Never before has graphic storytelling been so prominent or garnered such respect: critics and readers alike agree that contemporary cartoonists are creating some of the most innovative and exciting work in all the arts. For nearly a decade Chute has been sitting down for extensive interviews with the leading figures in comics, and now she offers fans a chance to share her ringside seat. Chute's in-depth discussions reveal a creative community that...

"An exclusive sneak peek inside the creative minds of more than 50 New Yorker cartoonists, celebrating legends and newcomers alike with stunning photography and engaging profiles. For a century, The New Yorker has provided readers with hundreds of thousands of cartoons that humorously (and accurately) encapsulate the cultural happenings in our world. From politics to pop culture, New Yorker cartoonists have found a way to make complex topics digestible...

The world of comic strips always reflected the fashion of the time-- from R.F. Outcault's nightie-clad 'Yellow Kid' to Grace Drayton's 'Campbell Kids'. By the 1920s all the little roly-poly girls depicted in those early strips had grown up, bobbed their curls, and become flappers. Women got the vote in 1920, and suddenly they were equal to the boys-- at least in the voting booth. They smoked and drank bootleg hootch, they shortened their hair and...

"Every superhero has their origin story: a radioactive spider bite turns ordinary teen Peter Parker into Spider-Man, wealthy Tony Stark escapes captivity by building his Iron Man suit, scientist Bruce Banner survives gamma rays only to transform into the Hulk. For Stan Lee, it was books of adventure, monsters, and magic that helped him transform from an ordinary boy to a superstar superhero creator. At first, reading these stories was a pathway to...