Favourite Comics from the Fabulous Fifties

Paul Gravett is giving a talk titled "Favourite Comics from the Fabulous Fifties" at Wokingham Library, Berkshire next week (Thursday 8th September 2011).

'Comics Brainiac' and editor of the forthcoming 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die (which is being published by Cassell in October), Paul will take his audience through a thrilling decade that premiered Dan Dare, Asterix, Dennis the Menace, Marvelman, Astro Boy, Andy Capp and the new Green Lantern.

The event is free, but phone the library to book a place. Full details here

1001 Comics is described as "visually amazing" – a critical history of comic books, manga, and graphic novels and a must-have for any comic buff or collector.

Here's the description:

Over the centuries, comic books and their offshoots, such as graphic novels, manga, and bandes dessinées, have evolved into a phenomenally popular, influential, and unique art form with which we can express our opinions, our fantasies, our nightmares, and our dreams. In short: comics are emphatically no longer just for kids.

This diverse, constantly evolving medium is truly coming into its own in the 21st century, from Hollywood's blockbuster adaptations of super-powered caped crusaders to the global spread of Japan's manga and its spinoffs, and from award-winning graphic novels such as Maus and Persepolis to new forms such as online webcomix. This volume is the perfect introduction to a dynamic and globally popular medium, embracing every graphic genre worldwide to assess the very best works of sequential art, graphic literature, comics, and comic strips, past and present.

An international survey, this engaging volume is organized according to the year of first publication in the country of origin. An opening section acknowledges pioneering pre-1900 masterpieces, followed by sections divided by decade, creating a fascinating year-by-year chronicle of the graphic medium worldwide. The material includes the very earliest one-off albums to the latest in online comics and features some series and characters that have run for decades.

Packed with fantastic reproductions of classic front covers and groundbreaking panels, this book is visually stunning as well as a trove of information--perfect for the passionate collector and casual fan alike. 

With an introduction from Monty Python's Terry Gilliam, it sounds like a book that will cause a lot of debate and maybe it will lead to one of those Channel 4 "Top 100" shows - after all, they're pretty much covered every other aspect of modern culture...

• Paul Gravett's Official web site is at www.paulgravett.com