TwoMorrows Publishing

TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina. Its products also include books and DVDs.

History

After the death of comics creator and legend Jack Kirby, lifelong Kirby fan John Morrow and wife Pam contacted Roz Kirby, Jack's widow, about an ongoing magazine devoted to her husband's work and legacy. Mrs. Kirby gave the enterprise her blessing and support. Each issue carries the notation "Fully Authorized by the Kirby Estate".

"Jack Kirby Collector" was first published in limited quantities as a small, black-and-white, magazine focusing on Kirby artwork and articles by Morrow and a few fellow collectors and fans. As each issue grew in size, it began to include rare or previously unpublished Kirby art, as well as uninked pencil versions of published art. Soon the magazine was being published on better paper, with glossy color covers. New and veteran comics artists were given the chance to ink reproductions of Kirby's original pencil work. The magazine went on to be nominated for several awards.

The Morrows as well have launched fundraiser projects to fund the preservation of the thermostatic copies of Kirby's uninked pencils by scanning over 5,000 pages and cleaning them for future researchers and readers.

Other magazines

"Kirby Collector" contributor Jon B. Cooke approached the two Morrows about launching another magazine that would cover the comics of the 1960s and '70s. This magazine, "Comic Book Artist", launched under the TwoMorrows imprint in 1998 and would go on to win several Eisner Awards. TwoMorrows also picked up "Comicology", a magazine devoted to current comics, and which lasted four issues.

TwoMorrows expanded again with a revival of former Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas 1960s fanzine, "Alter Ego" — initially as a flip book with "Comic Book Artist", then in 1999 as a standalone publication.

in 2001, TwoMorrows launched "Draw!" a magazine edited by animation and comics artist Mike Manley that centered on how-to and related articles for cartoonists and animators. At the same time, comics author and editor Danny Fingeroth started "Write Now", a magazine of how to write comics and animation. In 2003, Jon B. Cooke left TwoMorrows to take his magazine to another publisher, Top Shelf Productions. The Morrows hired former comics writer and editor Michael Eury. author of the book "Captain Action", to launch a successor publication. The new title, "Back Issue Magazine", appeared in 2003. A spin-off magazine, "Rough Stuff" magazine, focusing on previously unpublished penciled pages, preliminary sketches, detailed layouts and unused inked artwork appeared in July 2006.

Books and DVDs

TwoMorrows has also published several books devoted to comics and comic history. The first was the Eisner Award-winning trade paperback "Streetwise", a collection of autobiographical stories by such creators as Jack Kirby, Sergio Aragones, Sam Glanzman, Murphy Anderson, and Nick Cardy. Others include "The Warren Companion" and "The Fawcett Companion", chronicling the histories of the defunct publishers; "Kimota! The Miracleman Companion", about the British comic book character; "G-Force Animated: The Official Battle of the Planets book", detailing the animated TV series; and three "The All Star Companions" by Roy Thomas, "The Legion Companion", and "The Justice League Companion", and several other books devoted to Golden Age and Silver Age of comic books titles and heroes.

Along with books devoted to such artists as Murphy Anderson, Dick Giordano, George Tuska, Gene Colan, Wally Wood, and Kurt Schaffenberger, as well as to writer Alan Moore, TwoMorrows has published books about how comics are created, such as "Panel Discussions", "Comics Above Ground", and "Acting with a Pencil". Additionally, the company has publlished three collections of columns on comics by writer Mark Evanier; checklists of the works of Kirby and Wood; and the "Modern Masters" series by writer-editor Eric Nolan-Weathington.

In 2006, TwoMorrows expanded into DVDs by producing an art-instruction video, and a DVD version of the company's "George Pérez Modern Masters" book.

Titles

*"Kimota! The Miracleman Companion" (by George Khoury, 148 pages, 2001, ISBN 978-1893905115) [" [http://books.google.com/books?id=FDVJZGoHcboC&printsec=frontcover Kimota! The Miracleman Companion] " at Google Book Search]

*"Panel Discussions: Design in Sequential Art Storytelling" (by Durwin Talon, 2002, reprinted July 2007, ISBN 1-893905-14-4)

*"The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore" (by George Khoury, 224 pages, 2003, ISBN 978-1893905245)

*"Comics Above Ground: How Sequential Art Affects Mainstream Media" (by Durwin Talon, 2004, ISBN 1-893905-31-4) [" [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1893905314&printsec=frontcover Comics Above Ground] " at Google Book Search]

*"True Brit: Celebrating the Comic Book Artists of England" (by George Khoury, 204 pages, 2004, ISBN 978-1893905337) [ [http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/109770557123088.htm "True Brit" review] , Comics Bulletin]

*"The Dark Age: Grim, Great & Gimmicky Post-Modern Comics" (by Mark Voger, 168 pages, 2006, ISBN 1893905535) [ [http://www.comics101.com/squibcentral//?mode=project&action=view&project=Squib%20Central&chapter=6 Shedding Light on the Dark Age] , Comics 101, March 28, 2006]

*"Image Comics: The Road To Independence" (by George Khoury, 280 pages, June 2007, ISBN 1-893905-71-3) [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=116559 Marc Silvestri From "Image Comics: The Road To Independence"] , Newsarama, May 14, 2007] [ [http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=10479 McFarlane and Khoury on 15 Years of Image Comics] , Comic Book Resources, June 13, 2007]

Notes

References

* [http://www.twomorrows.com TwoMorrows website]
* [http://kirbymuseum.org Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center]