Amazing Heroes Issue #149- Table of Contents: pg.3

Amazing Heroes Issue #149- Table of Contents: pg.3

Periodical
Comic Strips
Index

The Table of Contents of Issue 149 in Amazing Heroes is separated into two categories: “Features” and “Departments.” At the top of the page in bold font and the largest text on the page, “Contents” in all capital letters. Beneath that reads “No. 149, Amazing Heroes, September 15th.” “Features” and “Departments” have each letter separated to extend the entire length of the page horizontally. Under “Features” is the table of contents starting with “Jack to the Future- A Grimjack Preview,” by Andy Mangels; “A Line of Champions: The Hero Comics File,” Kevin Dooley; “Faith and the Funnybooks,” Gary D. Robinson; “‘Oh No, Not Again!’” Kevin Dooley. Beneath the titles are one-to-two sentence summaries of each article. Underneath the description is the author of each article in italics and a row of dots leading to the page number located at the right side of the page. Beneath the table of contents are two comic panels. In the left box is a giant alligator-like creature devouring cans with foam overflowing from its mouth. On the right is a close up image of Grimjack holding two guns. The “Department” section is split into two columns and reads: “Editorial,” “Newsline,” “Coming Distractions,” “Firstlook,” by Chris McCubbin, “Comics In Review,” by Andy Mangels, “It’s Commentin’ Time,” by Sidney Mellon, “Amazing Readers,” by Kevin Dooley, and “Don Rosa’s Information Center”.

Kevin Dooley is the editor of this issue of Amazing Heroes, who took classes at school for comics. He and his brother, Michael Dooley, were both fascinated by everything comics and were ridiculed for being in that niche of interest throughout their childhood. As comics grew increasingly popular for people above the age of twenty, Dooley’s claim to fame became less ridiculed and more admired. Dooley’s other comic reputare include Editor for DC Comics and editing Green Lantern and Aquaman. The reason why there are so many different writers in this Amazing Heroes issue is because most artists and writers worked remotely and would then drop off their drawings and work a couple times a week. This was seen a lot at Marvel Comics. In the contents, there is also a parody section of what not to do in comics, a very theatrical tactic this issue partakes in. Many comics in the late 1980s adopted “Shakespearean” tendencies, meaning that, although comics did not speak in iambic pentameter, the content of brutal honesty and humor became popular as mature audiences read comics for entertainment. Content in comics moved into graphic depictions, thus the graphics of the (alluded to) beer cans and the recently fired off guns insinuating active violence. This content verges on the edge of explicit material which is a repetition of values even Shakespeare upheld. The matter of using more gruesome content is timeless, but comes out exceptionally in these comics to retain the new age of their market audience. The Shakespearean tactic of adding more “adult” content does is not only for the new intensity of violence and adult themes. The design and narrative needs to be established as well. Seen here in the index, the language used in the titles along with even the typography sets the time of a well-known narrative. Artists need to follow a genre and for comic books, there are lots of different steps very similar to that of a design team for a theater company. Looking, even, at the number of departments, so much goes into the creation of a single comic book. The Table of Contents itself is a testament to the many people that are involved in the production of each and every story.

Editor Evermore: Kevin Dooley
Art Director: Lynette Alcorn-McCubbin
Associate Editor: Bruce Walrad
Editors in the Wings: Kim Thompson & Chris McCubbin
News Correspondent: Michael Johnson
Production Assistants: Mark Thompson & Jason Jeffers
Typesetting: Linda Gorell & Arlene Easter
Circulation: Rachel Enger & Carol Kovinick-Hernandez
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books, Inc.
Printed at: Port Publications, WI

MSU Special Collection Comic Art, PN6725.47

Fantagraphic Books, Inc.

September 15, 1988

Tiffany McIntyre

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6-5/8 & 10-1/4 in.

English

Periodical

1982-1991