ComicsResearch.org

A list of book-length, general studies on the history and criticism of comics genres. Individual book entries may include the book's Table of Contents, on-site reviews, review citations, and links to on-line information. If you'd like to suggest titles or contribute a review of one of these books, please contact us.

NOTE:  indicates a new or revised entry added since May 2, 2008.

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Caricature

• Lent, John A., compiler. Animation, Caricature, and Gag and Political Cartoons in the United States and Canada: An International Bibliography. Forward by Maurice Horn. Bibliographies and Indexes in Popular Culture, Number 3. Westport, CT and London: Greenwood Press, 1994. 417 pp. ISBN 0-313-28681-7 (hc).
• Sardi, Vincent, Jr. Off the Wall at Sardi's. Applause Books, 1999.
• Shikes, Ralph E. and Steven Heller.  The Art of Satire: Painters as Caricaturists and Cartoonists from Delacroix to Picaso.  No place of publication given: Pratt Graphics Center and Horizon P, 1984.  ISBN 0818001410 (hc), 0818001429 (pb).
• Wright, Thomas. A History of Caricature and Grotesque in Literature and Art. ("The orginal text is reprinted from the London edition of 1865 from a copy in the collections of The New York Public Library Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations.") New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1968. 508pp.
• WebLink: CartoonHub: A National Hub for British Cartoons and Caricature: "[Carries] information about cartoon collections both in the United Kingdom and beyond, and about related activities such as conferences, new publications and other activities of interest to the research community."

Crime

• Benton, Mike. 1993. The Illustrated History of Crime Comics (Tatler History of Comics No.5). Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company.

Editorial / Political Cartoons

• Atkinson, Diane. 1997. Funny Girls: Cartooning for Equality. Foreword by Betty Boothroyd. London: Penguin. 105 pp. ISBN 0-14-026699-2.
• Colldeweih, Jack and Kalman Goldstein, eds. 1998. Graphic Opinions: Editorial Cartoonists and Their Art. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. 278pp. Paperback: ISBN-10: 0879727586; ISBN-13: 978-0879727581. Hardcover: ISBN-10: 0879727578; ISBN-13: 978-0879727574. 
• Davidson, Steef. The Penguin Book of Political Comics. Trans. Hester and Marianne Velmans. [Beeldeen Storm: De Ontwikkeling van de Politieke Strip (Amsterdam: Van Gennep, 1976).] Harmondsworth and New York: Penguin Books, 1982.
• Forman, Dr. Maury and David Horsey, eds. Cartooning AIDS Around the World. Foreword by Congressman Jim McDermott; preface by Jerry Robinson and Jens Robinson. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 1992. 123pp. ISBN 0-8403-7600-6 (paper).
  
• Hess, Stephen and Sandy Northrop. Drawn & Quartered: The History of American Political Cartoons. Montgomery, AL: Elliott & Clark Publishing, 1996. 164pp. ISBN 1880216396 (hc). Buy It!
• Lamb, Chris. Drawn to Extremes: The Use and Abuse of Editorial Cartoons in the United States. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004. 281pp. ISBN 023113066X (hc).
• Jordan. Edward J. Politics, Ink: How America's Cartoonists Skewer Politicians, from King George III to George Dubya. Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. 208pp. ISBN 0742536386 (paper). *O*  Buy It!
• Lent, John A., compiler. Animation, Caricature, and Gag and Political Cartoons in the United States and Canada: An International Bibliography . Forward by Maurice Horn. Bibliographies and Indexes in Popular Culture, Number 3. Westport, CT and London: Greenwood Press, 1994. 417 pp. ISBN 0-313-28681-7 (hc).
• Ricci, Michael and Joseph George Szabo, eds. Was It Worth It? A Collection of International cartoons about Columbus and His Trip to America. North Wales, PA: WittyWorld Publications, 1992. 112pp. ISBN 0-9631600-0-1 (paper).
  
• A Sense of Permanence? Essays on the Art of the Cartoon. Celebrating the 21st Anniversary of The Centre for the Study of Cartoons and Caricature. University of Kent at Canterbury: The Centre for the Study of Cartoons and Caricature, 1997. 80 pp. ISBN 1-898094 20 9 (hc).
• Westin, Alan F., ed. and intro. Getting Angry Six Times a Week: A Portfolio of Political Cartoons: 14 Major Cartoonists. Profiles by Albert Roberts and Randall Rothenberg. Boston: Beacon Press, 1979. 160pp. ISBN 0807043788 (hc), 0807043796 (paper). Buy It!
  

