Leaping Tall Buildings The Origins of American

Somearemildmanneredgeeks，othersmadgeniusesorstreet-smartcitydwellersdriventoaction.ThesearethemenandwomenbehindthemasksandtightsofAmerica’smostbelovedsuperheroes.Butthesearen’tthestoriesoftheheroes’hiddenalteregosorsecretidentities…thesearethestoriesoftheircreators!LeapingTallBuildings：TheOriginsofAmericanComicsgivesyouthetruthaboutthehistoryoftheAmericancomicbook—straightfromtherevolutionaryartistsandwritersbehindthem.FromthefoundersofthepopularcomicswebsiteGraphicNYC—writerChristopherIrvingandphotographerSethKushner—comesthefirsthandaccountsofthecomicbook’sstory，fromitsbirthinthelate1930stoitscurrentrenaissanceonmoviescreensanddigitalreaderseverywhere.Kushner’sevocativephotographycapturesthesubjectsthatIrvingprofilesinahard-hittingnarrativestylederivedfrompersonalinterviewswiththelegendsoftheart，allofwhichisaccompaniedbyexamplesoftheirworkintheformoforiginalart，sketches，andfinalpanelsandcovers.ThecreatorsprofiledincludeCaptainAmericacreatorJoeSimon，MarvelguruStanLee，Madmagazine’sfold-outartistAlJaffee，visionaryillustratorNealAdams(Batman)，undergroundparagonArtSpiegelman(Maus)，X-MenwriterChrisClaremont，artist/writer/directorFrankMiller(SinCity，300)，comicanalystScottMcCloud(UnderstandingComics)，AmericanSplendor’sHarveyPekar，painterAlexRoss(KingdomCome)，multitalentedartistanddesignerChrisWare(AcmeNoveltyLibrary)，artistJillThompson(Sandman)，andmore.LeapingTallBuildings，likecomicsthemselves，usesbothwordsandimagestotellthetruestoryofthecomic’sbirthandevolutioninAmerica.Itisacomprehensivelookatthemediumunlikeanyotherevercompiledcoveringhighandlowart，massmarketworkandnicheinnovations.Itisthestoryofanartformandaninsider’slookatthecreativeprocessoftheartistswhobringourheroestolife.