Recommendation of books about comics

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RuthB
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Recommendation of books about comics

Post by RuthB »

Was wondering if anyone could recommend good books on British comics, not about superheroes or such, just good books about comics and authors, classics from seventies and eighties. Bit like that The History of Girl's Comics by Susan Brewer, if you know what I mean.
Ta!

Raven
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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

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Great British Comics by Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury.

If you want to go much further back in time, it's worth seeking out some of Denis Gifford's old books.

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RuthB
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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by RuthB »

Was looking in ebay for Dennis Gifford's but no luck. In my local library (here there are only two: O'Mahoneys and Easons, don't have a clue what I am talking about. thanks. Will keep an eye on that.

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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by Raven »

RuthB wrote:Was looking in ebay for Dennis Gifford's but no luck.

Maybe because you're looking for Dennis Gifford rather than Denis Gifford? There are quite a few on there.

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RuthB
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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

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It might be that! AARgh!

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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by Raven »

'Great British Comics' should suit you for '70s/'80s titles, girls' comics, IPC humour comics, etc.

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RuthB
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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by RuthB »

I just bought The International book of comics and the best of Girl 52-59 by Gifford. Thinking in gettinh Happy Days, 100 years of comic... and getting that Great British Comics too.

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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by Peter Gray »

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Happy-Days-On ... 5d30fac834

Whats inside the 100 years of comics is it worth getting?

I have the cartoon characters book Denis did..
my favourite of Denis is the comics at war book...often dipping in..

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RuthB
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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by RuthB »

I Would like to know that too.

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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by Phoenix »

RuthB wrote:Was wondering if anyone could recommend good books on British comics, not about superheroes or such, just good books about comics and authors, classics from seventies and eighties. Bit like that The History of Girl's Comics by Susan Brewer, if you know what I mean.
There aren't very many, Ruth. One I can definitely recommend, though, is British Comics - A Cultural History by James Chapman (Reaktion Books 2011). Two reasonably decent surveys are The Ultimate Book Of British Comics by Graham Kibble-White (Allison and Busby 2005) and Encycopedia Of Comic Characters by Denis Gifford (Longman 1987). Two books by Adam Riches are well worth looking at, When The Comics Went To War and Football's Comic Book Heroes (both Mainstream Publishing 2009). Beyond that you are looking at books on a specific comic, such as Action by Martin Barker (Titan Books 1990), or on a cartoonist, such as The Man Who Drew Tomorrow [about Frank Hampson] by Alastair Crompton (Who Dares Publishing 1985), The Comic Art Of Reg Parlett (Golden Fun Publishing 1986) and The Comic Art Of Roy Wilson by Alan Clark and David Ashford (Midas Books 1983), and a more general work by Alan Clark The Best Of British Comic Art (Boxtree 1989), or on a character, such as Dan Dare - Pilot Of The Future by Daniel Tatarsky (Orion Books 2010), Roy Of The Rovers by Mick Collins (Aurum Press 2008) and Sexton Blake by Norman Wright and David Ashford (Museum Press 1994). The best book by far on girls' fiction is You're A Brick, Angela! by Mary Cadogan and Patricia Craig (Gollancz 1976), and no self-respecting comics enthusiast should be without A Very Funny Business by Leo Baxendale (Gerald Duckworth 1978) and On Comedy - The Beano And Ideology, also by Leo Baxendale (Reaper Books 1989). These are on my own shelves but I realise, of course, that not all may interest you.

I've just seen a new post. 100 Years Of Comics is the subtitle of Happy Days.

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RuthB
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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by RuthB »

Thanks a million Phoenix! big library on comics I'm going to nave, thank you!!!!

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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

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Apologies, Ruth. I forgot to mention Dictionary Of British Comic Artists, Writers and Editors by Alan Clark (The British Library 1998). The reason I overlooked it is that I only got it last week so it hasn't yet made the move from the settee to a shelf. I cannot guarantee its completeness but it does look pretty thorough.

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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by RuthB »

On my list now! Will have a very big Xmas list! XDD

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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by Lew Stringer »

Peter Gray wrote:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Happy-Days-On ... 5d30fac834

Whats inside the 100 years of comics is it worth getting?

This was one of my favourite books on comics and I used to borrow it from the library every chance I got. Published in 1975, with a second printing in 1988 (which is when I bought it) the book has 128 pages with pretty much a comic cover on each page, from Victorian times to the 1960s.

The focus is mostly on the early comics and the "Golden Age" of the 1930s. He sort of loses interest after the Fifties. Denis supplies a short note beneath each cover but it's not an in-depth study of comics. He lets the images tell the story. Mostly black and white but some full colour. Reproduction is variable, with greyscale images of colour covers being a bit murky in places. Still, it's a good book for giving a brief overview of early comics.
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Re: Recommendation of books about comics

Post by Richard S. »

Hi Ruth, as you're a collector of girls titles you could also try Wendy Forrester's "Great-Grandmas Weekly A Celebration of the Girl's Own Paper 1880-1901" - this might be too far back in history for you but as there aren't many titles about just girls comics out there I've included it here for completeness.
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