Graphic Novels

• Baetens, Jan, ed. The Graphic Novel .  Symbolae Facultatis Litterarum Lovaniensis - Series D - Volume 13.  Leuven: Leuven University Press, 2001. 212 pp.  ISBN 90-5867-109-7 (paper).
• Gravett, Paul. Graphic Novels: Stories to Change Your Life. London: Aurum, 2005. 192pp. ISBN 1845130685 (paper). New York: Collins Design, 2005. ISBN  0060824255 (paper). Author's Website -  Buy It!
• Rothschild, D. Aviva. Graphic Novels: A Bibliographic Guide to Full-Length Comics. Libraries Unlimited, 1995. 245 p. ISBN 1-56308-086-9 (cloth).
• Sabin, Roger. Comics, Comix, & Graphic Novels: A History of Comic Art . London: Phaidon P, 1996. ISBN 0-7148-3008-9.
• Weiner, Stephen.  Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel.  Introduction [sic] by Will Eisner.  New York: NBM, 2003.  66pp.  ISBN 1-56163-367-4 (hc).

Horror

• Barker, Martin.  A Haunt of Fears. London: Pluto Press, 1984. Rpt. Jackson and London: University Press of Mississippi, 1992.
• Benton, Mike. Horror Comics: The Illustrated History (Tatler History of Comics No. 1). Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company.
• Sennitt, Stephen. Ghastly Terror!: The Horrible Story of the Horror Comics. Manchester, UK: Headpress, 1999.

Ligne clair ("clear line")

• WebLink: Wikipedia entry

Manga

• Allison, Anne. Permitted and Prohibited Desires: Mothers, Comics, and Censorship in Japan. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1996. 225 pp. ISBN 0813316987 (hc), 0813331277 (paper).
• Amano, Masanao. Manga Design. Köln: Taschen, 2004. 576pp. ISBN 3822825913 (paper, with DVD).
• Gravett, Paul. Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics. London: Lawrence King / New York: Harper Design International, 2004. 176pp. ISBN 1856693910 (paper). Author's website - Buy It!
• Gresh, Lois H., and Robert Weinberg. 2005. The Science of Anime: Mecha-Noids and AI-Super-Bots. Thunder's Mouth Press. 256pp. ISBN-10: 1560257687; ISBN-13: 978-1560257684 (pb).
• Groensteen, Thierry.  L'Univers des Mangas: Une Introduction à la Bande Dessinée Japonaise . Casterman, 1991?. 144pp.
• Kinsella, Sharon. Adult Manga: Culture and Power in Contemporary Japanese Society . Richmond, Surrey: Curzon, 2000. ISBN 0700710043 (paper). Buy It!
• Lehmann, Timothy R. Manga: Masters of the Art. New York: Collins Design - Harper Collins, 2005. 255pp. ISBN 10: 0060833319, 13: 9780060833312 (pb). Buy It!
• Lent, John A., ed. Illustrating Asia: Comics, Humor Magazines, and Picture Books. Honolulu: University of Hawaii P, 2001. 249pp. ISBN 0824824717 (cloth). Buy It!
• Lent, John A., ed. Themes and Issues in Asian Cartooning: Cute, Cheap, Mad and Sexy. Bowling Green, OH: Popular Press, 1999. 212pp. ISBN 0879727799 (cloth), 0879727802 (paper).  Buy It!
• MacWilliams, Mark W., ed. 2008. Japanese Visual Culture: Explorations in the World of Manga and Anime. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.
• Patten, Fred. Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews. Foreword by Carl Macek. 2004. Stone Bridge Press. 383pp. ISBN-10: 1880656922; ISBN-13: 978-1880656921 (paperback). 
• Schodt, Frederik L.  Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga.   Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge P, 1996.  360pp.  ISBN 088065623X (paper).
• Schodt, Frederik L.  Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics .  Foreword by Osamu Tezuka.  Tokyo, New York, and San Francisco: Kodansha International, 1983.  ISBN 0870115499 (cloth).
• WebLink: Anime and Manga Research Circle discussion list
• WebLink: JAI2 : The World of Frederik L. Schodt, with much information on manga.
• WebLink: Kyoto International Manga Museum, including extensive English-language information. See also Christopher Butcher's review, with photos, at Comics212.
• WebLink: Mechademia: "academic journal for writing about anime, manga and the 'fan arts,'" published by University of Minnesota Press, edited by Frenchy Lunning.
• WebLink: Online Bibliography of Anime and Manga Research, incorporating the Anime/Manga Web Essay Archive.
• WebLink: Sharon Kinsella Publications, with on-line articles on various aspects of manga and Japanese culture.
• WebLink: Wikipedia entry

