Age Of TV Heroes: The Live-Action Adventures Of Your Favorite Comic Book Characters [Hardcover]

Jason Hofius (Author), George Khoury (Author), Alex Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 19, 2010

The Age of TV Heroes examines the history of the live-action television adventures of everyone's favorite comic book heroes! This handsome, full-color hardcover features the in-depth stories of the actors and behind-the-scene players that made the classic super-hero television programs we all grew up with. From legendary shows like The Adventures of Superman and Batman, to the modern era of The Tick and Smallville, it's colorfully presented in vivid detail, lavishly designed with a bevy of color photographs. Included are new and exclusive interviews and commentary from Adam West (Batman), Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman), Patrick Warburton (The Tick), Nicholas Hammond (Spider-Man), William Katt (The Greatest American Hero), Jack Larson (The Adventures of Superman), John Wesley Shipp (The Flash), Jackson Bostwick (Shazam!), and many more, including comments from Reb Brown, Stephen J. Cannell, Chip Kidd, Stan Lee, Noel Neill, John Romita, Alex Ross, Ilya Salkind, Lou Scheimer, Lorenzo Semple, Lyle Waggoner, and other actors, producers, and crew.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: TwoMorrows Publishing (March 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605490105
• ISBN-13: 978-1605490106
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #788,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WELL WORTH THE WAIT., April 9, 2010

By 

David M. Goode "zen master of useless trivia" (Yonkers N.Y.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Age Of TV Heroes: The Live-Action Adventures Of Your Favorite Comic Book Characters (Hardcover)

It seems I've been waiting forever for this book to be released.I went into my regular comic shop to pick up this week's comics and saw one copy of this book left.Needless to say I bought it.It was worth the wait.The book is an overview of the live action adventures of comic book heroes on television.All the usual suspects are here.Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin,Jackson Bostwick as the "world's mightiest mortal",Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman.And let me take time out here to say Lynda Carter as the amazing Amazon still remains the best piece of comic book casting ever.The book is full of illustrations and the only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because I feel it could have used some in depth interviews.Also there's a chapter on The Greatest American Hero here,but no mention of Captain Nice or Mr.Terrific,two shows which were born out of 60s Batmania.My favorite chapters were the ones on TV hosts Arthur Pierce and Marty Sullivan and the Salute to the Super Heroes Water Calvacade at Sea World.The Salute to the Super Heroes was something that was hyped in DC COMICS during the 70s,but I never got to see personally.From the photos in the book it looks like it was spectacular.I imagine we can now expect something similair with the Marvel heroes at Disney World.Another minor complaint about the book is that Alex Ross' cover illustration of George(no relation to Steve)Reeves only looks like George if you squint and look at it sideways.Once again only a minor complaint.If you're a comic book fan you should own a copy of this book.I recommend it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview for Casual Readers But Mostly Familiar Material for Loyal Fans, May 16, 2010

By 

S. R. (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age Of TV Heroes: The Live-Action Adventures Of Your Favorite Comic Book Characters (Hardcover)

After nearly 2 years of postponements, this highly sought after book has finally been released for all to enjoy, while the exact reasons behind the frequent delays remain unclear. The most likely culprit seems to be legal clearance issues with Warner Bros. as is evidenced by the copyright disclaimer that accompanies all WB related photos in the book and the lack of WB owned content in the PDF preview on the publisher's website. The book itself is a visual treat for readers, featuring a striking cover painting by the the incomparable Alex Ross that is worthy of a full-sized poster treatment. The interior contents are just as impressive with glossy stock paper and tons of mostly color photographs. The book begins with brief introductions by the two authors each sharing their love of these classic TV shows and the impact it has had on their lives. Next up is a 17 page superhero "Timeline" arranged chronologically by decade starting with the 1950s and ending with the 2000s. Just about every superhero themed live-action TV show, special, and movie is given a paragraph's worth of exposition here, with the more popular shows given its own chapter and presented mostly chronologically throughout the book. Reading through the material, the most obvious highlights are the scores of new interviews the author's were able to solicit not only from the stars, but also the producers, directors, and writers. This gives a more balanced account of these shows since the reader is treated to a myriad of viewpoints.

