Empire of the Superheroes

Empire of the Superheroes PDF Author: Mark Cotta Vaz
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN: 1477321829
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 489

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Book Description
Superman may be faster than a speeding bullet, but even he can't outrun copyright law. Since the dawn of the pulp hero in the 1930s, publishers and authors have fought over the privilege of making money off of comics, and the authors and artists usually have lost. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman, got all of $130 for the rights to the hero. In Empire of the Superheroes, Mark Cotta Vaz argues that licensing and litigation do as much as any ink-stained creator to shape the mythology of comic characters. Vaz reveals just how precarious life was for the legends of the industry. Siegel and Shuster—and their heirs—spent seventy years battling lawyers to regain rights to Superman. Jack Kirby and Joe Simon were cheated out of their interest in Captain America, and Kirby's children brought a case against Marvel to the doorstep of the Supreme Court. To make matters worse, the infant comics medium was nearly strangled in its crib by censorship and moral condemnation. For the writers and illustrators now celebrated as visionaries, the "golden age" of comics felt more like hard times. The fantastical characters that now earn Hollywood billions have all-too-human roots. Empire of the Superheroes digs them up, detailing the creative martyrdom at the heart of a pop-culture powerhouse.

Absolute Ronin

Absolute Ronin PDF Author: Frank Miller
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781401219086
Category : Comic books, strips, etc
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The Ronin, a disgraced samurai from the thirteenth century, is given a chance to regain his honor by avenging the death of his master in a corrupt New York City of the twenty-first century, where he faces Agat, the ancient demon who is his master's killer.

Star Wars Visions: Ronin

Star Wars Visions: Ronin PDF Author: Emma Mieko Candon
Publisher: Random House Worlds
ISBN: 0593358686
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A mysterious former Sith wanders the galaxy in this stunning Star Wars tale, an original novel inspired by the world of The Duel from the Star Wars Visions animated anthology. The Jedi are the most loyal servants of the Empire. Two decades ago, Jedi clans clashed in service to feuding lords. Sickened by this endless cycle, a sect of Jedi rebelled, seeking to control their own destiny and claim power in service of no master. They called themselves Sith. The Sith rebellion failed, succumbing to infighting and betrayal, and the once rival lords unified to create an Empire . . . but even an Empire at peace is not free from violence. Far on the edge of the Outer Rim, one former Sith wanders, accompanied only by a faithful droid and the ghost of a less civilized age. He carries a lightsaber, but claims lineage to no Jedi clan, and pledges allegiance to no lord. Little is known about him, including his name, for he never speaks of his past, nor his regrets. His history is as guarded as the red blade of destruction he carries sheathed at his side. As the galaxy's perpetual cycle of violence continues to interrupt his self-imposed exile, and he is forced to duel an enigmatic bandit claiming the title of Sith, it becomes clear that no amount of wandering will ever let him outpace the specters of his former life.

Empire of the Superheroes

Empire of the Superheroes PDF Author: Mark Cotta Vaz
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN: 1477321829
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 489

Get Book Here

Book Description
Superman may be faster than a speeding bullet, but even he can't outrun copyright law. Since the dawn of the pulp hero in the 1930s, publishers and authors have fought over the privilege of making money off of comics, and the authors and artists usually have lost. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman, got all of $130 for the rights to the hero. In Empire of the Superheroes, Mark Cotta Vaz argues that licensing and litigation do as much as any ink-stained creator to shape the mythology of comic characters. Vaz reveals just how precarious life was for the legends of the industry. Siegel and Shuster—and their heirs—spent seventy years battling lawyers to regain rights to Superman. Jack Kirby and Joe Simon were cheated out of their interest in Captain America, and Kirby's children brought a case against Marvel to the doorstep of the Supreme Court. To make matters worse, the infant comics medium was nearly strangled in its crib by censorship and moral condemnation. For the writers and illustrators now celebrated as visionaries, the "golden age" of comics felt more like hard times. The fantastical characters that now earn Hollywood billions have all-too-human roots. Empire of the Superheroes digs them up, detailing the creative martyrdom at the heart of a pop-culture powerhouse.

Comics through Time [4 volumes]

Comics through Time [4 volumes] PDF Author: M. Keith Booker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313397511
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 2104

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Book Description
Focusing especially on American comic books and graphic novels from the 1930s to the present, this massive four-volume work provides a colorful yet authoritative source on the entire history of the comics medium. Comics and graphic novels have recently become big business, serving as the inspiration for blockbuster Hollywood movies such as the Iron Man series of films and the hit television drama The Walking Dead. But comics have been popular throughout the 20th century despite the significant effects of the restrictions of the Comics Code in place from the 1950s through 1970s, which prohibited the depiction of zombies and use of the word "horror," among many other rules. Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas provides students and general readers a one-stop resource for researching topics, genres, works, and artists of comic books, comic strips, and graphic novels. The comprehensive and broad coverage of this set is organized chronologically by volume. Volume 1 covers 1960 and earlier; Volume 2 covers 1960–1980; Volume 3 covers 1980–1995; and Volume 4 covers 1995 to the present. The chronological divisions give readers a sense of the evolution of comics within the larger contexts of American culture and history. The alphabetically arranged entries in each volume address topics such as comics publishing, characters, imprints, genres, themes, titles, artists, writers, and more. While special attention is paid to American comics, the entries also include coverage of British, Japanese, and European comics that have influenced illustrated storytelling of the United States or are of special interest to American readers.

