HERMES PRESS
BIRTH OF A BEETLE MAGAZINE CARTOONS OF MORT WALKER HC
(W) Bill Janocha (A) Mort Walker (CA) Mort Walker
Mort Walker, the Dean of American Cartooning, left behind a legacy that extended far beyond his Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois fame. For the first time ever, Hermes Press and Bill Janocha (Walker's assistant) present a rare selection of gags and art from Walker's early years, before Beetle-mania took over the world. This historical book contains examples of the work he did prior to Beetle Bailey, and explores the evolution of his style and showcases his many gags, from his early comics in Showme magazine to the work he did for the Saturday Evening Post. This tome also contains historical essays detailing his life and career, up until his death in 2018 as written by Janocha.
DITKO SHRUGGED UNCOMPROMISING LIFE OF THE ARTIST
(W) David Currie
Steve Ditko was the last of a generation of American comic book artists who created powerful modern-day mythology and became among the most influential and original creators of the 20th-century. He co-created Spider-Man along with Stan Lee, but walked away from the character in the 1960s just as it was gaining popularity, never to return, never to give interviews, never to attend conventions or court fame and attention. He died alone at 90, known to the comic book industry as a "cranky recluse." Through his history, the stories of other artists from the same period are examined, from Jack Kirby to Wallace Wood, and how they all fell afoul of a system stacked against them.