Publishing Comics

Starting with the Civil War and cartoonist Thomas Nast, creator of the lasting images of Uncle Sam and Santa Claus, author Jeremy Dauber whizzes listeners through the progress of comics in the 20th century and beyond. Follow the history from the golden age of newspaper comic strips - Krazy Kat, Yellow Kid, Dick Tracy - to the midcentury superhero boom - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman - and from the moral panic of the Eisenhower era to the underground comix movement; from the grim and gritty Dark Knights to the graphic novel’s rise.

PICK UP THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU PICK UP THE MICROPHONE Part instruction manual, part memoir and part cautionary tale, “How to FAIL at Stand-Up Comedy” is a hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking exploration of a 30 year career in stand-up. Sabo pulls no punches while revealing what it’s really like to live the life of a traveling comedian, warts and all. Sabo points out everything you can do wrong in this business with glaring detail and without judgment. Chock full of advice from industry insiders and experts in the field, “FAIL” takes you on the journey from open-miker to seasoned ...

A deadly killer stalks the rain-soaked streets of Shinbone, spreading panic and terror among the townsfolk. The authorities are baffled, partly because there hasn’t been a single crime in Shinbone for more than a hundred years but mostly because this particular deadly killer… …isn’t actually killing anyone. Enter Hieronymous Blush, master magician and the detective responsible for solving the mystery of The Lickspittle Leviathan. Can one man stand alone against the demonic threat of The Shinbone Shadowhunter? Of course not: he can’t even tie his own shoes. The race is on….

A stand-up comedian beloved for her combination of feisty wit and Southern charm, Pierce knows all too well that life is funny—until it’s not. But she also knows that it will become funny again. She’s held on to that hope—and that promise—through tragedy and triumph. And now she’s finally ready to tell her full story. In Life Is Funny until It’s Not, Pierce recounts a preacher’s daughter’s childhood filled with heartbreak, including abuse, her parents’ divorce, and the sudden deaths of her two sisters in the span of two years.

See You At San Diego is the comprehensive chronicle of Comic-Con International and modern geekdom itself as told through countless stories by nearly fifty of the most integral members of the Comic-Con and fandom scene. This full-fledged oral history—bursting with intimate reflections, hilarious observations, and at times, heartbreaking stories—is about how the geek at last inherited the earth and the story of the transformation of mainstream American pop culture into comic book culture over the past century.

"Matt Drabble is a name that will one day be as widely recognized as Stephen King & Dean Koontz" - READERS FAVORITE He fell from the stars and changed the world. Suddenly there existed a super being much like those that only existed on the pages of comic books, but not everyone took to the newcomer nor what he represented and some would seek to destroy what they perceived as a blasphemer. SOUL were an organisation created by a Cynthia Arrow, a religious zealot overwhelmed with the desire to deal in terror and rid the country of their greatest hero by any means necessary. Driven by her ...

The complete Vanquish Trilogy, includes Shadow of the Shapeshifter, The Venom of Vanquish and The Might of Moltenoak. Shadow of the Shapeshifter Two strangers in the wrong place at the worst possible time...a lone assassin prepared to do the dirtiest of jobs...and a guard sentry determined to stop him. A dark enemy is about to rise in Illmoor, something even more chaotic and twisted than the citizens themselves. Step forward Enoch Dwellings, master sleuth, who boasts a reputation built entirely on an intricate web of carefully calculated lies. Together with his hapless but increasingly ...

Hilarious southern-fried chicken fiction from the Georgia Author of the Year Butterbean and Ruby Sweat, heads of a comical, fantastically redneck southern family, are trapped in generational poverty and facing a gut-wrenching crisis — how to quickly raise money for their baby daughter’s clubfoot operation lest she be a cripple for life. Memorable characters swarm the pages. Slob extraordinaire Bean – the beer-guzzling, pickup-driving, NASCAR-loving deer hunter – sails through life as trailer park philosopher, clown prince, and champion of his fellow chicken plant workers. Ruby ...

"You're a comedian? That must be awesome!" It's a familiar response from people who've just met someone that calls comedy their full-time job. On the surface, it's glamorous: laughter, bright spotlights, and traveling the world. But like sausage-making, the real action is far from pretty. What goes unseen is the struggle undertaken by comedians to perform on that stage. In Go Home Happy, stand-up veteran Nathan Timmel leads the reader through a funny, pride-swallowing journey navigating the minefield of club owners, booking agents, drunken hecklers, and unexpected friends. Part fun and ...

