Encyclopedia of Black Comics, written and compiled by Dr. Sheena C. Howard, is (as its name suggests) an encyclopedia of Black comics. It features an alphabetical list of Black comics creators, offering quotes and a brief history of each individuals career, while showcasing some of their artwork where available.
Make Ours Marvel: Media Convergence and a Comics Universe, edited and compiled by Matt Yockey, is a collection of essays about the titular comics company. It covers the early days of Marvel Comics, all the way up to its acquisition by Disney and the expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into a multi-platform franchise.
Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel is a spirited biography about the titular comics creator, Stanley Lieber, written by Bob Batchlor. It offers the history of his life and career, from his early days growing up in New York, to his time in the military, leading to the creation of such legendary comics as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man.
Superheroes and Superegos: Analyzing the Minds Behind the Masks is a collection of essays written by Sharon Packer, MD. They cover a wide spectrum of psychological ideas, from the role of Carl Jung's archetypes and the shadow self, to comics' many explorations of sexuality and family dynamics.
The Education of a Comics Artist is a collection of essays about the art and industry of comics, edited and compiled by Michael Dooley & Steven Heller. It also covers such specific topics as editorial cartoons, political cartoons, graphic novels, manga, the role that editors play, and much, much more.
The Evolution of the Costumed Avenger: The 4,000-Year History of the Superhero is a book about the lineage of superhero media written by Jess Navins. It examines how ancient myths, bible stories, pirates and swordsmen and monster movies all contributed to the creation and popularization of early superhero comics.
Comics, especially in the early days of the industry, were seen as cheap and disposable entertainment at best, and a cause of childhood delinquency at worst. In this video, comics artist Gene Luen Yang debunks some of these misconceptions, while expressing his heartfelt belief in the power of comic books in education.
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Comics are a competitive industry, and the path to success is not as clear cut as it may seem. In this video, renowned comics artist Robert Kirkman explores many of his projects throughout the years, explaining that it was only by "giving up" what didn't work that he was able to find out what did.
TvTropes is a wiki dedicated to cataloging "tropes" (or "reoccurring story elements") as they appear in various forms of media. It allows users to read summaries of each trope, compare and contrast them with similar tropes, and even seen which tropes the community has identify within specific works or franchises.
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that covers a wide range of subjects, from sciences like biology or physics, to works that are significant in pop-culture. While it can offer a decent overview of a particular work or subject, when using it for academic purposes, be sure to review any cited sources to make sure that it is accurate and up-to-date.
