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An Era of the Invincible. The making of household heroes and mythological universes

Welcome to the Marvel Age of Comics, a triumphant era of comic and pop culture innovation which redefined the superhero genre. This behind-the-scenes treasure trove of images and exclusive insights reveals the making of such household characters as the Hulk and Spider-Man as well as the legendary architects who brought them to life, from Stan “The Man” Lee to Jack “King” Kirby.

It was an age of mighty heroes, misunderstood monsters, and complex villains. With the publication of Fantastic Four No. 1 in November 1961, comics giant Marvel inaugurated a transformative era in pop culture. Through the next two decades, the iconic Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the X-Men leapt, darted, and towered through its pages. Captain America was resurrected from his 1940s deep-freeze and the Avengers became the World’s Greatest Super Heroes. Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and dozens more were added to the pantheon, each with their own rogues’ gallery of malevolent counterparts. Nearly 60 years later, these thrilling characters from the 1960s and ’70s are more popular than ever, fighting the good fight in comics, toy aisles, and blockbuster movies around the world.

In The Marvel Age of Comics 1961–1978, legendary writer and editor Roy Thomas takes you to the heart of this seminal segment in comic history — an age of triumphant character and narrative innovation that reinvented the superhero genre. With more than 500 images and insider insights, the book traces the birth of champions who were both epic in their powers and grounded in a world that readers recognized as close to their own; relatable heroes with the same problems, struggles, and shortcomings as everyone else. By the ’70s, we see how the House of Ideas also elevated horror, sword and sorcery, and martial arts in its stable of titanic demigods, introducing iconic characters like Man-Thing, Conan, and Shang-Chi and proving that their brand of storytelling could succeed and flourish outside of the capes and tights.

Behind it all, we get to know the extraordinary Marvel architects whose names are almost as familiar as the mortals (and immortals!) they brought to life—Stan “The Man” Lee, Jack “King” Kirby, and Steve Ditko, along with a roster of greats like John Romita, John Buscema, Marie Severin, Jim Steranko, and countless others. The result is a behind-the-scenes treasure trove and a jewel for any comic fan’s library, brimming with the innovation and energy of an invincible era for Marvel and its heroes alike.

© 2020 MARVEL

The author:

Since 1965, Roy Thomas has been writing for movies, television, and especially comic books. With notable runs on Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Conan the Barbarian, The Incredible Hulk, and Star Wars, he served as a Marvel editor from 1965–80 and editor-in-chief from 1972–74. He currently edits the comics-history magazine Alter Ego and writes two online Tarzan strips as well as the occasional comic book. He and his wife Dann live in South Carolina.

About the series:

TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we celebrate 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The 40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program — now more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.

Flash forward The Super Hero in the Space Age

With Super Heroes nearly extinct at the start of the 1950s, DC Comics reignited the fire that would make them central to modern popular culture by infusing them with science fiction elements. To circumvent the limitations of the self-censoring Comics Code Authority, DC Comics’ writers and editors spun ever-more fantastic tales, bringing Super Heroes and Bob Hope alike into the realm of sci-fi. The results were transformative, delivering the first-ever “reboot” of Golden Age greats with the Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman as well as the hit TV show Batman. The Silver Age of DC Comics chronicles it all, right down to the wacky shenanigans of television’s Batman, which made him the embodiment for the camp sensibility of the ’60s and further immortalized the Dark Knight as a pop culture icon for generations to come. Plus a new exclusive interview with Green Lantern/Batman artist Neal Adams!

About the series:

TASCHEN’s series on DC Comics explores the origins of comics’ most enduring legends and the behind-the-scenes stories of the men and women who created them, era by era. Expanded from the Eisner Award–winning XL book, 75 Years of DC Comics, this new series hits the shelf at a reader-friendly size with essays updated by author Paul Levitz and more than 1,000 new images across five volumes. Thousands of covers and interiors, original illustrations, photographs, film stills, and collectibles have been reproduced to bring the story lines, the characters, and their creators to vibrant life, making this an invaluable reference for comics fans.

The author:

Paul Levitz is a comic book fan who has worked as editor/publisher of The Comic Reader, editor of the Batman titles and others, writer of more than 300 stories—including an acclaimed run on Legion of Super-Heroes—and a DC Comics executive, finishing his 38-year stint with the company as President and Publisher. He returned to writing in 2010 with a new series of Legion stories and other projects.

Stan the Man. Honoring the life and times of the most legendary name in comics

First published as a signed Collector’s Edition and sold out within a week, this is an unparalleled account of the life and times of Stan Lee, written and edited with the Godfather of comics himself. His tale is told by Roy Thomas, who brings “you are there” insights to Lee’s journey alongside never-before-seen photographs, original comic art, and rare comic-book facsimiles — a tribute worthy of the Man.

First published as a signed Collector’s Edition, now available as an unlimited XXL edition

This is the big one, True Believers! The mostly true tale of Stan Lee: a Giant-Size extravaganza, nearly ten years in the making, about the one and only Godfather of Comics. From his childhood in Depression-era New York, to transforming Marvel into the number one comics publisher in the world, to his 21st-century reinvention as Chief Creative Officer of global entertainment company POW! Entertainment, Stan “the Man” Lee stands the test of time as the most legendary name in comic-book history.