On-Line Comics

• WebLink: Comics in the Post-Peanuts Era: by Jason Silverman, Wired, Jun 18, 2001.
• WebLink: See You in the Funny Papers: by Jason Silverman, Wired, Jun 18, 2001.

Political Cartoons (See Editorial Cartoons)

 Romance

• Benson, John. 2007. Confessions, Romances, Secrets and Temptations: Archer St. John and the St. John Romance Comics. Seattle: Fantagraphics. 96pp. ISBN-10: 1560977914; ISBN-13: 978-1560977919 
• Nolan, Michelle. 2008. Love on the Racks: A History of American Romance Comics. McFarland & Company. ISBN-10: 0786435194; ISBN-13: 978-0786435197 (hardcover).
• Robbins, Trina. 1999. From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Women's Comics From Teens to Zines.  San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 0811821994 (paper). 
• WebLink: "Whatever Happened to Romance Comics?" - on-line essay by Matt Thorn.

Science Fiction

• Benton. Mike. Science Fiction Comics: The Illustrated History (Tatler History of Comics No. 3). Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1992.
• Westfahl, Gary. Science Fiction, Children's Literature, and Popular Culture: Coming of Age in Fantasyland. Greenwood Press, 2000. 176pp. ISBN 0313308470 (hc). Buy It!
  

Super Heroes (Superheroes, Super Villains, Supervillains)

• Bell, John. Guardians of the North : The National Superhero in Canadian Comic-Book Art . Ottawa: National Archives of Canada (Canadian Museum of Caricature), 1992. 53 pp.
• Benton, Mike. Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. [Tatler History of Comics No. 4.] Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1992.
• Benton. Mike. Superhero Comics of the Silver Age: The Illustrated History. [Tatler History of Comics No. 2.] Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1991. 224pp. ISBN 0987337466 (hc).
  
• Brewer, H. Michael. Who Needs a Superhero?: Finding Virtue, Vice, and What's Holy in the Comics. Baker Books, 2004. 224pp. ISBN 0801065100. *O*
  
• Brown, Jeffrey A. Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics, and Their Fans. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2001. 232pp.ISBN 1578062810 (cloth), 1578062829 (paper).
• Browne, Ray B. and Marshall W. Fishwick, eds. The Hero in Transition. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green U Popular Press, 1983. 324pp. ISBN: 0879722371 (cloth), 087972238X (paper).
• Bukatman, Scott. Matters of Gravity: Special Effects and Supermen in the 20th Century. Durham: Duke University Press, 2003. 279pp. ISBN 0822331322 (hc). *O*
• Conroy, Mike. 500 Great Comic Book Action Heroes. Foreword by Will Eisner. 376pp. ISBN 0764125818 (paper). Buy It!
• Coogan, Peter. Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre. Introduction by Denny O'Neil. Austin, TX: Monkeybrain Books, 2006. 290pp. ISBN-10: 193226518X, ISBN-13: 9781932265187 (paper).
• Fingeroth, Danny. 2004. Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us about Ourselves and Our Society. New York & London: Continuum. 192pp. ISBN 0826415393 (hardcover); 0826415407 (paper).
  
• Fingeroth, Danny. 2007. Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero. Foreword by Stan Lee. Popular Culture and Television series. New York & London: Continuum. 192pp. ISBN-10: 0826417671; ISBN13: 978-0826417671 (hardcover).
• Garrett, Greg. Holy Superheroes: Exploring Faith and Spirituality in Comic Books. Navpress Publishing Group, 2005. 191pp. ISBN 1576835766 (paper).
• Gifford, Denis. Super Duper Supermen!
• Gresh, Lois H. and Robert Weinberg. The Science of Superheroes. John Wiley & Sons, 2002. 224pp. ISBN 0471024600 (cloth -Buy It!), 0471024600 (paper -Buy It!).
  