Lady Blake was convinced that the mere thought of aging was more terrifying than any horror scene she had ever witnessed. Every wrinkle, every gray hair, every achy joint felt like a countdown to the end of her youth. One day, as she sat in her fancy dressing room, surrounded by expensive anti-aging creams and potions, Lady Blake couldn't help but let out a dramatic sigh..."I've got wrinkles!" Thus, the idea to keep her youthful appearance became an obsession, with Lady Blake thinking of various ways to preserve her fleeting beauty. However, despite her fears of losing her looks, Lady Blake...

When a ragged band of mercenaries happen upon an ancient artefact in a hidden ruin, they unwittingly trigger a series of events that will have dire consequences for the entire population of Illmoor. While they hurtle towards a major conflict with the most twisted and malevolent mind in the land, an impostor sits on the Dullitch throne, his illusion sustained by the sort of dark magic that always comes at a price… Originally published as The Vanquish Vendetta by Hodder in the UK

After he and his wife are murdered, Marine Ray Garrison is resurrected by a secret team of scientists. Enhanced with nanotechnology, he becomes a superhuman, biotech killing machine - “Bloodshot” - without any memory of his previous life. But some things can’t stay buried, and Ray refuses to back down when his memories begin to surface. Haunted by the face of his family’s killer, he will stop at nothing to take his revenge. And he discovers a conspiracy going deeper than he could have possibly imagined.

Superheroes become the idols of our children,role models to look up to and emulate. But what happens in the dark shadows, out of the public spotlight? What happens when the men and women behind the masks let their own desires guide their actions? Questionable Heroes tells the story of the heroes of Kanapolis, from vigilante to ghost hunter to Amazonian beauty. Some remain true to their noble calling; some do not.

FROM MILLION-SELLING WRITER BERNICE BLOOM A FABULOUSLY FUNNY TALE ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS CAMPS AND THE HORRORS OF INTERNET DATING. 'I just loved it.' A wonderful book.' “It was hysterical, some bits made me laugh out loud, and other parts made me blush with recognition.” "This is definitely one of my favourite of Mary’s adventures so far! I feel like they’re just getting better and better! Can’t wait for the next one!!" Mary Brown heads to Portugal for a weight loss camp and discovers it’s nothing like she expected.“I thought it would be Slimming World in the sunshine, but this is ...

...the natural heir to Terry Pratchett (SFRevu) David Lee Stone is a wonderfully mad talent to watch. He has a truly original comic voice and you won't forget his hysterically hopeless (rather than heroic) characters in a hurry! (Wendy Cooling) The Illmoor Chronicles include all the ingredients any self respecting young, or indeed old, bookworm could desire - wizards, goblins, sprites and vampires, plus a lot of comedy. (Kent on Sunday) Take a bucketful of Blackadder, mix in a dollop of Harry Potter, add a splash of Lord of the Rings, shake vigorously and you end up with this hilarious ...

Michael E. Uslan, executive producer of the Batman movie franchise, offers an insider’s look at Hollywood and the process of how movies and television shows go from the drawing board to your screens. Continuing the delightful tale of his adventures begun in The Boy Who Loved Batman, Uslan draws on both his successful and less successful attempts to bring ideas to the screen, offering a helpful, honest, and breezily told guide to producing films.

New York needs a superhero – as usual. But no one was expecting the most outrageous hero to ever hit the streets! In the tough and gritty streets of New York’s early 70s punk scene, Kitty Hampshire is still finding her own identity. But she’s certain of one thing – she always knew she was meant to be a man. Alongside the eccentric friends she meets in NYC’s underground clubs and bars, Kitty learns about love and life and has the surgery to affirm her true gender. Kitty becomes Kit Simmons, but mysterious forces are present in the flesh grafted onto Kit’s body. In an era of ...

Almost 20,000 years ago, on what is now the southern coast of Norway, a great storm enveloped the area, causing another ice age to begin. While the inhabitants of the area were quite concerned, the atmospheric events led the people of the time to go underground. In their attempt to flee the raging storm, a great civilization was born – Izantica. The Kingdom of Izantica, like Atlantis, was a technological wonder, with devices and inventions that have never been conceived of before. The main person behind these technological advances was “Lars the Great.” Previously known as “Lars the...

In this memoir, Lockwood draws upon his forty years in the newspaper industry as a reporter and editor, offering a unique glimpse into the world of newspaper cartoon strips. He details the production and promotion of countless comic strips, while also providing his own assessments of the most iconic cartoonists of the last half-century. The book is filled with fascinating anecdotes about his relationships with some of America's greatest cartoonists and the syndicate reps who sold their cartoon strips.

In this insightful and provocative book, comics-industry veteran Danny Fingeroth explores the backgrounds of the most well-known superheroes and their creators—largely young American Jewish men from Eastern European backgrounds. These innovators include Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Will Eisner, and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. In Disguised as Clark Kent, Fingeroth explores how the creators’ Jewish backgrounds helped make superheroes the most familiar popular-culture icons of all.