New Book Uncovers James Bond's Secret History

50 years of the comic strip Bond revealed in "JAMES BOND: The history of the illustrated 007" from Hermes Press.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) November 12, 2008

Most people are familiar with various James Bond adventures from the twenty two movies and the fourteen original novels. The more informed Bond fans may also be familiar with the twenty six continuation novels. Even if you add all these together the total still falls well short of the number of Bond stories published as comics. More James Bond stories have been told in comics than in any other medium.

Starting with a 1957 Daily Express adaptation of Casino Royale, James Bond has appeared in one hundred and forty five different stories in either newspaper strip or comic books. One comics creative team worked on Bond longer than any other creator, and wrote more original Bond stories than anyone else, including his creator Ian Fleming. The first Bond continuation story was written for the comic strips. Several of the set pieces that became staples of the Bond movies were first developed in the comics.

The popularity of Bond in comics is international in scope with Bond comics being published in over twenty different countries and in a wide variety of languages.

Yet this part of Bond's history has been largely ignored. Now for the first time, the complete history of the illustrated James Bond is chronicled by, Austin, TX based, pop culture historian Alan J. Porter in "JAMES BOND: The History of the Illustrated 007." Porter's new book examines James Bond's adventures in newspaper strips and comic books. Before Bond became world famous with his movie series, the character was the subject of successful English newspaper strips and later in comic books. With the explosion of Bond on the screen the character and his exploits become even more popular in comic strip and comic book versions all over the world. "JAMES BOND: The History of the Illustrated 007" examines it all, and covers Bond's newspaper strip and comic book appearances from the 1950s to the present.

In his introduction to the book, Hermes Press publisher Daniel Herman notes that "One aspect of the Bond series, his appearances in comic strips and comic books, has up until now never been properly documented. This situation has now been rectified."

Book Details.
JAMES BOND: The history of the illustrated 007
By Alan J. Porter
Published by Hemes Press
ISBN: 1-932563-18-0
Price: $29.99
Available: November 12th, 2008

About Alan J. Porter
Alan J. Porter has been a regular writer on various aspects of pop culture for over fifteen years. With magazine articles on comics, music and movies published in Europe, Australia, Canada and the US. He also authored The Unofficial BATMAN Collectors Guide, and Before They Were Beatles: the Early Years, as well as contributing to many other books. Born in England, he now lives in central Texas.
For more details see alanjporter.com

About Hermes Press
Hermes Press is one of a handful of publishers which exclusively produces books and comic strip reprints focusing on the art and artists of the comics, cartoon and comic strips, pulp magazines of the 1920s and 1930s, art books covering science fiction, and popular culture.
For more information see hermespress.com

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