The Cambridge History of the Graphic Novel

The Cambridge History of the Graphic Novel PDF Author: Jan Baetens
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316771938
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 1315

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Book Description
The Cambridge History of the Graphic Novel provides the complete history of the graphic novel from its origins in the nineteenth century to its rise and startling success in the twentieth and twenty-first century. It includes original discussion on the current state of the graphic novel and analyzes how American, European, Middle Eastern, and Japanese renditions have shaped the field. Thirty-five leading scholars and historians unpack both forgotten trajectories as well as the famous key episodes, and explain how comics transitioned from being marketed as children's entertainment. Essays address the masters of the form, including Art Spiegelman, Alan Moore, and Marjane Satrapi, and reflect on their publishing history as well as their social and political effects. This ambitious history offers an extensive, detailed and expansive scholarly account of the graphic novel, and will be a key resource for scholars and students.

The Ronin's Mistress

The Ronin's Mistress PDF Author: Laura Joh Rowland
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1429973862
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
The Ronin's Mistress is a brilliant new twist on the fabled tale of the 47 Ronin, from Laura Joh Rowland--an author with "a painter's eye for the minutiae of court life [and] a politician's ear for intrigue." (The New York Times). Japan, 1703. On a snowy night, 47 warriors murder the man at the center of the scandal that turned them from samurai into masterless ronin two years before. Clearly this was an act of revenge--but why did they wait so long? And is there any reason they should not immediately be ordered to commit ritual suicide? Sano Ichiro, demoted from Chamberlain to his old post as Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People, has mere days to solve the greatest mystery of samurai legend--while his own fortunes hang in the balance.

Anime Classics Zettai!

Anime Classics Zettai! PDF Author: Brian Camp
Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
ISBN: 1611725194
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
For anime connoisseurs, beginners, and the curious, the best of the best!

The Demon's Sire

The Demon's Sire PDF Author: Kristin Stefanos
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1304617734
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 394

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Book Description
"It is a tremendous act of violence to begin anything." -Rainer Maria Rilke Alexandra Drakis lives in a vicious and uncertain world. After all, being the personal food supply to the sadistic vampire king is bound to present a few challenges. But no matter how much she tries not even the reigning queen of calamity can control and predict everything. Every once in awhile the universe decides it's time to test the mettle of sanguinem and vampires alike. To remind everyone of the eternal truth: creation is a leap into the unknown with the potential for untold joy or unspeakable destruction. Too bad the outcome remains unforeseen until it's far too late.

Promise to Defend

Promise to Defend PDF Author: Diana Gardin
Publisher: Hachette+ORM
ISBN: 1455571555
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
"No one does Romantic Suspense like Diana Gardin. I was rooting for Ronin and Olive from the very first page." -- Susan Stoker, New York Times bestselling author A sexy and suspenseful standalone in the Rescue Ops series. By saving her, he might just save himself... I'm broken. I have been for seven years. Ever since my wife was murdered while I was deployed overseas. I was protecting our country, but I should have been protecting her. I haven't looked at another woman since--but then Olive Alexander crossed my path. She stirs up feelings I thought were long dead. So when her house is ransacked after she receives a threatening message, I know I have to step in and keep her safe. I failed my wife, but I won't fail Olive. Unfortunately, Olive isn't exactly ready to accept my help... With her sexy-as-sin pencil skirts and sleek ponytails, Olive clearly doesn't let anything--or anyone--mess up her perfectly ordered life. But years spent working as a special ops soldier has taught me how to read people... and I know Olive is hiding something. When my covert mission for Night Eagle Security collides with Olive's past, I'll have to get her to open up--or risk losing her. And losing Olive is not an option. If she's in danger, I'll defend her...even if it costs me my life.

Mirror of Opposition

Mirror of Opposition PDF Author: T.S. Robinson
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1462809030
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Mirror of Opposition chronicles the physical, mental and spiritual maturation of three adolescent boys who begin their journey as friends training to become samurai warriors at a prestigious dojo. Along the way, their paths soon split apart after an ancient evil destroys all that they know, putting them on their own soul-searching journeys (one alive, one dead, and one undead) to manhood. Eventually, their supernatural paths cross again as they are reunited during an epic battle that will ultimately pit their childhood friendships against everything they have come to know and stand for as men.