Superman comics antigay writer faces backlash from major. The caped crusade audiobook cd columbus metropolitan. Weldon studio is an independent comic group, working to bring pulp stories from a world of hard men, tough women, frontier wilderness, myth, magic and adventure to the comic book page. It works because the author ties everything together by constantly referring back to. Its free comic book day once again, so here we are, so here you are, and here i am, for i think the 12th time. Weldon currently writes for the npr arts desk and is a panelist on the podcast pop culture happy hour pchh with stephen thompson and linda holmes in his work, weldon often draws on his life experience as a. Im a regular panelist on nprs pop culture happy hour podcast and i contribute to nprs pop culture blog monkey see my second book,the caped crusade.
Fans of steel can take an indepth look at the history and cultural impact of everyones favorite hero with this. He reveals how this cultural icon has been continuously transformed, not just by time but by his travels through a variety of media, including. May 07, 2020 okay, people have been asking for recommendations ever since the show started on what to read and where to get them. Every year for the past four decades, comic book fans dressed as comic congoers flaunt their geek credentials new hampshire public radio skip to main content.
The unauthorized biography, released just in time for the big guys 75th birthday, feels like hanging out at a local bar, shooting the breeze with a friend who knows a shitton about superman. Hardcore superman fans will find little that surprises them in this book, but weldon has done a great job of digging to find all manner of supesrelated material, from the first issue of action. Im pretty sure that the series is geared towards more of a yaaudience, which i was both surprised and delighted when the story quickly went from outcast teenage. Free comic book day 2019 features an amazing selection of comic book titles for the industrys. The unauthorized biography, nprs resident comic book expert, glen weldon, tells the life story of the worlds first, and still the most popular, superhero, from his creation to the present. Comics worth reading independent opinions, news, and. The caped crusade batman and the rise of nerd culture audiobook cd. He covers pop culture and comics for npr and joins me now. Freelance writer glen weldon wrote on npr that the cardpenned comic. This inspired me to look up the comic book stores around me on the free comic book day website. Panel judge glen weldon is on record as loving this book.
The caped crusade book by glen weldon official publisher. But when i saw what the comic book industry was doing to them, i think i liked it a little less. Comiccon fans continue the epic battle between science. Glen weldon s book is a roaring getaway car of guilty pleasures film gossip, comic book esoterica, tales of nerd rage for more than batfans. I love nonfiction comics, particularly those that manage to both educate and entertain. Written by glen weldon, an npr comics writer and cohost of the pop culture happy hour podcast, superman is at its best when weldon is digging into the adjustments made to the character to fit each era. Its a deep dive into the history of the character, but i hope its more than that. So theres no better time to stop, relax, take a breath and read npr critic glen weldon s history of batman, the caped crusade, which also landed tuesday and is our second pick for geek book. Weldon s book, to stay within a theme, hangs between a historical look at the characters comic book origins, a healthy discourse on the adam west series from.
Theyll very likely be able to make recommendations in line with your. In this book glen weldon takes a look at supermans history and how he went from a comic book character to a cultural icon. I mean, if this guy is so handsome, so rich, and so strong, why the fuck is he putting on a batsuit. A witty, intelligent cultural history from npr book critic glen weldon explains. Batman and the rise of nerd culture, npr book critic glen weldon charts the many ways fans relate toand interpretthe dark knight. A graphic adaptation of a novel like fahrenheit 451 is more than just an illustrated version of the original. A celebration of comic books by the women who love them was coedited by panelteer sigrid ellis and contains work by sigrid, jennifer smith, and caroline pruett. Glen weldon quotes quotable quote i always had trouble with the bruce wayne in the comic book, burton said. A checklist for the comics agnostic by glen weldon april 28, 2010 posted by. Affectionate, indepth analyses of the heros most beloved adventures, in and out of the comics his most iconic golden age tales, goofiest silver age exploits, and the contemporary film, television, and comics stories that keep him alive today written by npr book critic, blogger, and resident comic book expert, glen weldon. Glen weldon contained within this hardcovers 332 pages is the complete history of the man of steel, from his birth, by jerry siegel and joe shuster, through the tough times of the 1950s, his hollywood fame of the 1970s and 80s, his death and resurrection in the 1990s and finally ending with his recent reboot in the early. Glen weldon is a regular panelist on nprs pop culture happy hour podcast. I was listening to pop culture happy hour for the billionth time, as is my wont i promise, a post about this is coming, and it was an old one in which glen weldon mentioned free comic book day. The caped crusade details the cultural history of batman.
