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By Wayne Markley
This time out I want to go over the books from a single publisher. Well packager really, as the books are published by IDW but the man behind them is Craig Yoe. I will be the first to admit it is kind of silly to review a series of books that are not related other than Mr. Yoe has put them together and all of them are sort of related to comic books. One would not review a large ranging set of books about different books only because they are published by random house or a series of books about different subjects because they all are edited by Andrew Helfer. but I think the one thing that justifies this review of this odd and diverse group of books is the high quality of each and every one of these books. Admittedly not all are my cup of tea, but there is no denying the love and caring that Mr. Yoe puts into each book. and I am sure at least one of these books will appeal to any individual reading this column.
Dick Briefer’s Frankenstein
First off is Dick Briefer’s Frankenstein. This is a collection of Dick Briefer’s classic Frankenstein strip. In the history of the strip, Dick Briefer went from producing a true horror strip to a humor tinged strip. all of the stories are excellent, if for different reasons. This book not only collects stories from both periods of this Frankenstein series, but it is also packed with background stories and art that are little known or have never been revealed before. This book is a great read for horror fans or comic historians. I can say this interpretation is unlike any Frankenstein you will ever read anywhere else. and this is the only collection that you have any chance of ever finding. (There was another collection of different stories from a small publisher a number of years ago but it is very hard to find and the quality is not very good.)
Dan DeCarlo’s Jetta
Next we have a hardcover collection of Dan DeCarlo’s Sci-Fi good girl art book Dan DeCarlo’s Jetta. Jetta was a comic that ran only three issues in the 1950’s but those three issues were great. This is clearly a homage/tribute/rip-off of Betty and Veronica set in space. It is just a fun teenage strip with beautiful art by Dan DeCarlo with normal teenage wacky stories. As a benefit Yoe has gone out had modern artists do their interpretation of Jetta and her gang which is a very great companion to DeCarlo’s art from the 1952. and there is a very good introduction and history of the character by Yoe himself.
Complete Milt Gross Comic books & Life Story
The complete Milt Gross Comic book and Life story is just what the title says. It is a hardcover collection of the comic books of the highly underrated Milt Gross. Milt Gross was a cartoonist who was an influence on everyone from Bob Clampett to Robert Crumb. a lot of of the comics reprinted here are from the 1930s and 1940s and they show a sense of whimsy and fun that you nearly never see in modern comics. You get to see a whole different style of comics that have not been seen in 50 years, and what is genuinely amazin, is even after 50s years these stories are still entertaining and funny. What makes this book even better, is it is over 350 pages and Yoe fills the comics with a fascinating history of Milt Gross from his back ground and life story to his influences. as with the Frankenstein book, this is a great history book as well as a great read due to the material reprinted within.
Golden Treasury of Klassic Krazy Kool kids Komics
Golden Treasury of Krazy Kool Klassic Kid’s Komics is over 300 pages of stories and pages of kids comics from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. like the Milt Gross collection, this hardcover exposes you to a long-lost style of comic book storytelling where comics were done for kids and yet were entertaining. all of these stories are in full color and are great reading for adults or kids. Contributors in this volume include Dr. Suess, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Walt Kelly, Sheldon Mayer and many, many, more. It is a mix of superheroes, fairy tales, and funny animals and is well worth your time to check it out.
Popeye: great Comic book Tales by Bud Sagendorf
One of the great characters of all time (even though in recent history he has fallen in popularity) is Popeye. While Fantagraphics has been doing an fantastic job of reprinting the comic strip that was the inspiration for the cartoons that lots of of us grew up on, Mr. Yoe has put out a book about the equally as good, but lesser known, Popeye comic books by Bud Sagendorf in Popeye: great Comic book Tales by Bud Sagendorf. as with all of Yoe’s books, this collection is filled with the best of the comics as well as thorough history behind the comics and Bud Sagendorf’s background and history. These comics are as good as the classic newspaper strips or cartoons and this book is a welcome introduction to a long over-looked part of Popeye history.
Art of Steve Ditko
I have praised the Art of Steve Ditko in the past and I will only mention it in passing here. This is over 200 pages of great Steve Ditko material, nearly all of which pre-dates his work on Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. It is a fascinating insight to his early work and how it would eventually become one of the defining styles of the marvel Universe. If a collection of never-before-seen or rarely seen Ditko is not worth the price of this book, then the history and design work is well worth the price.
Felix the Cat: The great Comics book Tails
The final two books I want to look at are both immensely entertaining, and have in common their origins in children’s comics yet they’re best for adults and both books are undoubtedly put together with pure love of the characters. first up is Felix the Cat: The great Comics book Tails. This is a collection of the rarely seen Felix the cat comic book stories by Otto Messmer. While reading these strips are often like being on drugs as they are so surreal and off the standard storytelling road, they are also so fascinating and well done it is impossible to put the book down. as with the Popeye book, these Felix stories owe a great deal to their cartoon predecessors.
Archie: A celebration of America’s favorite Teenagers
Archie: A celebration of America’s favorite teenagers is a huge book filled with everything Archie, from comic book stories, original art, tons of merchandise, and a lot of of all a loving and sincere history of the Archie and his Pal’s and Gals. In reading this book you realize how much Archie has been a part of American culture and has reflected that culture for so long. There is so much a lot more to these fun stories than just hanging at Pop Tate’s for a soda, and this book filled with pictures and history shows just how crucial the whole world of Archie is. (As an aside, for a lot more great Archie material check out Dark Horse’s reprinting of all the Archie material in the Archie Archives.)
In addition to being a very talented designer, Craig Yoe undoubtedly has a great passion for comic books and pop culture. These books are filled with information and stories that are little known or not known at all. So by reading them you not only get an education but you get to read about a forgotten history of comic books. As I said in the opening, while all of these may not appeal to you, I am sure there is at least one book here that any reader of this column would enjoy. and I hope you give one a try. As always, everything I have written here is my opinion and does not reflect the opinions or thoughts of Westfield Comics. Please feel complimentary to send comments or arguments to MFBWAY@AOL.COM.
Thank You.