The Silver Age of Comic Book Art

If you are a fan of the Silver Age of Comics, and you probably are if you belong to this group, and you have not had the opportunity to read Arlen Schumer’s book, The Silver Age of Comic Book Art, drop everything, go to Arlen’s site and place your order. Recently I did just that. At the time I thought I was ordering a book but in fact what I received was a time machine that transported me back to 1967.In 1967 the Silver Age of Comics reached a powerful critical mass in my life. At twelve years old I was able to earn enough at odd jobs to purchase my fill of the captivating titles that were being produced by some of the greatest creators in the history of the medium. On Tuesday and Thursday the local news distributor dropped shipments of magazines to Adams Drug store. While waiting for the indifferent clerks to stock the racks with new magazines, I would eagerly pace the aisles, eyeing the comics held captive in their wire bound bundles.Once the books were on the shelves I could barely wait to purchase my haul. With heart pounding I would quickly scan each page of each book, devouring the art and color but barely reading the story. On my second pass I would read the stories more carefully noting the creators and checking the details of the art. On my third reading I would include every house ad, marketing announcement (Direct Currents/Bullpen Bulletins) text page and letter. The process was thrilling.The Silver Age of Comic Book Art elicited the same response in me. On my initial reading I could barely restrain myself long enough to take in one spectacular double page spread before I had to seize the next. It wasn’t until my third reading that I could settle into a groove and take the time to appreciate every tidbit of text and every nuance of the graphic design.The book is a tours de force. The layout and typography are at once compelling and invisible. Compelling in that the images are a rollercoaster ride of power packed story telling that hit you in the chest with visceral impact. Invisible in that the presentation of the material never intrudes on the material itself.The selection of material is exquisite. Each chapter is carefully, even lovingly, folded into the story to build a picture of the Silver Age that is so true to the tenor of the times that repeatedly, if only for a few seconds at a time, I was there again. The intellectual command of the nature of the impact of that material is extraordinary. The treatment of each of the creators, the giants of the Silver Age or any age of comics’ history, is respectful, even gentle, giving each creator their due without making undue judgement concerning the legacy of that creator.By late 1972 the books had changed, the industry had changed and sadly so had my reactions to it. There were highlights yet to come (Red Nails by Barry Windsor-Smith and Chandler by Jim Steranko are notable) but the medium was never quite the same. As the introduction to the book closes and the author draws the curtain on the Silver Age, I felt that same delicious sadness. It is apparent to me that this work was a labor of love. We are all the lucky beneficiaries of Arlen Schumer’s efforts.

This is not some quickie book thrown together. This author really appreciates the comics he covers and write lovingly about them. Some of the reviewers here completely missed the point of this book which is perfectly served by its layout. The author blows up some panels and highlights part of the art to better convey what was unique about each artist, their style of drawing characters and how they layout the panels on the page. (Please look at the graphics Amazon provides of the book to get an idea). His choice of artist/writers is what you would expect by anyone who knows and loves this era. He covers the giants of this era and he is able to articulate through text and the comic book art why they are exciting and important. And the text is not an afterthought. Very well written and he knows his subject and its proper context.A really inspired choice by the author was the reproduce the colors as you would have seen them on the page if you bought a comic during the period. He does this by retaining the large dots of the half tones from the comics instead of smoothing them out as is typically done for a more expensively printed book. Really, really inspired choice on his part. For this reason, you get to see what the comic book pages looked like when it came out back then which I certainly have never seen anyone do before in a quality book of this type.A used copy of this large colorful book is under $5. The deal of the century as far as I'm concerned. The characters jump off the pages.

The book is wonderful, fast delivery. Thank you.

This is my second go-round with this book that I actually think of as a work of art. I was fortunate enough to pick up the very first printing years and years ago and devoured it greedily back then. It's kept a place on my comics history and analysis shelf ever since. But with this new publishing the opportunity to read it again in it's new format is like discovering it for the very first time. Arlen's complete respect for the mastery of the artists he discusses comes through loud and clear in each section and is reinforced by his very personal afterward and tribute to Superman. He wonderfully weaves his thoughts and reflections with the art of each master so that the integration and blend of his analysis with the art that is his subject becomes a single point of enjoyment...much as comic book art and writing are meant to be a singular experience that is an integration of two art forms into one. His passion, reverence, and expert insight bring new appreciation to art forms that many of us, such as myself, have been enjoying for as much as 50 years. And, yet, through Arlen's text, even self-styled experts such as myself learn to appreciate these Silver Age artists to new degrees and levels that would not be possible without Arlen's writing. Thank you, sir, for this gift to all of us.

I would like to start off by saying the quality of this book is amazing. The paper stock is so thick I it felt like I was turning multiple pages at once. The colors are so vivid as should be on subect matter such as this. Arlen Schumer​ gets right into the history and creation of the greatest stories ever imagined. This is the beginnings of the block buster movies that have ingrained themselves into our modern culture. Come join Arlen as he introduces you to the creators who have illustrated our modern mythologies. Get to know what drove these masters to create such outstanding and outlandish stories. The Dc Comics and Marvel Comics gurus of the Silver Age era are all here. This is a true art history book. A book celebrating the art and the accomplishments of the true heroes, the creators. Anyone interested in becoming a fantasy illustrator should read this book.Randy S Silvia Graphic Artist and Photographer

There’s so much I can say about this book but I’ll try and be brief and concise. Arlen doesn’t just expertly analyse 8 Masters of Silver Age Comic Art he creates a work of art in itself. Each page is brilliantly designed with numerous examples of the artist in question but not in a traditional text & art way but almost like a comic book page itself.Anyone with even a passing interest in comics would enjoy just looking at the pages but of course Arlen, knowing more about the genre than probably anyone else, doesn’t leave it there. His insightful commentary, with an untold number of quotes from industry icons, provides context on each and every page. There’s even room at the end of the book for a brief look at 5 more Masters, all of whom deserve a longer review.So in summary if you’re even slightly interested in Silver Age comics, in particular the art contained therein, buy this book. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Beautiful visuals, great history.The visuals are sumptuous. Major artists of the silver age get their due and then some. The artists own words and intelligent mini essays are integrated into oversize panels that more than do justice to the brilliance of the artists.This is the perfect gift for any serious comic book aficionado (if she or he doesn't already own it).