• Gresh, Lois H. and Robert Weinberg. The Science of Supervillains. John Wiley & Sons, 2004. 224pp. ISBN 0471482056 (cloth -Buy It!), B0007L871G (ebook -Buy It!).
• Inness, Sherrie A., ed. Action Chicks: New Images of Tough Women in Popular Culture. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. 293pp. ISBN 1403964033 (cloth), 1403963967 (paper). Buy It!
• Jacobs, Will, and Gerard Jones. The Comic Book Heroes: From the Silver Age to the Present . New York: Crown Publishers, 1985. [See Jones for revised edition.]
• Jones, Dudley and Tony Watkins, eds. A Necessary Fantasy?: The Heroic Figure in Children's Popular Culture. (Garland reference library of the humanities; v. 1873 - Children's literature and culture; v. 18.) New York and London: Garland, 2000. 410pp. ISBN 0815318448 (hc). Buy It!
  
• Jones, Gerard. Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence. Foreword by Lynn Ponton, M.D. New York: Basic Books / Perseus, 2002. 261pp. ISBN: 0465036953 (cloth).
  
• Jones, Gerard, and Will Jacobs. The Comic Book Heroes . [Revised edition of Jacobs and Jones, The Comic Book Heroes .] Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1996.
• Kakalios, James. 2005. The Physics of Superheroes. Gotham. 384pp.ISBN 1592401465 (hardcover). Buy It!
• Kaveney, Roz. 2008. Superheroes!: Capes and Crusaders in Comics and Films. London and New York: I.B. Tauris. ISBN-10: 1845115694; ISBN-13: 978-1845115692 (paperback).
• Klock, Jeff. 2002. How to Read Superhero Comics and Why. Continuum. 256pp. ISBN 0826414192 (paper).
  
• Lagerstedt, Ilpo. Supersankarit. Ilmiö amerikkalaisessa sarjakuvassa. Helsinki: Kirjastopalvelu, 1991. ISBN 9516922732.
• McCue, Greg S., with Clive Bloom. Dark Knights: The New Comics in Context . London and Boulder, CO: Pluto Press, 1993.
• Morris, Tom and Matt Morris, eds. Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way. Popular culture and philosophy. Chicago and La Salle, IL: Open Court Publishing Co., 2005. 281pp. ISBN 0812695739 (paper). Buy It!
• O'Neil, Dennis. The Super Comics. New York: Scholastic Book Services, 1980.
• Reynolds, Richard. Superheroes: A Modern Mythology . London: B.T. Batsford, 1992. Rpt. Jackson and London: University Press of Mississippi, 1994.
• Robbins, Trina. The Great Women Superheroes . Northampton, MA: Kitchen Sink Press, 1996. 210pp. ISBN 0878164820 (cloth), 0878164812 (paper).
• Robinson, Lilian. Wonder Women: Feminisms and Superheroes. New York & London: Routledge, 2004. 148pp. ISBN 0415966310 (hc); 0415966329 (paper).
• Rosenberg, Robin, ed. 2008. The Psychology of Superheroes: An Unauthorized Exploration. Psychology of Popular Culture series. Dallas, TX: Benbella Books. 272pp. ISBN-10: 1933771313; ISBN-13: 978-1933771311 (paperback).
• The Rough Guide to Superheroes. Ed. Paul Simpson, Helen Rodiss, and Michaela Bushell. London: Rough Guides/Haymarket, 2004. 320pp. ISBN 1843533863 (paper). Buy It!
• Rovin, Jeff.  Encyclopedia of Superheroes. New York and Oxford: Facts on File, 1985.
• Rovin, Jeff. Encyclopedia of Super Villains. New York and Oxford: Facts on File, 1987. 416pp. ISBN: 081601356X (cloth); 0916018995 (paper).
• Schumer, Arlen. 2003. The Silver Age of Comic Book Art. Collector's Press. ISBN: 1888054867 (hardcover - 192pp.), 1888054859 (softcover - 176pp.).
• Weinstein, Simcha. Up, Up, and Oy Vey!: How Jewish History, Culture, and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero. Leviathan Press, 2006. 164pp. ISBN 1881927326 (paper). *O*
• Wood, Susan. The Poison Maiden & the Great Bitch: Female Sterotypes in Marvel Superhero Comics. Baltimore, MD: T-K Graphics, 1974. Rpt.: Essays on Fantastic Literature no. 5. San Bernardino, CA: The Borgo Press, 1989. 28pp. ISBN 0893705373. Buy It!
• Zimmerman, David A. Comic Book Character: Unleasing the Hero in Us All. InterVarsity Press, 2004. 160pp. ISBN 08308-32602. Publisher's information
  
