Comic Book Babylon

by Clifford Lawrence Meth

Who are the real villains of the comic book industry? Green Goblin? Doctor Doom? The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants? Or the corporations publishing comics and leaving creators penniless? You be the judge. Comic Book Babylon gathers icons HARLAN ELLISON, STAN LEE, ALAN MOORE, FRANK MILLER, JOE KUBERT, GENE COLAN, DAVE COCKRUM, WALTER SIMONSON and NEAL ADAMS into a conversation with CLIFFORD METH where anything goes.

Genres: Comics

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 2, 2014

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book. It is full of humanity, compassion and insight. It takes us on a journey through comic book history and in to the dark nooks of regret, shame, betrayal and redemption through the intervention of well meaning compassionate friends.

[Steven Bergson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating mixture of autobiography, biographical sketches, interviews, and comic history midrash (backstory). As the tagline suggests, the book does identify the "villains" of the industry who have ignored the significant contributions made by talented visionaries and the ways that they were neglected in their hour of need.

However, it also puts a well-deserved spotlight on the influential "heroes" (such as Neal Adams) who have crusaded on behalf of the "Davids" and stood up to the "Goliaths". Much of the material has previously appeared online, but Meth also includes never-before-published columns and explains why they were previously withheld. Sprinkled throughout the text are potraits of many of the creators magnificently illustrated by the incomparable Michael Netzer.

Overall, Comic Book Babylon is a worthwhile read and is recommended for anyone who is interested in the creative people who have built the comics field and the obstacles that certain ones have had to overcome.

[Rich Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book collects a number of Clifford Meth's columns from his blogs on various websites. It also covers the final days of quite a few comic book legends, like Dave Cockrum, Gene Colan, and Joe Kubert. A good section of the book features the work Meth and legend Neal Adams did in getting Cockrum some financial renumeration and recognition for the coin that Marvel Comics has been making on the characters he created, including many of the popular new X-Men. Oh, and there's a lot of Harlan Ellison within the pages as well.

If you're a comic book fan, or just like seeing the little guy finally get his from a megalithic corporation, you'll enjoy reading this one.

[Terry Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most collections of columns, this offers up a mix of home run reflections and self-indulgent exercises. Well worth picking up as an e-book (the price is more than fair) if you're a fan of intelligent discussions on the world behind the scenes of the comics industry. Highly recommended if you love Harlan Ellison - who appears frequently in Clifford's musings and obviously was a direct influence on his writing style.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

mostly a collection of Meth's previously published articles and columns. could have used some extra added context, but there's some important history here. Ignore the cover, by the way: there's nothing Babylonian or sexy in the book.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant insight in to the comics industry. Brutally honest stories about how comic creators were treated like dirt even though they created some of the most well know characters still being produced today.

[Robert Frost · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mostly just a reprint of old columns, very little "babylon", and the Kindle book is not text, it's scans of pages.

[Jeff Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting behind the scenes stories from an industry that has fascinated me since I was a boy.