The Overstreet World Of Comic Books

Cresting a wave of renewed interest that began in the early 1990's, the comic book industry has diversified considerably, with new artists/writers/publishers like Todd McFarlane (creator of the very popular Spawn series) challenging DC Comics and Marvel Comics for market share. This overview of the world of comic books takes viewers to the San Diego Comic Convention, and interviews legends like Stan Lee (Spiderman), Gil Kane (Green Lantern), and Vincent Sullivan (Superman) about their contributions. Clips from Sotheby auctions (where the first Spiderman comic recently sold for $34,000) underscore the mega-bucks aspect of collecting, while brief clips in which conference attendees share their enthusiasm for the genre emphasize that the fun is more important than the money. Viewers will get a good capsule history of the evolution of comic books (including some great footage of comic's pioneer William Gaines in a Congressional hearing defending free speech--he lost and the content of comics was thereafter industry regulated). Too, the program looks at the quirky aspects of fantasy-themed conventions: like pudgy Batmans and comic book holders with "atmospheric pressure gauges." Not a "how-to" on collecting, this is more of a behind-the-scenes look at life in the comic book world. Sure to be popular. Recommended. (R. Pitman)