The Comics: Since 1945

I've felt for a while that the newspaper comic strip is the most ignored form of popular art, rarely looked at critically. While comic books prosper and have gone well beyond the standard superhero format, the comic strip languishes, rarely allowing new and creative strips to break through, while "institutional" strips (those that have not been amusing for years but are institutions, such as Heathcliff or Crock) dominate the paper.In this sense, this book is not very helpful; it is a relatively uncritical appreciation of the comics. Nonetheless, it is an excellent book, a good summary of the major artists and developments in the comics since World War II. All the big strips are here: Garfield, Peanuts, Doonesbury, Calvin & Hobbes, the Far Side and many more, along with plenty of material from bygone eras.This book is around 50% text and 50% comics, so there is plenty of fun stuff to read in either format. For what it is - an appreciative history - it is fantastic. The only flaw is that Walker ignores the comic strips of alternative newspapers, therefore neglecting such important works as Groening's Life in Hell (without which, there would be no Simpsons).For anyone who has ever enjoyed the comics, this book is a great look at the field and a lot of fun.

Blondie, Archie, Nancy, Pogo, Beetle Bailey to Peanuts, Garfield, Mutts and Calvin and Hobbes, here's a lavish, full-color, oversized, hardback, coffee table book celebrating the best part of the newspaper. Comics curator Brian Walker, son of Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey, Hi and Lois), collects the best examples of this much-loved medium over the last half century. Now that the companion volume, The Comics Before 1945, has appeared, Walker's labor of love is complete. Together these inviting volumes offer a compelling tribute to the art of the funny papers. And Amazon's irresistable price is nearly half off retail.

This is the companion volume to The Comics: Before 1945. If you love newspaper comic strips (which generally are not about costumed super heroes), you'll enjoy remembering these strips. Both volumes are loaded with samples. You might even be inspired to look for some reprints of your favorites. Some of the current reprints, especially from IDW Publishing, (The Library of American Comics), featuring Little Orphan Annie, Dick Tracy, Scorchy Smith, etc. have never looked so good.

as described

Do a little light conditioning before reading this book. It is heavy, not in the metaphysical sense just the physical sense. If you are going to grab a book to whack a burglar, this should be the one. With that said, a little too much text and more comics would have been better. This is a good overview, not great but a good historic overview.

This tome covers the comic strips and their creators during the years following the end of WWII in clear, comprehensive depth, categorizing them and offering a plethora of visuals of all the most popular and beloved strips in syndication history...and then some.

The Comics: Since 1945 ...I did glance through it a bit. Looks like it is a very thorough telling of the history of popular comics. Some of it is in color; some of it is B&W. If you are a comic strip fan, pick this up!

I did research about how comics influenced people during WWII and this book was extremely helpful in understanding what the people wanted and needed during this period in history.