Bruce Canwell is a comic scholar who is well known for his great essays on comic history. With owner/designer Dean Mullaney he helped launch the Library of American Comics in 2007. The company packages high-end comic strip reprint books, and just last year they surpassed 75 titles. Within the last few years the company has set a high water mark for comic reprints, netting numerous Eisner awards for their books along the way.

To Caniff fans, he’s primarily known for his essays at the beginning of the current Library of American Comics “Steve Canyon” reprint editions. With this in mind, I asked Bruce to write up a review blurb for my book, and he returned this great little gem:

“In her high heels and trademark trench coat, Miss Mizzou stands tall in the long list of beauties Milton Caniff created to enliven his comic strips ‘Terry and the Pirates,’ ‘Male Call,’ and ‘Steve Canyon.’ J.B. Winter has crafted a spritely, well-researched look at the effect one cartoonist and his curvy creation had on the original ‘Mizzou’—the University of Missouri—and its environs. Caniffites, MU alumni, and residents of Columbia, Missouri will surely enjoy what they find in these pages.”

This seems like a perfect summary of the book. Thanks Bruce!

Recommended reads:

• As I wrote above, you should check out Canwell’s essays at the beginning of the current “Steve Canyon” reprint volumes. His latest one for “Steve Canyon 1953-1954” references a lot of information that I had never came across about Caniff. I always learn something new when I read one of his essays.
• Canwell and the Library of American Comics folks have just this year finished up the Alex Toth trilogy of books: “Alex Toth : Genius, Isolated,” “Alex Toth : Genius, Illustrated,” “Alex Toth : Genius, Animated.” These books illuminate the amazing work of this comic icon in beautiful hardcover books. One glimpse inside one of these and you can see why it would win an Eisner award.