Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book

Title: Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book Author: Gerald Jones ISBN: 9780465036578 Publisher: Basic Books Published: 2005 Binding: Paperback Language: English Publisher Description: Animated by the stories of some of the last century's most charismatic and conniving artists, writers, and businessmen, Men of Tomorrow brilliantly demonstrates how the creators of the superheroes gained their cultural power and established a crucial place in the modern imagination. "This history of the birth of superhero comics highlights three pivotal figures. The story begins early in the last century, on the Lower East Side, where Harry Donenfeld rises from the streets to become the king of the 'smooshes'-soft-core magazines with titles like French Humor and Hot Tales. Later, two high school friends in Cleveland, Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, become avid fans of 'scientifiction, ' the new kind of literature promoted