« The World Encyclopedia of Comics is the first comprehensive survey of this universally popular art form. Covering in two volumes the vast field of comic art since its inception, this monumental work contains more than 1200 cross-referenced entries in alphabetical order on comic features, artists and writers from the United States and the world. The biographical entries provide a summary of the most important author's lives and careers, with emphasis on their work in the comic field, their stylistic and theme contributions, their influence on other artists, and their achievements in general. Bibliographical entries provide a brief history of outstanding features, including the names of the artists and writers who worked on them, summaries of theme and plot, a description of the main characters, the place held by the particular feature in the history and art of the comics, and its adaptations into other media. Included in this World Encyclopedia is : a global history of comic art; a chronology of the most important events in the history of comics; an analytical summary relating the comics to other aspects of the twentieth-century culture; a glossary of comics terms; a bibliography; a number of appendices; and a 10,000-name index. Over 800 illustrations, many in color, accompany the entries and the various sections, providing a unique visual record of the styles and achievements of the world's major comic artists. More than 12 authors from ten countries and four continents have contributed to the realization of this work. These contributors, each outstanding in his own field, have brought to the book their own insights and perspectives, making it truly a world encyclopedia, in style and in outlook as well as in scope. The World Encyclopedia of Comics should prove an invaluable reference tool for the researcher, and an endless source of entertainment for the general reader. To scholars and laymen, it is the one indispensable work on every aspect of the field of comic art. »--Rabat de la jaquette.