Stanley Lieber began working at Timely Comics in 1940 at the age of 17 and found himself at the helm of the bullpen as its top editor just two years later. But it wasn’t until 1961 that he ignited a revolution known as the “Marvel Age of Comics.” With a legendary stable of art partners including Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, and Jim Steranko, Lee unleashed a dizzying cascade of seminal comic-book creations — the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, the X-Men, and the Avengers to name a few. After moving to Hollywood in 1980, he did it again, developing TV and film projects that laid the groundwork for the “Marvel movie.” Stan’s constant cameo presence in these billion-dollar worldwide events is a testament to his influence. As the man behind POW! Entertainment, he became a master of all media — working with rock stars and professional sports leagues, movie mavens and reality TV shows — reinforcing his creative stature the world over.

First published as a signed Collector’s Edition and sold out within a week, the book was written and edited with Lee himself. His tale is told by his successor at Marvel, renowned comics writer, editor, and historian Roy Thomas, who brings “you are there” insights and wide-eyed clarity to key moments of Lee’s journey to pop culture immortality. Featuring hundreds of treasures of comic book art, intimate photographs sourced straight from his family archives, a foreword written by Lee himself, a novel-length essay and new epilogue by Thomas, and an appendix with complete reprints of Stan’s comics from throughout the decades, this is a titanic tribute worthy of the Man.

First published as a signed Collector’s Edition, now available as an unlimited XXL edition

In 1965, Tom of Finland began flirting with the idea of an ongoing character for his panel stories, the ultimate Tom's Man. He tried out a blond named Vicky — a common male name in Finland — followed by a Tarzan-inspired Jack. Then in 1968, Tom settled on Kake, a dark-haired, moustached leatherman who often wore a tight white t-shirt bearing the motto “Fucker.” Kake lived up to this moniker, a sort of post-Stonewall, hyper-masculine Johnny Appleseed travelling the world on his motorcycle to spread the seeds of liberated, mutually satisfying, ecstatically explicit gay sex. Tom lived out many of his most personal fantasies through Kake, and Kake’s international fans made him the template for what came to be known as the gay clone look of the 1970s.

Between 1968 and 1986, Tom published 26 episodes of Kake adventures, most as 20-page booklets. Now for the first time, all 26 stories have been collected in one volume. Return with Kake to the days when men were men, sex was carefree, and everyone wore a big thick moustache.

About the artist:

Touko Laaksonen, the boy who would become Tom of Finland (1920-1991), began drawing cartoons at age five. His favourite subjects were the rough manly men of his native Finland, as Touko knew from an early age that men interested him more than women. His talents were further honed by art study in Helsinki. He found success in the Finnish advertising industry but secretly continued creating his increasingly erotic drawings of hyper-masculine men. In 1957 he submitted some drawings to the American magazine Physique Pictorial and the "Tom of Finland" legend was born. By the late 60s Tom's "dirty drawings" became the standard for gay art, and Tom's Men a template for a new gay masculinity. Tom's art continues to play an important role in promoting self-confidence, positive self-image and openness in the gay community.

The official guide to the LEGO® Star Wars™ galaxy, showcasing the incredible collection of LEGO Star Wars sets and minifigures released over the last 20 years. Comes in a slipcase with two exclusive prints*.

This unrivalled encyclopedia of the LEGO Star Wars theme will delight fans young and old. Featuring more than 1,000 stunning photographs of LEGO Star Wars sets and minifigures, fans can compare all versions of their favourite characters, creatures, vehicles and locations. Marvel at all the minifigures of Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, Yoda, Han Solo,Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Rey and Finn. Take in the details of the iconic X-wing, the Millenium Falcon, the Ewok Village and Hoth's Echo Base.

With behind-the-scenes material from The LEGO Group designers, Ultimate LEGO Star Wars tells the complete story of LEGO Star Wars, from the earliest concepts in the late 1990s to the creation of the most recent sets for The Force Awakens™ and Rogue One™. Presented in a stunning slipcase with two exclusive prints.

*Exclusive prints and slipcase are only available for the UK edition of this book (ISBN 9780241288443). The prints are Minifigure development art for a First Order Flametrooper (SKU 75166) and Classic Aayla Secura (SKU 75182).

LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2017 The LEGO Group.
Produced by Dorling Kindersley under license from the LEGO Group.
© & TM 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd.

Blizzard Entertainment and Dark Horse Books are thrilled to present the next instalment of the wildly popular World of Warcraft Chronicle series. Volume 2 will reveal more sought-after details about the game universe's history and mythology. Showcasing lush, all-new artwork from fan favourites such as Peter Lee, Joseph Lacroix, and Alex Horley, this tome is sure to please all fanscasual and collector alike.

Blizzard Entertainment and Dark Horse Books are proud to present the third instalment of their bestselling World of Warcraft Chronicle series! Like its predecessors, Volume III features beautiful full-colour artwork by Peter Lee, Stanton Feng, and other fan-favourite artists, as well as intricately detailed maps and spot art by Joseph Lacroix. Bolster your knowledge of Warcraft lore with this striking third volume!

World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 is a journey through an age of myth and legend, a time long before the Horde and the Alliance came to be. This definitive tome of Warcraft history reveals untold stories about the birth of the cosmos, the rise of ancient empires, and the forces that shaped the world of Azeroth and its people.

This beautiful hardcover features twenty-five full-page paintings by World of Warcraft artist Peter Lee, as well as a cosmology chart, half a dozen maps charting changes through time, and other line art illustrations by Joseph Lacroix, and marks the first in a multipart series exploring the Warcraft universe; from the distant past to the modern era.