first book to focus on the how-tos and whats of comics
Jules Feiffer, The Great Comic Book Heroes, Seattle: Fantagraphics, 2003
First hand account of reading in the US ‘Golden Age’ of comics
Jeet Heer and Kent Worcester (eds.), Arguing Comics: Literary Masters on a Popular Medium, Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2004
Collection of essays on comics, by largely non-comics writers, including Umberto Eco, CLR James, Marshall McLuhan and Thomas Mann
Gilbert Hernandez, Scion, issue 15, Torrance: Toyota, 2009
Another corporate magazine disguised as an arts publication; includes a short interview with Love & Rockets co-creator Gilbert Hernandez
‘I’ Magazine, Ireland’s Sunday Tribune, 25/07/2004
Includes a feature on Ireland’s comics scene and an interview with comics writer Mark Millar
Gerard Jones, Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book, London: William Heinemann, 2004
Historical account of the origins of the comic book industry in the US, particularly around the creation of Superman.
James Kochalka, The Cute Manifesto, Gainesville: Alternative Comics, 2005
Collection of short stories, including ‘The Horrible Truth About Comics’
Scott McCloud, Understandic Comics: the Invisible Art, New York: Harper perrenial, 1993
The comic about comics, comprehensive and oversimplifying at the same time
Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Robert Crumb, Cologne: Walther Koenig, 2006
Interview with Crumb in Obrist’s ‘Conversation Series’ books
Roger Sabin, Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels: A History of Comic Art, London: Paidon, 1996
Large format overview of comics’ history
William W. Savage Jr., Commies, Cowboys and Jungle Queens: Comic Books and America, 1945-1954, London: Wesleyan University Press, 1990
Historical account and analysis of how comics reflected post WW2 concerns as well as the Korean Conflict and the campaign against comics led by F. Wertham
Aaron Sheon, “The Discovery of Graffiti,” Art Journal, 36, 1976
Article about the growing appreciation of graffiti, caricature and ‘vernacular art forms’ in art history starting in the late 19th century
Art Spiegelman, “Drawing Blood: Outrageous Cartoons and the Art of Outrage,” Harpers Magazine, June 2006, pp. 43-52
Spiegelman’s response and opinion on the Danish Jyllands Posten’s Muhammed comics that caused uproar in Muslim countries
Art Spiegelman, “High art Lowdown, ”Artforum, December, 1990
Spiegelman’s one-page review in comic form of NY MoMA’s exhibition ‘High & Low’
The Sunday Review: The Cartoon Issue, The Independent on Sunday, 1/10/2006
Comic-themed issue includes several parts of Chris Ware’s ‘Building Stories,’ an interview with Marjane Satrapi, and comics by Guy Delisle and Michael Kupperman
