Comics Prose [Paperback]

Max Allan Collins (Author), Kurt Busiek (Author), Peter David (Author), Bill Mumy (Author), Jeff Millar (Author), Nat Gertler (Author), Steve Englehart (Author), Paul Dini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 22, 2004

Comics writers have fertile imaginations and great story-telling skill. Here they step out from behind the artists to show off their prose writing abilities. Included in this volume are: "Louise," a tale from Max Allan Collins about his comic book detective, Ms. Tree, "Toto, I Have a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore," a humorous science fiction tale about some odd mayhem taking place at an amusement park that hadn't been there the day before, "The Black '59," a rock'n'roll horror story about a guitar that holds the soul of a musician, a crime story by Kurt Busiek, "Life in Fur," which is about as sensitive, caring, and sweet as a werewolf story should be, and five more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: About Comics (June 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097163386X
• ISBN-13: 978-0971633865
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,865,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nat Gertler is:
* the founder of 24 Hour Comics Day
* the publisher of About Comics and its Combustoica imprint
* the author or co-author of a couple dozen books (including computer books, books about comics, books of comics) as well as material for television, magazines, and more
* a two-time Eisner Award nominee
* a committed biped
* the owner of over a thousands Peanuts and Peanuts-related books
* a reluctant dancer, with good reason
* a graduate of Simon's Rock College, where he earned his BA at age eighteen
* a little tired of writing autobiographical blurbs in the third person

And how are you?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DELICIOUSLY SCARY READ!, August 5, 2008

By 

Holly (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Comics Prose (Paperback)

DELICIOUSLY SCARY READ!
This is a very good read. It is shocking and horrifying all in one in the best of ways. It is deliciously scary. My favorite story in this book is "The Black '59" written by the talented Bill Mumy and Peter David (Yes, that's right - the creaters of SPACE CASES. You heard me right!). Together they brought such a tale of fright and mystery that you won't believe what you are reading. I think it is very cool that Bill also reads this story on cd in SHOCK ROCK! I read this book first and then listened to Bill read it. Very creepy experience. Bill puts a lot of energy into all of his projects, and these are no different. I would highly recommend this book if you are a fan of horror and intrigue. I personally would love to see a short story on television of his story. It would be so cool if they would have a SHOCK ROCK series come out and do all of these stories! Bill and Peter also wrote a story for the book SHOCK ROCK II "The Undeadliest Game" which is just as horrifying as this one. Deliciously so! I really wish Bill would read that one as well! That would be so awesome!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting collection, December 16, 2006

By 

Blake Petit "Novelist, columnist & reviewer" (Ama, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comics Prose (Paperback)

Now here's a fun little read -- About Comics' Nat Gertler rounded up some of the top comic book writers in the country and put together an anthology of prose short stories by them. There's no real theme or thread to this book, except that all of the authors involved are better known for writing comic books than novels or stories. In some cases you've got accomplished novelists like Peter David and Max Allan Collins, and sometimes you have writers like Kurt Busiek, who have rarely ventured outside of the four-color world. Collins brings his comic book character Ms. Tree into his story, while others deal with superheroes, werewolves, demons, romance and comedy.

As with any anthology, some stories are better than others. Busiek's "A Personal Touch" is a great story about a man who goes looking in the wrong places, and Paul Dini's "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Feldman" is just plain funny. The eleven stories bounce all over in tone, subject matter and entertainment value. Still, it's a very interesting collection, and worth reading for a comic book fan.