Comic Book Culture – Ron Goulart – Collectors Press

Comic Book Culture: An Illustrated History is a misleading title for this visual celebration of comics’ Golden Age (mid-1930s through the 1940s) as it is neither an overview of comic book history nor a study of its culture. In the introduction, Goulart states that this is “basically a picture book,” and as such, it is tons of fun. More than 400 covers feature an overwhelming array of both still-beloved and long-forgotten heroes, as well as luridly drawn, often racist villains, gorgeous damsels in distress, and even, occasionally, a jungle queen. The art is often striking and the colors brilliant, much of it by legends in the field that include Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Lou Fine, Jack Cole, Alex Schomburg, and Bill Everett. Goulart, the author of over 160 books, including 50 sf and 20 mystery novels, has written more comprehensively on comic book history with The Encyclopedia of American Comics (LJ 1/91). Likewise, The World Encyclopedia of Comics (LJ 11/1/98) does a better job detailing comics’ evolution. However, Goulart more than meets his goal here, offering intriguing details of a rich period that, sadly, comic books will never enjoy again.DChris Ryan, New Milford, NJ
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