Mar 18, 20 three books to read after the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay by michael chabon kim ukura mar 18, 20 michael chabons pulitzer prizewinning novel the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay was number 45 on the list of book riot readers favorite novels nestled right in between middlesex by jeffrey eugenides and dune by frank. I also read the fiction short stories in the refrigerator monologues by catherynne m. I love a good deep dive and this certainly delivers. Stan lee, the energetic editor who would shepherd the company through thick and thin for decades. This years announcement of silver sponsor comics includes such great titles as. This is the batman narrative that now permeates the culturethe narrative that doesnt like nobody touching its.
Glen weldon booksmart beanie feldstein is a force of nature as a high school overachiever who, on the eve of her graduation, begins to wonder if she needed to work so hard. Batman and the rise of nerd culture by glen weldon. Why batman is the ultimate lightning rod for nerd rage wired. The unauthorized biography, 20, npr panelist and popculture critic weldon comprehensively charts the nearly 80year history of batman through facts, opinions, interviews, visits to comic con, and. Nprs list of 100 favorite comics is pretty good the beat.
Oct 15, 2019 by glen weldon is there any other comic book character more iconic and popular than batman. What is it about costumed superheroes that we love so much. Mark evanier, commenting on the observation by howard chaykin that gil kane, joe kubert, carmine infantino and other dc artists regarded each other with distaste, frequently bordering on genuine loathing. Golden age superman color by riddsorensen on deviantart. Weldon documents how supermans persona shifted again in the 1960s and early 1970s as his middleaged writers started chasing the nations emergent youth culture, unintentionally turning him into our bemused, outof. Next month, there will be even more of their humorous history to enjoy. Glen weldon has been a theater critic, a science writer, an oral historian, a writing teacher, a bookstore clerk, a movie usher, a pr flack, an inept marine biologist, and a slightlybetterthanept competitive swimmer. Recurring readers know that im a big proponent of exposing kids to comic books and graphic novels, but, as ive complained about before, most comic books arent designed in a way to make them accessible to developing readers. It turns out we have more independent comics shops. Read glen weldons full recommendation tom barbash is a master of the intriguing first sentence. Michael chabons pulitzer prizewinning novel the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay was number 45 on the list of book riot readers favorite novels nestled right in between middlesex by jeffrey eugenides and dune by frank herbert the book tells the story of two young men, joe kavalier, a jewish artist who has smuggled himself out of poland after a nazi invasion using his. As we mentioned earluer today, nprs glen weldon has organized aa titanic survery to name the 100 favoritee graphic novels. Apr 10, 20 glen is nprs goto comic book geek and in this comprehensive book, he takes the reader from 1938 when joe shuster and jerry siegel created superman to today. The chapters walk the reader through the changes that occurred with the character in each decade, all the movies, television shows superman, superboy and cartoons, newspaper strips.
The unauthorized biography shows how the man of steel has changed through the years and how different generations have interpreted him, and how the character has endured despite some questionable creative decisions. Weldon recommendations on free comic book day free comic book day. I think i liked the comics industry a little less cbr. I thought fred van lente and ryan dunlaveys action presidents.
With the same gusto that characterized his debut superhero portrait superman. Confessions of a comic book guy christmas for geeks. And this year, several of these panels are devoted to the same issue the interplay of. Reeves superman was more fatherly than his comic book counterpart, a quality that promptly leached into the comics as well. He has written for publications such as the washington post, the new york times, slate, the atlantic, and mcsweeneys. Weldon is more interested in cultural reactions to batman, such as the gay stuff, as he jokingly calls it. Read an excerpt from fahrenheit 451 in graphic novels, the art takes over a lot of the work from the writing. Free comic book day 2019 full list of comic books announced. There are over a thousand panel sessions at comic con every year where attendees gather for a q and a with their favorite author, a behindthescenes peek at the craft of comic book making or a discussion of some nerdy academic topic. The resurgence of comic book characters has taken the country by storm for more than a decade. Thats the focus of glen weldon s new book, the caped crusade. A passionate, precise documentation of batmans legacy and enduring popularity among nerds and normals alike. Want to learn more, you can purchase our comic books online at our comic shop.