Like any publication dealing with so many beloved properties, questions of omissions and uneven coverage are bound to arise. Curiously, there is no mention of the Jerry O'Connell late 1980s superhero themed TV series, 'My Secret Identity', which aired for 3 seasons. Some shows are also examined in much greater detail than others with no explanations for the inequity. For instance, 'Lois & Clark' is only covered in 3 pages while 'Wonder Woman' is given over 15 pages. The reasoning is perhaps due to the creative talent willing to be interviewed for a particular show. 'Lois and Clark' only has DC Comics editor Mike Carlin providing some brief anecdotes about the series while 'Wonder Woman' has several up to date interviews with the leads Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner, as well as some other crew members. This dependence on current interviews as the primary source material is perhaps the book's biggest weakness. Not much is expounded upon beyond what the interviewees are willing to divulge. For example, producer Ilya Salkind, who is interviewed for the late 80s 'Superboy' series, simply states that actor John Haymes Newton was replaced as the lead after season 1 because he was being "complicated." Newton's rumored legal problems or demands for a pay increase are not verified or even acknowledged by the authors. Salkind repeats the same "complicated" response as the rationale for the replacement of the actor playing Lex Luthor, and once again, no additional concrete reasons are explored. Loyal fans of these shows will also notice a lot of rehashing of stories from the interviewees such as Jack Larsen's account of George Reeves' fall after a flying rig broke or Lynda Carter's recollection of a dangerous stunt involving her hanging from a helicopter. While such tales might be new to some readers, more ardent fans will probably find little in the way of new revelations from many of the interviews.

Interspersed throughout the book are "Commercial Break" sections, which explores some of the more non-traditional superhero moments, such as the mid 1970s Sea World attraction featuring performers dressed up as DC superheroes and performing stunts. While its inclusion in the book is certainly a rare treat for readers, the fact that it is covered at length in 12 pages is rather surprising. Practically every aspect of the attraction's 2-year run is explored, much to the dismay of some who may have wanted more space given to actual televised shows that are bound to have greater mass appeal. But there are some surprises for even dedicated fans as the more obscure TV shows such as the 1970s 'Spider-man' series, the 1970s 'Legends of the Super Heroes' specials, the 1990s 'The Flash' series, and the 2000s 'The Tick' series are given greater coverage than has been previously available. With lots of interviews, including with the leads, readers are treated to an unprecedented look at the formation and premature demise of shows that were not afforded the proper time to find an audience. And contrary to popular belief, not all were canceled due to low ratings. For those shows available on DVD with little or no supplemental material, this publication acts as an invaluable resource for behind-the-scenes information.

This book is clearly a labor of love by those involved and deserves a place on the bookshelves of all fans of the superhero TV series genre. Ultimately, its shortcomings are primarily due to the space constraints, with additional pages probably needed to properly document nearly 6 decades of superhero TV history. While casual readers will get the most in terms of new information from this book, diehard fans should still find enough previously unknown tidbits to warrant a purchase. Not to mention the joy of having so many classic shows represented in such a handsome hardcover book. Hopefully, this sells well enough to perhaps warrant a follow-up book tackling the many animated superhero incarnations. With the recent superhero resurgence ushered in at the turn of the new millennium, one thing remains certain, the age of TV heroes is far from over.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any comics or graphic novel library must have this, June 18, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age Of TV Heroes: The Live-Action Adventures Of Your Favorite Comic Book Characters (Hardcover)

Age of TV Heroes considers the history of live-action TV adventures of comic book heroes, offering a color hardcover packed with stories of actors, screen shots, and trivia. Color photographs embellish the new, exclusive interviews and commentary from Adam West, Lynda Carter and more, bringing to life the superhero phenomenon. Any comics or graphic novel library must have this.