Comic History

Forget dusty textbooks and noble senators. The real history of Rome is a chaotic, blood-soaked circus of power-crazed maniacs, backstabbing politicians, and enough megalomaniacs in togas to outfit a farce.

Experience history as a glorious and uproarious comedy of errors. Murderers, schemers, traitors, fools, thieves, oligarchs, and torturers make up the real history of Britain's "nobility" and their misdeeds, this Victorian bestseller was written by one of the founders of Punch narrated with wicked wit by Charles Featherstone.

Starting with the Civil War and cartoonist Thomas Nast, creator of the lasting images of Uncle Sam and Santa Claus, author Jeremy Dauber whizzes listeners through the progress of comics in the 20th century and beyond. Follow the history from the golden age of newspaper comic strips - Krazy Kat, Yellow Kid, Dick Tracy - to the midcentury superhero boom - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman - and from the moral panic of the Eisenhower era to the underground comix movement; from the grim and gritty Dark Knights to the graphic novel’s rise.

In celebration of 90 years of DC comes a thrilling and immersive audio production adapting super fan and writer Mark Waid’s comprehensive New History of the DC Universe, turning back time to the very beginning of it all. Narrated by Barry Allen/The Flash, this exciting audio adaptation of the...

The defining, behind-the-scenes chronicle of one of the most extraordinary, beloved, and dominant pop cultural entities in America’s history -- Marvel Comics – and the outsized personalities who made Marvel including Martin Goodman, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby. “Sean Howe’s history of...

This work dissects the origin and growth of superhero comic books, their major influences, and the creators behind them. It demonstrates how Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and many more stand as time capsules of their eras, rising and falling with societal changes, and reflecting an amalgam of influences. The book covers in detail the iconic superhero comic book creators and their unique contributions in their quest for realism, including Julius Schwartz and the science-fiction origins of superheroes.

Step right up for the most uproariously irreverent chapter of Gilbert Abbott A’Beckett’s Comic History of England—where crowns are comedy props and history’s biggest egos trip over their own dogma!

Prepare for the most uproariously grim tour of Tudor England ever recorded! Gilbert Abbott A'Beckett's classic satire skewers the so-called "golden age" of English monarchy, revealing the Tudors as they truly were: a parade of tyrants, schemers, and royal disasters who treated their subjects like pawns in a deadly game of power.

From the best-selling author of Londoners, a symphony of contemporary New York in the magnificent words of its people. Terror Blackout Hurricane Recession Pandemic A symphony of contemporary New York told through the magnificent words of its people - from the best-selling author of Londoners. In...

The groundbreaking biography of Booker Prize-winning novelist and art historian Anita Brookner, from one of our leading literary biographers. Hermione Lee reveals the full story of a brilliant, idiosyncratic and complex woman and goes deep into Anita Brookner’s marvellous work in all its...

Bloomsbury presents Pablo and Splash: Viking Voyage by Sheena Dempsey, read by Nigel Pilkington and Hollie Taylor Time-travelling penguins Pablo and Splash are on board a Viking longship in this hilarious graphic novel audiobook! Fans of Bunny vs Monkey or InvestiGATORS will love it. 'You'll...

In the third drily hilarious volume of A Comic History Of England, we move forward to the thirteenth century, when a succession of Edwards and Henrys gain the throne and immediately use it to steal everything they can from the population, in order to fund attempts to conquer France (or pay their debts from conquering England). Along the way we get the fabled Black Prince, one of the greatest battles in English history, a queen far more powerful than her king or sons, and a consideration of the manners and condition of the English period up to this point in the history.

Step into the madcap medieval world of A Comic History of England, Book IV, where Gilbert Abbott à Beckett turns the tumultuous era of Henry IV to Richard III into a sidesplitting spectacle!

The second in an uproarious, sardonic and incisive look through English history. In this volume, we discover the actions of the Normans and King Richard, giving clear reasons why we history should hold them in nothing but contempt. It also covers the signing of the Magna Carta, the first bill of rights in England, which came about because a powerless king tried to go to war, realised that he had no-one behind him, and was bullied into signing in order to not simply be executed.

A captivating, uproarious and informative journey through the beginnings of British history. Gilbert Abbott à Beckett was one of the great journalists of his time, being a descendant of Thomas Becket who edited Figaro, was a founder member of Punch, and wrote for The Times, The Morning Herald, and The Illustrated London News. He also wrote around fifty plays, as well as two operas, and is best known for this history of England.

Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, the Avengers, the X-Men, Watchmen, and more: the companion volume to the PBS documentary series of the same name that tells the story of the superhero in American popular culture. Together again for the first time, here come the greatest...

This well focused and perceptive analysis of a phenomenon in our popular culture - the new respectability of the comic book form - argues that the comics medium has a productive tradition of telling true stories with grace and economy. It details vividly the outburst of underground comics in the late 1960s and '70s, whose cadre of artistically gifted creators were committed to writing comic books for adults, an audience they made aware that comic books can offer narratives of great power and technical sophistication.

Doc Savage is the prototype of the modern fictional superhero. The character exploded onto the scene in 1933, with the Great Depression and the gathering clouds of war as a cultural backdrop. The adventure series is examined in relation to historical events and the changing tastes of readers, with special attention paid to the horror and science fiction elements. The artwork features illustrations, covers, and original art. Chapters cover Doc Savage paperbacks, pulp magazines, comic books, and fanzines, and an appendix offers biographies of all major contributors to the series.

Monsters from mythology finally get to tell their side of the story, in this hilarious illustrated series for fans of Loki, Horrible Histories and Pamela Butchart. Medusa’s got a really bad reputation. Just because she’s got snakes for hair and her eyes turn people to stone, everyone thinks...

Join creators, writers, and comics legends as they discuss the impact of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther in this wonderful collection of essays Marvel Studios’ Black Panther has become more than just a movie—it has shaped conversations about art, culture, science fiction, representation...