Art in Time: Unknown Comic Book Adventures, 1940–1980

by Dan Nadel (Editor)

Art In Time is a companion to Dan Nadel’s previous book, Art Out of Time. In this engaging and smart volume, Nadel focuses on the lesser-known comic works by celebrated icons of the industry, like H.G. Peter (the artist behind Wonder Woman), John Stanley (the writer and artist for Little Lulu), Harry Lucey (one of the artists behind Archie), Jesse Marsh (the artist for Tarzan), and Bill Everett (best know for his characters Sub Mariner and Dr. Strange).

Art In Time reprints a wonderful selection of complete comic book stories that represent some of the best, but obscure adventure stories from the 1940s through the 1980s. Each comic highlights the fully developed style unique to each artist and celebrate these little known comic gems. Art In Time is designed as a reading book, allowing fans to catch up on some of best, but forgotten, work in comics’ history.
 

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Art, Anthologies

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Dan Nadel is the author of Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life (Scribner, April 2025). His previous books include, It’s Life as a I See It: Black Cartoonists in Chicago, 1940–1980; Peter Saul: Professional Artist Correspondence, 1945–1976; and Art Out of Time: Unknown Comic Visionaries, 1900–1969. Nadel has curated exhibitions for galleries and museums internationally including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, UC Davis, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He is the founder of PictureBox, a publishing and packaging company that produced over one hundred books, objects, and zines from 2000 to 2014, including the Grammy Award–winning design for Wilco’s 2004 album A Ghost Is Born. Dan is the curator-at-large for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his family.

Reviews

[Graham P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection reminds me of back in the day when used record stores pulled 10 obscure and bizarre records, wrapped them in brown paper-bag, and then tried to sell them for $2. And the joy was in wondering and then discovering what nuggets, misfires and atrocities were found within. Not that Dan Nadel's 2nd selection of unknown comics has any serious misfires - actually it's a wide expanse of genre and style from a 40 year period, 1940-1980. What you get is a 'grab bag' of pulp horror, a good wholesome western, a spandex-clad crime-fighting teenager called Golden Lad - 'gee whiz' - psychedelic ink with cosmic fornicating and religious acid trips, doomsday science fiction, witch bitch battles, and my favorite, Johnny Dynamite, a one-eyed private eye in the mean streets of Chicago (actually quite bleak and pessimistic).

[Rex Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with most anthologies, the quality dips up and down. Some are amazing. Others less so. Some are straightforward private investigator or cowboy tales. Others are quite experimental works, defying genre descriptions other than comic art. But as a whole this is worth a look for any serious comic fan. It not only brings to the surface many near-forgotten artists, but it also looks at alternate work of well established artists, such as Sam Glanzman, Mort Meskin, Bill Everett, and Pete Morisi, who were known for very different works of art. None of the material is bad. Just some is better than others. Well worth a look.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of obscure works by comics artists, both very well know and almost forgotten. Why did the editor pick each of the artists? I think it was really what he liked the most, since there are psychedelic underground comics alongside pulp comics from the 40s. Almost every one of the artists is fantastic, but maybe half of the stories are worth reading. The major flaw in the collection is my own personal preference. Mainly, for me, if this book had help me discover some artist that I love, chances are that nothing else by the artist can ever be found in print.

[Johnathon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of some more obscure comic book stories from the likes of greats like Mort Meskin & Bill Everett, along with lesser known ones like Matt Fox & John Thompson. The stories are a nice mix, from science fiction to superhero to horror, making for a fun read for any comic book fan, though mainly hardcore ones. If you are of the latter, definitely worth checking out.

[Dominick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of obscure comics by various hands, most though not all obscure themselves, from the forties through the seventies or so. Most are mainstream adventure things--SF, Western, crime, etc.--but a couple are decidedly underground efforts apparently linked tmeporally and thematically to the other stuff. Odd mix, some of it much bette rthan other selections. Good way to get a look at some comics stuff you're unlikely to find anywhere else.

[Osman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great stuff in here. From the beautiful, taut styling on 'Golden Lad' to the unhinged angles of 'Crazy Quilt' A very well produced book and a delight to behold. Some of the hippy stuff is great. One of them seems to be a direct precursor to the style of Jim Woodring the guy who created 'Frank' the style of the decrotive arabesques seems identical.

[Michael Schill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish Nadel could put one of these anthologies out on a regular basis. A great collection of dynamic and idiosyncratic (but overlooked) comic book art.