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Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books
Originally published in France and long sought in English translation, Jean-Paul Gabilliet's Of Comics and A Cultural History of American Comic Books documents the rise and development of the American comic book industry from the 1930s to the present. The book intertwines aesthetic issues and critical biographies with the concerns of production, distribution, and audience reception, making it one of the few interdisciplinary studies of the art form. A thorough introduction by translators and comics scholars Bart Beaty and Nick Nguyen brings the book up to date with explorations of the latest innovations, particularly the graphic novel.
The book is organized into three a concise history of the evolution of the comic book form in America; an overview of the distribution and consumption of American comic books, detailing specific controversies such as the creation of the Comics Code in the mid-1950s; and the problematic legitimization of the form that has occurred recently within the academy and in popular discourse.
Viewing comic books from a variety of theoretical lenses, Gabilliet shows how seemingly disparate issues―creation, production, and reception―are in fact connected in ways that are not necessarily true of other art forms. Analyzing examples from a variety of genres, this book provides a thorough landmark overview of American comic books that sheds new light on this versatile art form.
The book is organized into three a concise history of the evolution of the comic book form in America; an overview of the distribution and consumption of American comic books, detailing specific controversies such as the creation of the Comics Code in the mid-1950s; and the problematic legitimization of the form that has occurred recently within the academy and in popular discourse.
Viewing comic books from a variety of theoretical lenses, Gabilliet shows how seemingly disparate issues―creation, production, and reception―are in fact connected in ways that are not necessarily true of other art forms. Analyzing examples from a variety of genres, this book provides a thorough landmark overview of American comic books that sheds new light on this versatile art form.
- GenresNonfictionComicsHistory
432 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 4, 2013
This is a great general introduction to the history of American comics, its cultural impact, and the dynamics that have come to define the medium. One of the book's greatest strengths is its ambition to look not only at a particular niche of comics culture, but to provide a more panoramic perspective that explores a variety of facets. While not a textbook, this would be a useful work for a graduate course on comics studies. Kudos to the translators Bart Beaty and Nick Nguyen, who have made this a very readable text. A minor point: I'm not that enamored with the book's title, but perhaps "Of Comics and Men" is a function of the impreciseness of translation.
September 7, 2019
Gabilliet does his best to cover all forms of comics from newspaper strips to graphic novels. In addition to discuss the history and evolution of the form, Gabilliet dives head first into the business side of things. He discusses in details such issues as print runs, demographics, distribution networks, and the working conditions for comic book creators and artists.
Overall, if you are a late comer to comics like me this is a great way to jump start your journey. If you're a long-term fan you might be able to better enjoy the richest of Gabilliet's arguments and the hard look he takes at the business of comics might give you a different perspective. There are some downsides to this book however. For one, it was published in 2005 and therefore does not discuss the recent superhero craze and its impacts. Secondly, as a French scholar Gabilliet has a tendency to be a bit snobbish when it comes to certain aspects of fan culture such as cosplay.
Overall, if you are a late comer to comics like me this is a great way to jump start your journey. If you're a long-term fan you might be able to better enjoy the richest of Gabilliet's arguments and the hard look he takes at the business of comics might give you a different perspective. There are some downsides to this book however. For one, it was published in 2005 and therefore does not discuss the recent superhero craze and its impacts. Secondly, as a French scholar Gabilliet has a tendency to be a bit snobbish when it comes to certain aspects of fan culture such as cosplay.
January 22, 2020
I finally finished Of Comics And Men! A VERY academic but entertaining in its own right, a history of #comics and the comic book industry through Superman, the comics code and right up to the present day. It does not presage the effect of the MCU on pop culture but if you are a comic journalist, critic or super fan of the history of comics, this is the book for you! Up next for me will be The 10 Cent Plague, covering the Wertham age. This could have been read more quickly if I thought of each chapter as a podcast episode. While academic, this book highlights all the right things!
June 19, 2014
I was really looking forward to reading this book, it is critically acclaimed and lauded within the comic book community; with that being said, I was quite disappointed with the results.
JP Gabilliet spends most of the time giving a brief overview/introduction to the world of comics often reiterating the same points every 80 pages or so. To me, this repetition grew tiresome and often led to no new points or perspectives. While I will admit that Gabilliet's book is heavily research it probably would have read better as an annotated bibliography or a timeline with sources.
For those of you who seek a comprehensive overview of American comics I would recommend Brain Wright's Comic Book Nation.
JP Gabilliet spends most of the time giving a brief overview/introduction to the world of comics often reiterating the same points every 80 pages or so. To me, this repetition grew tiresome and often led to no new points or perspectives. While I will admit that Gabilliet's book is heavily research it probably would have read better as an annotated bibliography or a timeline with sources.
For those of you who seek a comprehensive overview of American comics I would recommend Brain Wright's Comic Book Nation.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews