Funnybooks

One of the books I most highly anticipate is one I can already heartily recommend: Michael Barrier’s Funnybooks: The Improbable Glories of the Best American Comic Books is set for publication at the end of December.

I had the opportunity to read Mike’s book in manuscript earlier this year and absolutely devoured the history he’s uncovered about the murky, untold story behind the Dell label that was adorned on billions of comic books in the mid-20th century. I’m sure some of his trademark acerbic commentary will outrage fans, but I personally found nothing that caused my eyes to roll.

His comments on the world of publishing rang true to me, especially since I’m deep into work on my own next book. I’m more reminded not of the demand to put Sick Little Monkeys in Kindle form (which really needed to be done in light of the skyrocketing cost of shipping things outside the U.S. that occurred in January 2013), but the losers who whined about my book’s $29.99 pricetag. Good books cost good money, yeah.

I’ll have more to say once I get my copy, because I feel anyone who loves the works of Carl Barks, Walt Kelly, and John Stanley shouldn’t have it spoiled and owes it to themselves to read this book.