Howard Chaykin’s new project from Image is “a love letter with a touch of acid in the ink” to the history of the comic book industry.  And if you know the industry, you know there’s plenty of downright strange events and *ahem* questionable legality to draw upon.

“Some of it really happened, and the names have been changed to protect the innocent and guilty…

…although in the end, everyone was guilty of something.”

Uh, oh.  I do believe I see some of the acid in that quote.

Official PR follows:

Howard Chaykin’s HEY KIDS! COMICS! takes its cue from nearly a century of turbulence and triumph, despair and drama in the comic book racket and will launch from Image Comics this August.

“Like every man and woman who works in comics, I stand on the shoulders of giants. HEY KIDS! COMICS! is my love letter to those giants—a love letter with a touch of acid in the ink, certainly, but a love letter and a labor of love nonetheless,” said Chaykin.

Artists and writers, con men and clowns, ganefs and gangsters, they all created the foundations of today’s biggest entertainment business—or at least the tail that wags the dog.

Some of it really happened, and the names have been changed to protect the innocent and guilty…

…although in the end, everyone was guilty of something.

HEY KIDS! COMICS! #1 (Diamond Code JUN180055) hits stores on Wednesday, August 8th. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, July 16th.

 

10 COMMENTS

  1. If he has some dirt on the industry’s sleazy past that hasn’t been covered by Gerard Jones and Sean Howe (among others), it could be interesting.

  2. He could do a whole issue on “Crime Does Not Pay” co-editor Bob Wood beating his girlfriend to death, then being murdered by gangsters, apparently over an unpaid debt.

    And I hope he’ll cover the comics industry’s Harvey Weinsteins, guys like Harry Donenfeld and Julie Schwartz who couldn’t keep their hands off much younger women.

  3. Look close enough at anything and you’ll find an ugly side. I’m not too interested, but I won’t decry this as a project worthy of doing. If you are at all interested in the history of comics you have to look more deeply than the surface. My worry is that they will be more acid than truth in this, but that everyone will take it as 100% truth because they want to believe the worst in everyone.

  4. Can’t wait. The history of comics is full mad geniuses, craven businessmen, great artists who toiled for low page rates, and the lesser talents who exploited them. All of whom had larger personalities and flaws than the characters the industry focused on.

    By all accounts, the book should be like MAD MEN about comics. Which means a mature story with adult themes and situations. Not intended for everyone. Purchase accordingly.

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