Comics

Opinions & Analysis

Coming Soon:

• Articles
• Comics Fashion: Where did the "pulp hero" front flap jacket come from?
• Comedy and "queer coding" in Plastic Man
• The Coffee Bean in Spider-Man
• Comics Devices: SSM #64, Cloak and Dagger
• Comics Devices: SSM #72, Waiting for Doctor Octopus
• Character study collages
• Harry Osborn and schizophrenia
• Doc Ock: Year One and transhumanism
• Ultimateverse Jessica Drew and intersexuality

Recs & Reading Lists

• bluef00t's comic recs (2018 edition)
• Adventure pulp recs for the modern reader
• Plastic Man reading list

Theory & History

Links to books and other resources which investigate and explain comics as an art form.

Some books include large color prints and careful page layouts that won't translate as well on a digital screen. I encourage you to ask your library for a copy, but have linked digital versions wherever possible.

Theory & Technique:

• Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (1993) archive.org pdfdrive
• Comics & Sequential Art* by Will Eisner (1985) archive.org pdfdrive
* Some examples in this book contain 1940s-era racial caricatures.
• The Creator's Guide to Comics Devices with Reimena Yee website
• Strip Panel Naked with Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou youtube

History & Reference:

• The Lambiek Comiclopedia with Kees Kousemaker website
• Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics* (1977) archive.org
* Some examples in this book contain 1900s/40s-era racial caricatures.
• Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics (1981) archive.org
• New Smithsonian Book of Comic Book Stories (2004) archive.org