American Comics

A History

This is the sweeping story of cartoons, comic strips, and graphic novels and their century-long hold on the American imagination.

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 and Watchmen to the graphic novel’s brilliant rise - Art Spiegelman, Alison Bechdel, Joe Sacco.

Dauber’s story shows not only how comics have changed, but also how American politics and history have changed them. Throughout, he describes the origins of beloved comics, champions neglected masterpieces, and argues that we can understand how America sees itself through whose stories comics tell.

©2022 by Jeremy Dauber (P)2021 by Blackstone Publishing

Informative

I grew up reading comic books, I still read an occasional graphic novel. This was a wonderful history of the comic book, in all it's different forms and genres.

Refreshing take on the history

of comics but falls into name checking at the end of some of the latter chapters.

a fantastically inclusive look at the history of comics!

dauber excellently and kindly talks about the ways lgbtq+, poc, and women have added to the cishet white male dominated world of comics, explaining the history succinctly and with grace and understanding for the marginalized communities that turned towards comics even when the industry was determined to keep them out for so long

Shockingly Thorough

Where else do you get a history on comics that mentions both Jhonen Vasquez, Harold Gray, Wendy Pini and Carla Speed McNeil? A few movements glossed over during its telling, but perhaps the most thorough history of comics collected in a single volume in its attempt to hit every major movement. It falls apart when it gets to the present, but that story is still being told and its final shape yet to be seen. A high recommend on this one.

Wonderful history

I’m not sure anyone was beating down author Jeremy Dauber’s door begging him to write a history of comic books, but he did it! Plus, he did it wonderfully!

Starting from the very beginning of their publishing all the way to mid-Covid era, not a character or subject was left untouched. There are some fascinating eras of the comic industry and how they change and grow with the world around them.

Will this have a wide audience? No, absolutely not. However, this listener is very appreciative of his work.