Andrew J. Kunka – författare

May Sinclair was a central figure in the modernist movement, whose contribution has long been underacknowledged. A woman of both modern and Victorian impulses, a popular novelist who also embraced modernist narrative techniques, Sinclair embodied the contradictions of her era. The contributors to this collection, the first on Sinclair's career and writings, examine these contradictions, tracing their evolution over the span of Sinclair's professional life as they provide insights into Sinclair's complex and enigmatic texts. In doing so, they engage with the cultural and literary phenomena Sinclair herself critiqued and influenced: the evolving literary marketplace, changing sexual and social mores, developments in the fields of psychology, the women's suffrage movement, and World War I. Sinclair not only had her finger on the pulse of the intellectual and social challenges of her time, but also she was connected through her writing with authors located in diverse regions of literary modernism's social web, including James Joyce, Ezra Pound, Ford Madox Ford, Charlotte Mew, and Dorothy Richardson. The volume is a crucial contribution to our understanding of the political, social, and literary currents of the modernist period.

This accessible, up-to-date textbook covers the history of comics as it developed in the US in all of its forms: political cartoons and newspaper comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, minicomics, and webcomics. Over the course of its six chapters, this introductory textbook addresses the artistic, cultural, social, economic, and technological impacts and innovations that comics have had in American history. Readers will be immersed in the history of American comics—from its origins in 18th-century political cartoons and late 19th-century newspaper strips to the rise of the wildly popular comic book, the radical, grassroots collectives that grew out of the underground comix movement of the 1960s and 1970s, all the way through contemporary longform graphic novels, the vibrant self-publishing scene, and groundbreaking webcomics. The Routledge Introduction to American Comics guides students, researchers, archivists, and even fans of the medium through a contemporary history of comics, attending to how a diverse range of creators and researchers have advanced the art form in key ways since its inception as a foundational art of American popular culture. In this way, it is uniquely suited to readers engaged in the study of comics, as well as those interested in the creation of comics and graphic narratives.

This accessible, up-to-date textbook covers the history of comics as it developed in the US in all of its forms: political cartoons and newspaper comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, minicomics, and webcomics. Over the course of its six chapters, this introductory textbook addresses the artistic, cultural, social, economic, and technological impacts and innovations that comics have had in American history. Readers will be immersed in the history of American comics—from its origins in 18th-century political cartoons and late 19th-century newspaper strips to the rise of the wildly popular comic book, the radical, grassroots collectives that grew out of the underground comix movement of the 1960s and 1970s, all the way through contemporary longform graphic novels, the vibrant self-publishing scene, and groundbreaking webcomics. The Routledge Introduction to American Comics guides students, researchers, archivists, and even fans of the medium through a contemporary history of comics, attending to how a diverse range of creators and researchers have advanced the art form in key ways since its inception as a foundational art of American popular culture. In this way, it is uniquely suited to readers engaged in the study of comics, as well as those interested in the creation of comics and graphic narratives.

A complete guide to the history, form and contexts of the genre, Autobiographical Comics helps readers explore the increasingly popular genre of graphic life writing. In an accessible and easy-to-navigate format, the book covers such topics as:· The history and rise of autobiographical comics· Cultural contexts · Key texts – including Maus, Robert Crumb, Persepolis, Fun Home, and American Splendor· Important theoretical and critical approaches to autobiographical comics Autobiographical Comics includes a glossary of crucial critical terms, annotated guides to further reading and online resources and discussion questions to help students and readers develop their understanding of the genre and pursue independent study.

A complete guide to the history, form and contexts of the genre, Autobiographical Comics helps readers explore the increasingly popular genre of graphic life writing. In an accessible and easy-to-navigate format, the book covers such topics as:· The history and rise of autobiographical comics· Cultural contexts · Key texts – including Maus, Robert Crumb, Persepolis, Fun Home, and American Splendor· Important theoretical and critical approaches to autobiographical comics Autobiographical Comics includes a glossary of crucial critical terms, annotated guides to further reading and online resources and discussion questions to help students and readers develop their understanding of the genre and pursue independent study.

Nominated for the 2022 Eisner Award - Best Academic/Scholarly Work The Life and Comics of Howard Cruse tells the remarkable story of how a self-described "preacher's kid" from Birmingham, Alabama, became the so-called "Godfather of Gay Comics." This study showcases a remarkable fifty-year career that included working in the 1970s underground comics scene, becoming founding editor of the groundbreaking anthology series Gay Comix, and publishing the graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby, partially based on his own experience of coming of age in the Civil Rights era.    Through his exploration of Cruse's life and work, Andrew J. Kunka also chronicles the dramatic ways that gay culture changed over the course of Cruse's lifetime, from Cold War-era homophobia to the gay liberation movement to the AIDS crisis to the legalization of gay marriage. Highlighting Cruse's skills as a trenchant satirist and social commentator, Kunka explores how he cast a queer look at American politics, mainstream comics culture, and the gay community's own norms.   Lavishly illustrated with a broad selection of comics from Cruse's career, this study serves as a perfect introduction to this pioneering cartoonist, as well as an insightful read for fans who already love how his work sketched a new vision of gay life.