Batman, this childrens character who dresses up in a costume to effect the change he wishes to see in the world via face punching, is serious. The 1940s and 50s saw increased scrutiny of comic books during a fervid species of. Glen weldon is an american writer, cultural critic, and podcaster. The caped crusade takes an in depth look at the batman and. Comic book store owners have said they wont sell his superman comic. This is either the previous amazon price or the list price. Feb 20, 20 glen weldon on lgbt characters in graphic novels there are an increasing number of lgbt characters in mainstream superhero comics but visibility isnt everything. A visual guide to the comic book universe by tim leong. Why batman is the ultimate lightning rod for nerd rage ron phillipswarner bros. May 05, 2014 and lastly, i picked up courtney crumrin because it was one of glen weldons recommendations and because, as netflix would put it, i enjoy entertainment with strong female leads. The best audiobooks for comic geeks indepth analyses of your favorite characters, behindthescenes biographies of creators, and pulitzerwinning fiction theres something on this list for every flavor of comic book fan. Batman and the rise of nerd culture by glen weldon, out now from simon and schuster lets get one thing absolutely clear.
Ellen silva designed by juan elosua, geoff hing, katie park and matthew zhang published dec. The unauthorized biography by glen weldon is a nonfiction book chronicling the fictional history of the man of steel in comic books, radio, tv, theater, music and movies. I was surprised at how much i enjoyed listening to a history of batman and comic books. Npr book critic glen weldon explores 75 years of supermans history, his rise to cultural superstardom, and how fighting for truth, justice, and the american way has changed over the years in superman. A witty, intelligent cultural history from npr book critic glen weldon explains batmans rises and falls throughout the ages, and what his story tells people about themselves. For the first time, marvel comics reveals the outsized personalities behind the scenes, including martin goodman, the selfmade publisher who forayed into comics after a getrichquick tip in 1939. Theyll very likely be able to make recommendations in line with your tastes. My son, rajiv, is sleeping with a student from my dante class. Check out our favorite books from 2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009. The heros evolution is the subject of a new book, superman.
Weldon is a contributor to nprs podcast pop culture happy hour. Comics by scott mccloud the tencent plague by david hajdu comics and sequential art by will eisner. Jan 14, 2015 comic book recommendations chris pirillo plays. Confessions of a comic book guy is a weekly column by steve bennett of superfly comics and games in yellow springs, ohio.
This book has a lot of scope, covering comics, radio, tv, and film, from the origin of the comic up to, but not including, the movie man of steel. Comic book fans are known for their strong opinions, but one hero in particular seems to inspire more passionate. Nprs goto comic book geek, glen weldon, recounts supermans story from. I just finished reading the audiobook of the caped crusade. From the printed page to the silver screen, batman has gone through countless eras, but our love for the dark knight has remained constant. Dec 05, 2017 nprs book concierge our guide to 2017s great reads. Dragon balls most disappointing saiyan is spoiler which makes no. Produced by nicole cohen, rose friedman, petra mayer and glen weldon executive producer. After 75 years, an untarnished reputation for americas. Well, i put together a list about two years ago of my recommendations and then a month or two afterwards dc announced its big reboot and so a lot of my recommendations became obsolete, a continual problem due to the nature of monthly comic books getting cancelledrelaunchedetc.
In its lesssuccessful moments, however, it can feel like reading an especially extended encyclopedia entry on the hero, one thats become so exhaustive, its exhausting. Theyll very likely be able to make recommendations in line with. His work has appeared in the new york times, the washington post, the new republic, slate, the atlantic, the village voice, the philadelphia inquirer, and many other places. You cant go anywhere on the internet without running into batman somewhere. Glen weldon is a contributor to nprs pop culture blog monkey see, where he posts weekly about comics and comics culture. For thousands of superfans, new york comic con is the most wonderful time of the year.
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