
Men Of Tomorrow
Gerard Jones(Author)
William Heinemann Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 7. July 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-0-434-01402-6 (ISBN)
Description
Before the Incredibles, there were Batman and Superman, Spiderman and Captain America...Gerard Jones' book tells the fascinating inside story of the comic superheroes. In the depths of the Depression, out of the crowded tenements of New York and Chicago, the comic book superhero leapt into being. Out of a mix of geekiness, science fiction, and outsider yearning, a crew of young men from working-class Jewish neighbourhoods and shady backgrounds created a series of blue-eyed, chisel-nosed crime fighters and adventurers who quickly captured the imaginations of young and old. Within a few years their creations had spawned a new genre that still dominates youth entertainment seventy years later. Gerard Jones draws on exhaustive research to portray how the immigrant experience and an outsider mentality shaped the vision of the make-believe hero, while a bizarre melting-pot of left-wing politics, mob money and the worlds of soft-porn and detective magazines contributed to the publishing world that produced the comics that brought them to millions.
He chronicles how the success of the comics provoked a backlash that nearly destroyed the industry in the 1950s, and how later they surged back, inspiring a new generation to transmute pre-war fantasies into art, literature, blockbuster movies and graphic novels. Men of Tomorrow brilliantly demonstrates how the creators of the superheroes established their crucial place in the modern imagination.
He chronicles how the success of the comics provoked a backlash that nearly destroyed the industry in the 1950s, and how later they surged back, inspiring a new generation to transmute pre-war fantasies into art, literature, blockbuster movies and graphic novels. Men of Tomorrow brilliantly demonstrates how the creators of the superheroes established their crucial place in the modern imagination.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Cornerstone
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Weight
541 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-434-01402-6 (9780434014026)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Gerard Jones's is a comics historian and comic and screen writer. His writing credits include Batman, Spiderman and Pokemon. He lives in San Francisco.