Art Baxter's Bookshelf - Historical Surveys

Books are listed chronologically by original publication date.

THE SMITHSONIAN COLLECTION OF NEWSPAPER COMICS
Edited by Bill Blackbeard and Martin Williams
Smithsonian Institution Press and Harry N. Abrams, Inc (HC)
1977
ISBN: 0-87474-172-6 (HC)
ISBN: 0-8109-2081-6 (SC)
333 pp.

One of the (if not THE) best single books on comics ever published. Thanks to Bill Blackbeard's personal comics collection, tasteful selection and wise editing, this book has never been surpassed. The reproduction quality is excellent. This book should be on your shelf. If I had to pick one book for that desert island, this book would definitely be on the short list. You'll spend hours and hours pouring over it. Covers 1895 to early 1960s.

A SMITHSONIAN BOOK OF COMIC BOOK COMICS
Edited by Michael Barrier and Martin Williams
Smithsonian Institution Press and Harry N. Abrams, Inc
1981
ISBN: 0-8109-0696-1 (HC)
336 pp.

An inferior companion to the NEWSPAPER COMICS volume. A good survey of comics with generally bad reproduction. Handy when first published, almost everything in this book has been reprinted to death with better color and reproduction other places. Almost worth getting just for the five installments of Sheldon Mayer's "Scribbly" with an appearance by Ma Hunkel aka: "the Red Tornado," three "Jingle Jangle Tales" by George Carlson (not reprinted anywhere else) and the four great John Stanley "Little Lulu" stories (which haven't been reprinted in color).

CHRISTMAS COMIC POSTERS
Text and Compilation by Denis Gifford
H. C. Blossom
1991
ISBN: 1-872532-57-8 (SC)
96 pp.

CARTOONS OF THE ROARING TWENTIES
Edited by R. C. Harvey
Fantagraphics Books
Volume 1: 1921-1923
1991
ISBN: 1-56097-051-0 (SC)
72 pp.

CARTOONS OF THE ROARING TWENTIES
Edited by R. C. Harvey
Fantagraphics Books
Volume 2: 1923-1925
1992
ISBN: 1-56097-079-0 (SC)
72 pp.

THE COMIC STRIP CENTURY
Edited by Bill Blackbeard and Dale Crain
Kitchen Sink Press
1995
ISBN: 0-87816-355-7 (Two Hardcovers in Slipcase)
480 pp.

A sumptuous companion two volume set to Blackbeard's earlier SMITHSONIAN collection that somehow pales in comparison. The great reproduction and color are somewhat diminished due to the slick super white paper the book is printed on. Still, a great set to compliment the earlier volume. Covers the one hundred year history of comics: 1895 - 1995.