This is another one of those books I'm recommending to anyone who has the slightest interest in the subject matter. In this case, the subject matter is Joe Kubert, one of the most respected and popular comic book artists of all time. That's Joe you see in the photo at above right, posing with someone named Sergio Aragonés.
Joe got into comics when he was barely a teenager and he was soon hailed as a wunderkind — a guy whose drawing ability left his alleged peers openmouthed with amazement. Alex Toth, on whom many of the same things were said, once remarked, "It was impressive for an artist to be that fast or that good. To be both at the same time just made others red with jealousy." For a long time, Kubert was typed as a "war comics artist," mainly for his work on strips like Sgt. Rock and Enemy Ace, but over the years he drew every kind of adventure comic…with an emphasis on heavy testosterone. He also founded a very successful school for comic artists which can boast a high number of graduates who currently work in the industry.
I enjoyed interviewing Joe a few months ago at Mid-Ohio Con but we only had an hour and many questions went unasked or answered. Fortunately, they're all addressed in a new biography of Joe…Man of Rock by Bill Schelly. Bill, a fine artist himself, is a historian of comics and comic fandom and he has assembled a book worthy of its subject. Above and beyond the factual recital of Joe's long, impressive career, there's a keen understanding of the challenges and changes of the form. It's really an excellent portrait not just of Joe Kubert but of that generation of comic creator and what it took to produce excellent, innovative work over so many decades.
This is one of the best books of its kind and, like I said, if you have the slightest interest in what it's about, you need a copy. You can order one from Amazon by clicking right here.