Download or read book Comic Wars written by Dan Raviv and published by Broadway. This book was released on 2002 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Embarrassed billionaires tried to keep a lid on this story, but it cried out to be told: how America's greatest comic-book company was driven to the brink of insolvency by warring tycoons and rescued from the abyss by two obscure but wily entrepreneurs. In the late 1980s, financier Ronald Perelman, worth billions and riding high after his hostile takeover of the cosmetics firm Revlon, bought Marvel Entertainment-legendary creator of Captain America, the Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and other superheroes-and he had big plans. He not only began churning out more comic books, he also acquired sports cards and other subsidiaries, impressing Wall Street so much that after he took the company public, Marvel's market value ballooned to over $3 billion. Perelman took advantage of the company's inflated valuation by selling junk bonds, and personally pocketing nearly $500 million. Meanwhile, Marvel's bank debt rose to more than $600 million. And then came the collapse of the comic-book and trading-card markets. Enter rival corporate raider, Carl Icahn, who sank a fortune into Marvel's bonds in an effort to wrest away control of Marvel-and to beat Perelman at his own game. As the competing tycoons went head-to-head, Ike Perlmutter and Avi Arad, two entrepreneurs who ran Toy Biz, a company that depended on Marvel superheroes, realized that their fate hung in the balance. They soon put in motion plans to take control themselves. Bunkered in The Townhouse, his high-security Manhattan corporate headquarters, Perelman had Marvel declare bankruptcy. Icahn, an avid poker player, had to figure out if his foe was bluffing; the Toy Biz entrepreneurs needed to find a way to savethe company they loved from ruin; and a team of killer lawyers representing the banks was faced with recouping their colossal debt. Thus, in United States Bankruptcy Court, began the comic war-as ferocious and outlandish as any of Marvel's tales of good vs. evil. Combining meticulous investigative reporting with entertaining storytelling, "Comic Wars exposes the actions and motives of two Goliath-style corporate raiders, two innovative Davids, and some of the world's most prominent banks. It is the rollicking true tale of a unique Wall Street showdown, of Marvel's surprising emergence from the ashes of bankruptcy, and of its triumphant reinvention as the producer of such hit Hollywood movies as "X-Men and "Spider-Man.

Download or read book Comic Wars written by Dan Raviv and published by Marvel Comics Group. This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Every Spy a Prince comes the colorful true story of the business superheroes who rescued Marvel Comics from bankruptcy. In the mid-1990s, Marvel Entertainment became embroiled in a crisis as strange as one of its comic book stories. Locked in a battle for control of the half-century-old company were two Goliath-style corporate raiders and two virtually unknown Davids: Israeli immigrants with a passion for the toy business. This was a test of wills that led to a unique Wall Street showdown. Combining hard-hitting journalism with entertaining storytelling, Comic Wars takes readers behind the scenes of America's most bitter bankruptcy and captures the high-stakes, often hilarious twists and turns of this financial fiasco. The unforgettable cast of characters ranges from tycoon Ron Perelman (who bankrupted Marvel through overexpansion) and Carl Icahn (who then launched a hostile takeover of Marvel) to Ike Perlmutter and Avi Arad, scrappy owners of Toy Biz and the duo who ingeniously outmaneuvered the moguls. Culminating with Ike and Avi's triumphant launch of the blockbuster movie X-Men, and published just in time for the Spider-Man live-action movie, this is a marvelous must-read for the business world and all admirers of true grit.

