Classics Illustrated - by William Bryan Jones (Paperback)

About the Book

" In its expanded third edition, this definitive work on Classics Illustrated explores the enduring series of comic-book adaptations of literary masterpieces in even greater depth, with twice the number of color plates as in the second edition. Drawing on interviews, correspondence, fanzines, and archival research, the book covers in full detail the work of the artists, editors, scriptwriters, and publishers who contributed to the success of the "World's Finest Juvenile Publication." Many previously unpublished reproductions of original art are included, along with new chapters covering editor Meyer Kaplan, art director L.B. Cole, and artist John Parker, and a complete issue-by-issue listing of significant international series"--

Book Synopsis

In its expanded third edition, this definitive work on Classics Illustrated explores the enduring series of comic-book adaptations of literary masterpieces in even greater depth, with twice the number of color plates as in the second edition. Drawing on interviews, correspondence, fanzines, and archival research, the book covers in full detail the work of the artists, editors, scriptwriters, and publishers who contributed to the success of the "World's Finest Juvenile Publication." Many previously unpublished reproductions of original art are included, along with new chapters covering editor Meyer Kaplan, art director L.B. Cole, and artist John Parker; additional information on contributions from Black artists and scriptwriters such as Matt Baker, Ezra Jackson, George D. Lipscomb, and Lorenz Graham; and a complete issue-by-issue listing of significant international series.

Review Quotes

"Interviews, behind-the-scenes secrets revealed and correspondence all combine to give a wide-stroke history of the publisher that introduced classic literature to several generations."--Boyce McClain's Collector's Corner; "Jones is a fluid, captivating writer who understands words and the connotations that haunt them...exhaustive."--Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

About the Author

William Bryan Jones, Jr., is the author of Petit Jean: A Wilderness Adventure; the editor of Robert Louis Stevenson Reconsidered: New Critical Perspectives; and a contributor to The Oxford Handbook of Adaptation Studies and Icons of the American Comic Book. He has written introductions for more than 100 reissued titles in the revived Classics Illustrated and related series.