Anyone ever read Marvel Comics the Untold Story?

[frizb]

I've had this book for awhile now and finally started reading it last night and couldn't put it down. I'm still at the early stages of the Silver Age where Ditko's rift with Stan began. It's interesting though that when Stan was heavily trying to get Romita to come back he was showing him some of the new comics that he could work on. He took a look at Spider-Man and thought the art looked like crap. Can't wait to see what else pops up. Certainly worth a read!

[Mister Mets]

It's excellent behind the scenes stuff.

There are some interesting extras on the writer's blog.

http://seanhowe.tumblr.com

[Daniel22]

It is fascinating. I devoured it the first time I read it and have re-read it since.

I'd also highly recommend "SuperGods" by Grant Morrison, the Glen Weldon books (to a slightly lesser extent, they are good but not on the level of the first two imo) and the Catwoman biography by Tim Hanley. Also Tom DeFalco edited "Comic Creators on Spider-Man", a collection of essays from tons of A List Spider-Man artists and writers. DeFalco did one on the FF too. I could go on (I read a LOT of comicbook history/nonfiction) but I'll leave it at that for now. If you want more recommendations let me know.

[frizb]

Awesome, thanks for the link and the recommendations! I'll check 'em out once I finish this. Man, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall (or spider) in those offices lol.

[Daniel22]

Awesome, thanks for the link and the recommendations! I'll check 'em out once I finish this. Man, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall (or spider) in those offices lol.

The nice thing about The Untold Story is that they talked to a LOT of people. Artists, writers, secretaries, friends, everyone. So you get a diverse and multilayered view of what was going on. Compared to the recent Stan Lee bio, which wasn't nearly as well researched and relied a lot on one man's account, recollected decades later. And we all know Stan is not afraid of a bit of the good old self promotion (understatement of the century).