Download or read book The Comic Book War written by Jacqueline Guest and published by Coteau Books. This book was released on 2014-04-15 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's 1943 and World War II is raging. 15-year-old Robert Tourond is home in Calgary, but his three brothers are all fighting the Nazis. Robert follows the exploits of his favourite comic book heroes who also battle bad guys in the comics Robert spends his allowance on. When Robert finds a meteorite in Nose Hill Park near his home, in the same week that a meteorite features in his heroes' stories, Robert is convinced that a magical link exists between them, adn that the superheroes will protect his brothers. Robert has a nemesis of his own on the streets of Calgary - a girl they call "Crazy Charlie." When Robert gets a job delivering telegrams, Charlie does too, cutting into his profits. Then they discover exactly what those telegrams they're delivering have for the recipients. Then Charlie has to deliver one to Robert's house. Can Robert and his heroes really protect all three brothers and bring them home? What will happen if reality comes crashing into his world, like a meteorite falling from space? Who will help then?

Download or read book The Siloviki Wars written by Sam Timel and published by Humanoids Inc. This book was released on 2014-02-05 with total page 51 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Some say it's like seeing Bill Gates turn into Che Guevara... But it ain't that simple. Let me explain how it all began..." -- Sam Timel

Download or read book Comic Wars written by Dan Raviv and published by . This book was released on 2002-01-30 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the late 1980s, billionaire financier Ronald Perelman bought Marvel Entertain. -- creator of Captain Amer., the Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men, & other super-heroes. After he took the co. public, Marvel's market value ballooned to $3 bil. Perelman took advantage of the company's inflated valuation by selling junk bonds, pocketing $500 mil., while Marvel's debt rose to $600 mil. And then the comic-book & trading-card markets collapsed. Corp. raider Carl Icahn sank a fortune into Marvel's bonds in an effort to wrest away control of Marvel. As the competing tycoons went head-to-head, Ike Perlmutter & Avi Arad, two entrepreneurs who ran Toy Biz, planed to take control themselves. Perelman declared bankruptcy, & the comic wars began. Illustrated.

Download or read book The Ten Cent Plague written by David Hajdu and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2009-02-03 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the years between the end of World War II and the mid-1950s, the popular culture of today was invented in the pulpy, boldly illustrated pages of comic books. But no sooner had comics emerged than they were beaten down by mass bonfires, congressional hearings, and a McCarthyish panic over their unmonitored and uncensored content. Esteemed critic David Hajdu vividly evokes the rise, fall, and rise again of comics in this engrossing history. "Marvelous . . . a staggeringly well-reported account of the men and women who created the comic book, and the backlash of the 1950s that nearly destroyed it....Hajdu’s important book dramatizes an early, long-forgotten skirmish in the culture wars that, half a century later, continues to roil."--Jennifer Reese,Entertainment Weekly(Grade: A-) "Incisive and entertaining . . . This book tells an amazing story, with thrills and chills more extreme than the workings of a comic book’s imagination."--Janet Maslin,The New York Times "A well-written, detailed book . . . Hajdu’s research is impressive."--Bob Minzesheimer,USA Today "Crammed with interviews and original research, Hajdu’s book is a sprawling cultural history of comic books."--Matthew Price,Newsday "To those who think rock 'n' roll created the postwar generation gap, David Hajdu says: Think again. Every page ofThe Ten-Cent Plagueevinces [Hajdu’s] zest for the 'aesthetic lawlessness' of comic books and his sympathetic respect for the people who made them. Comic books have grown up, but Hajdu’s affectionate portrait of their rowdy adolescence will make readers hope they never lose their impudent edge."--Wendy Smith, Chicago Tribune "A vivid and engaging book."--Louis Menand,The New Yorker "David Hajdu, who perfectly detailed the Dylan-era Greenwhich Village scene in Positively 4th Street, does the same for the birth and near death (McCarthyism!) of comic books inThe Ten-Cent Plague." --GQ "Sharp . . . lively . . . entertaining and erudite . . . David Hajdu offers captivating insights into America’s early bluestocking-versus-blue-collar culture wars, and the later tensions between wary parents and the first generation of kids with buying power to mold mass entertainment."--R. C. Baker,The Village Voice "Hajdu doggedly documents a long national saga of comic creators testing the limits of content while facing down an ever-changing bonfire brigade. That brigade was made up, at varying times, of politicians, lawmen, preachers, medical minds, and academics. Sometimes, their regulatory bids recalled the Hays Code; at others, it was a bottled-up version of McCarthyism. Most of all, the hysteria over comics foreshadowed the looming rock 'n' roll era."--Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times "A compelling story of the pride, prejudice, and paranoia that marred the reception of mass entertainment in the first half of the century."--Michael Saler,The Times Literary Supplement(London) David Hajdu is the author ofLush Life: A Biography of Billy StrayhornandPositively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña and Richard Fariña.

