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Shazam made his debut in Whiz Comics in 1940, and outsold his biggest competitor, Superman , by 14 million copies a month. It wasn't long before a variety of merchandise was licensed-secret decoders, figurines, buttons, paper rockets, tin toys, puzzles, costumes-and a fan club was created to keep up with the demand. These collectibles now sell for outrageous prices on eBay and in comic book stores and conventions. Seventy years later, an unprecedented assortment of these artifacts are gathered together by award-winning writer/designer Chip Kidd and photographer Geo Spear. Join Kidd, Spear, and the World's Mightiest Mortal in this first, fully authorized celebration of ephemera, artwork, and rare, one-of-a-kind toys, and recapture the magic that was Shazam!
About the author
Chip Kidd is an award-winning graphic designer, writer, and editor at large at Pantheon. His books on comics include Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz, Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, and Marvelocity: The Marvel Comics Art of Alex Ross, among others. He lives in New York City.
Summary
Shazam made his debut in Whiz Comics in 1940, and outsold his biggest competitor, Superman, by 14 million copies a month. It wasn’t long before a variety of merchandise was licensed—secret decoders, figurines, buttons, paper rockets, tin toys, puzzles, costumes—and a fan club was created to keep up with the demand. These collectibles now sell for outrageous prices on eBay and in comic book stores and conventions. Seventy years later, an unprecedented assortment of these artifacts are gathered together by award-winning writer/designer Chip Kidd and photographer Geo Spear. Join Kidd, Spear, and the World’s Mightiest Mortal in this first, fully authorized celebration of ephemera, artwork, and rare, one-of-a-kind toys, and recapture the magic that was Shazam!
Additional text
"With high-quality repro and photography that handsomely captures every nick and scuff of rare wooden figures, this is a treat for anyone who's ever loved (and lost) pop-culture tat, even if you don't know the character from (Black) Adam."
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"This volume features a cornucopia of collectibles, from decoder to toys to games, all lovingly curated by writer/designer Chip Kidd and photographer Geoff Spear." Yahoo! Entertainment
