{"product_id":"first-kingdom-9","title":"FIRST KINGDOM #9","description":"\u003cp\u003eForeword by \u003cstrong\u003eJerry Siegel\u003c\/strong\u003e. Katz's legendary science-fantasy saga is one of the first independent comics, and a work unlike any other. The goddess Terika faces execution on the sacrificial altar for the crimes she is accused of.\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeries Description:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\nOften (but mistakenly) considered the first graphic novel, this pre-dates Will Eisner's \u003cem\u003eContract With God\u003c\/em\u003e (1978) and is one of the milestones of Independent Comics history.\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eJack Katz\u003c\/strong\u003e got his start in comics beginning in the late 1940s at Fawcett and Standard Comics--he did several great horror and sci-fi stories for the pre-code Standard comics like \u003cem\u003eOut of the Shadow\u003c\/em\u003e.\n\nJack worked extensively for Stan Lee on the Atlas (Marvel) pre-code horror titles in the 1950s, and for Marvel, Skywald and other publishers in the 1960s. In 1972, he decided to write his master epic in the underground comics format (b\u0026amp;w with color covers). The hallowed underground comics movement was in full swing. This sold alongside titles like \u003cem\u003eStar Reach, Cerebus\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eElfquest\u003c\/em\u003e, works that kicked off the era of creator-owned comics.\n\n\u003cem\u003eThe First Kingdom\u003c\/em\u003e was first published by Comics \u0026amp; Comix, a chain of stores of which I, Bud Plant, was one of the founders. With issue #7 I took over as publisher.\n\nI put aside several of the back issues like this in my warehouse for all these years. The series was collected in softcover volumes by Titan Books, 2013-14, plus two all-new volumes. Previously, issues #1-12 were collected in two volumes by Century Comics in 2005-2006 (they never completed the series). And before that, Simon \u0026amp; Schuster published a (now rare) oversized softcover compiling the first six issues in 1978 but never continued the series.\n\nEach issue in the series is introduced by top talents such as \u003cstrong\u003eJim Steranko, Stan Lynde\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eBurne Hogarth\u003c\/strong\u003e, with a synopsis of the story up until that issue. \u003cstrong\u003eLarry Todd\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eDr. Atomic\u003c\/em\u003e) painted over Jack's artwork for issue #1's cover; reprints of #1 had a different colorist\u003cstrong\u003e. \u003c\/strong\u003eVeteran colorist\u003cstrong\u003e Steve Oliff\u003c\/strong\u003e colored many of the later covers. \u003cstrong\u003eJim Steranko\u003c\/strong\u003e even did one.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59641824280862,"sku":"FKCOM09","price":2.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/0684\/7006\/files\/fkcom09-first-kingdom-vol-9_f30beb47-28e0-4984-afeb-94bf4244178b.jpg?v=1784507887","url":"https:\/\/shop.budsartbooks.com\/products\/first-kingdom-9","provider":"Bud's Art Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}