Journal of fairy-tale studies.

Between 300 and 600 C.E., Chinese writers compiled thousands of accounts of the strange and the extraordinary. Some described weird spirits, customs, and flora and fauna in distant lands. Some depicted individuals of unusual spiritual or moral achievement. But most told of ordinary people’s encounters with ghosts, demons, or gods; sojourns in the land of the dead; eerily significant dreams; and uncannily accurate premonitions. The selection of such stories presented here provides an alluring introduction to early medieval Chinese storytelling and opens a doorway to the enchanted world of thought, culture, and religious belief of that era. Known as zhiguai, or “accounts of anomalies,” they convey a great deal about how people saw the cosmos and their place in it. The tales were circulated because they were entertaining but also because their compilers meant to document the mysterious workings of spirits, the wonders of exotic places, and the nature of the afterlife. A collection of more than two hundred tales, A Garden of Marvels offers an authoritative yet accessible introduction to zhiguai writings, particularly those never before translated or adequately researched. This volume will likely find its way to bedside tables as well as into classrooms and libraries, just as collections of zhiguai did in early medieval times.

This work provides an extensive guide for students, fans, and collectors of Marvel Comics. Focusing on Marvel's mainstream comics, the author provides a detailed description of each comic along with a bibliographic citation listing the publication's title, writers/artists, publisher, ISBN (if available), and a plot synopsis. One appendix provides a comprehensive alphabetical index of Marvel and Marvel-related publications to 2005, while two other appendices provide selected lists of Marvel-related game books and unpublished Marvel titles.

The Secret History of Marvel Comics digs back to the 1930s when Marvel Comics wasn't just a comic-book producing company. Marvel Comics owner Martin Goodman had tentacles into a publishing world that might have made that era’s conservative American parents lynch him on his front porch. Marvel was but a small part of Goodman’s publishing empire, which had begun years before he published his first comic book. Goodman mostly published lurid and sensationalistic story books (known as “pulps”) and magazines, featuring sexually-charged detective and romance short fiction, and celebrity gossip scandal sheets. And artists like Jack Kirby, who was producing Captain America for eight-year-olds, were simultaneously dipping their toes in both ponds. The Secret History of Marvel Comics tells this parallel story of 1930s/40s Marvel Comics sharing offices with those Goodman publications not quite fit for children. The book also features a comprehensive display of the artwork produced for Goodman’s other enterprises by Marvel Comics artists such as Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, Alex Schomburg, Bill Everett, Al Jaffee, and Dan DeCarlo, plus the very best pulp artists in the field, including Norman Saunders, John Walter Scott, Hans Wesso, L.F. Bjorklund, and Marvel Comics #1 cover artist Frank R. Paul. Goodman’s magazines also featured cover stories on celebrities such as Jackie Gleason, Elizabeth Taylor, Liberace, and Sophia Loren, as well as contributions from famous literary and social figures such as Isaac Asimov, Theodore Sturgeon, and L. Ron Hubbard.

Jack Kirby earned the nickname "King" over 50 plus years in comics, from co-creating Captain America to the Fantastic Four to Devil Dinosaur. In addition, Jack's explosive layouts, high drama and fantastic imagination helped evolve the art form in ways few others can claim. Now, the House of Ideas explores that work in The Marvel Legacy of Jack Kirby. In essays and commentary, this deluxe, oversized volume reviews the comics, the influence and the times of Kirby, and puts a special focus on the month that changed everything, November 1961. Don't ask- just buy!

Collects Avengers (1963) #69-79. You know it's trouble when Kang the Conqueror drops in from the 41st century, but this time he pits our heroes against Hyperion, Nighthawk, Dr. Spectrum and the Whizzer - the Squadron Sinister - in a cosmic chess match! And as if one menace wasn't enough, then from across time the Avengers must also face the combined combat skill of the Captain America, Sub-Mariner and Human Torch of 1941! Next, it's a focus on the King of Wakanda, the Black Panther, as he infiltrates the supremacist Sons of the Serpent. But when he's captured, will the Serpents use T'Challa to incite a war that will tear the nation apart? Then it's the return of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, but with them in two comes a barbarian as only Big John Buscema can draw them, Akron the Magnificent! And before you close these pages you'll find out how to rent an Avenger when they become heroes for hire, see the return of the Man-Ape and the Lethal Legion, and enjoy guest-stars galore with the Black Knight, Nick Fury, Captain Marvel and Black Widow!

100 Marvel comics that built a universe. Which comic books have helped define Marvel Comics and make them the pop-culture phenomenon they are today? Find out in Marvel Greatest Comics, a compelling showcase of some of the most trailblazing and inspiring comic books ever created. From the groundbreaking original Human Torch and his aquatic adversary Namor, the Sub-Mariner in 1939 to the game-changing 1960s Super Hero icons such as Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four, to smart modern makeovers in the 21st century like Guardians of the Galaxy and Squirrel Girl, Marvel have set the pace. This book's specially curated and expertly appraised selection is a stunningly illustrated and insightful assessment of Marvel Comics and its legacy through the comics that made the company great. These are the comics that changed the face of an industry. These are Marvel's greatest comics. © 2020 MARVEL