Horror Comics in Black and White: A History and Catalog, 1964-2004


Product Description
In 1954, the comic book industry instituted the Comics Code, a set of self-regulatory guidelines imposed to placate public concern over gory and horrific comic book content, effectively banning genuine horror comics. Because the Code applied only to color comics, many artists and writers turned to black and white to circumvent the Code's narrow confines. With the 1964 publication of Creepy #1 by Warren Publishing, black-and-white horror comics experienced a revival that continued into the early 21st century, marking an important step in the maturation of the horror genre within comics and the comics field as a whole. This generously illustrated work offers a comprehensive history and retrospective of the black-and-white horror comics that flourished on the newsstands from 1964 to 2004. With a catalog of original magazines, complete credits and insightful analysis, it highlights an important but overlooked period in the history of comics.Horror Comics in Black and White: A History and Catalog, 1964-2004 Review
I could not disagree more with G.B. Keefer's review of this book. Had he read the Amazon product description more carefully before purchase he would have taken note of the fact that the book was intended to cover and catalog original Black and White comics magazines only, not reprints. Anyone who is familiar with the Country-Wide Eerie Publications certainly would be aware of the fact that those magazines would most likely not be included here as, although beloved as they are, they (and the other unnamed publications he alludes to as lacking inclusion here) certainly didn't at the time and still don't fit the original magazines description. The prefaces for each chapter are well researched and the checklists for all of the publications are complete, concise and thorough. For those interested in this excellent tome the contents page is included in the Look Inside! option provided by Amazon. Maybe if G.B. had clicked on the Look Inside! link (as I did) first before making his purchase, he would have been forewarned as to what was actually covered and addressed in the book. No less of an authority on this subject, Steven R. Bissette (Swamp Thing, Taboo), provides an enthusiasticly written introduction here (as he did for the Eerie book), and the book is filled with quality cover and interior page scans to give the reader a visual sampling of the material covered. I thoroughly enjoyed this and felt it was well worth every penny asked. It appears to me that Richard J. Arndt (the author) delivered exactly what was asked of him by McFarland. No Disappointment Here, I Assure You!Most of the consumer Reviews tell that the "Horror Comics in Black and White: A History and Catalog, 1964-2004" are high quality item. You can read each testimony from consumers to find out cons and pros from Horror Comics in Black and White: A History and Catalog, 1964-2004 ...

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