• WebLink: Golden Age Heroes Directory : By Jess Nevins.
• WebLink: Guardians of the North : National Library of Canada/National Archives of Canada exhibit on Canadian superheroes. In English and French.
• WebLink: Hallmark's Superhero Christmas Ornaments 1993-1997 : Maintained by Mike Rhode. (Comics Stuff #1)
• WebLink: Museum of Black Superheroes : Large and informative site, by Omar Bilal
• WebLink: They Fight Crime! : A nonsense-engine by Andrew Wheeler
• WebLink: We Stand on Guard for Thee : Canadian Comic Book Heroes.

Tijuana Bibles

• WebLink: TijuanaBibles.org : Information and scans of TBs.  18 years old and older site.
  

Underground / Alternative Comix

• Estren, Mark James. 1974. A History of Underground Comics .  San Francisco: Straight Arrow Books. rpt Ronin Publishing, 1993.
• Hatfield, Charles. 2005. Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 1578067189 (hardcover - Buy It!), 1578067197 (paper - Buy It!). Author's website - Publisher's website
• Levin, Bob. 2003. The Pirates and the Mouse: Disney's War Against the Counterculture.  Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books.
  
• Rosenkranz, Patrick. 2002. Rebel Visions: The Underground Comix Revolution, 1963-1975. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books.
• Sabin, Roger, ed. 1999. Punk Rock: So What? The Cultural Legacy of Punk. London and New York: Routledge.
  
• Sabin, Roger, and Teal Triggs, eds. 2002. Below Critical Radar: Fanzines and Alternative Comics from 1976 to Now. Hove: Slab-O-Concrete. Buy It!
• Skinn, Dez. 2004. Comix: The Underground Revolution.  New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.
  
• Willis, Steve. Folkomix: A Catalog of Underground, Newave, and Small Press Comix in the Washington State University Rare Books Collection . Pullman, Wash: Morty Dog Publishing House.
• WebLink: Sir Real's Underground Comix Classix: Catalog, links list, and more.
• WebLink: UnderGround COMIX.INFO: Great resource.
• WebLink: Weirdos and Eightballs: A Report on Adult Comics and Their Readers: by Alistair Strachan. Lengthy essay on the relationship between underground comix and audience.
  

War

• Savage, William W. Jr. 1990. Comic Books and America, 1945-1954 . Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press.
• Savage, William W. Jr. 1998. Commies, Cowboys, and Jungle Queens: Comic Books and America, 1945-1954. Wesleyan. 151pp.Rpt. Comic Books and America, 1945-1954. Not yet seen to confirm if the book contains any additional material. 

Westerns

• Horn, Maurice. 1978. Comics of the American West. South Hackensack, NJ: Stoeger Publishing Company.
• Savage, William W. Jr. 1990. Comic Books and America, 1945-1954. Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press.
• Savage, William W. Jr. 1998. Commies, Cowboys, and Jungle Queens: Comic Books and America, 1945-1954. Wesleyan. 151pp.Rpt. Comic Books and America, 1945-1954. Not yet seen to confirm if the book contains any additional material.

Wordless Comics / Mute Comics / Silent Comics

• Beronä, David A. 2008. Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels. Introduction by Peter Kuper. Abrams.
• WebLink: Stories Without Words: A listing from Michigan State University's Comic Art Collection.
• WebLink: Stories Without Words: A Bibliography with Annotations : Maintained by Michael Rhode, Tom Furtwangler & David Wybenga.  (Comics Stuff #7)