Download or read book Private Dalzell His Autobiography Poems and Comic War Papers Sketch of John Gray Washington s Last Soldier Etc written by James McCormick Dalzell and published by . This book was released on 1888 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Every Spy A Prince The Complete History of Israel s Intelligence Community written by Dan Raviv and published by Plunkett Lake Press. This book was released on 2024-01-15 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the New York Times Best Seller list for 12 weeks (August 12-October 28, 1990) “This is a comprehensive history of Israel’s security establishment. The authors celebrate successes like Eichmann’s capture, but far more interestingly, they do not shy away from examining the security services’ failures... the book is riveting because Israel’s early intelligence feats still resonate in today’s world... the book makes valuable reading for anyone interested in Israel’s world-wide plans to deal with matters affecting its security.” — Wall Street Journal “The authors... obviously found enough talkative sources... to provide them with the remarkable case histories they describe here. Even though some of the Israeli operatives sound boastful, the book is not propaganda or disinformation. While it is filled with many examples of how Mossad pulled off major coups, the authors are at pains to point out that the Israelis sometimes goofed... The authors flesh out stories that once made headlines with fresh material. Not all the Israeli intelligence triumphs involved violence. The Israelis managed to outrun the C.I.A. and all of Western Europe’s spy agencies in getting their hands on a copy of Nikita S. Khrushchev’s secret speech in 1956 to a special Communist Party Congress in Moscow that exposed the horrors of the Stalin era... The story of the 1960 capture in Buenos Aires of Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi war criminal, by Mossad and Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, is lovingly re-created. A high point of Israeli intelligence came in 1967, during the Six-Day War, when foreknowledge of enemy positions and abilities paved the way for a rapid victory. The astonishing rescue in 1976 by army commandos of hijacked passengers from Entebbe airport in distant Uganda gained added respect for Israel in the Western world. Against the triumphs, the authors balance these failures: Mossad’s misjudgments in Lebanon, Shin Bet’s killings of Arab terrorists in captivity, and the involvement of Israel in the disarray of Irangate. In addition, double agents were used in Britain and caught there; an American, Jonathan Pollard, was encouraged to spy and sell military secrets to Israel, and faulty intelligence resulted in ‘misleading the Government over the future of the occupied territories, just as a Palestinian uprising was beginning.’... [a] highly revealing book.” — New York Times “Everything you wanted to know about Israel’s spies and secret services — but were afraid to discover. This comprehensive history and analysis of the Israeli intelligence community offers many original insights into the secret psyche of the Jewish State... The book presents new information on some of Israel’s greatest intelligence coups and failures.” — Kirkus “Basing their work on interviews with former operatives and on declassified documents, CBS news correspondent Raviv and Israeli journalist Melman here produced a revealing critical history of the rise and decline of Israel’s vaunted security and intelligence arm.“ — Publishers Weekly “[A] detailed history of Israel’s intelligence agencies.“ — Washington Post “Every Spy a Prince is by far the best book ever published on Israel’s intelligence community, filled with new and fascinating information, skillfully and intelligently written and, above all, bold and judicious in its assessments of the triumphs and failures of one of the most remarkable espionage organizations in the world.” — San Francisco Chronicle “A highly readable, well-organized portrait of the main Israeli intelligence services .. . . Every Spy a Prince is a valuable, balanced addition to the mushrooming literature about the world’s second oldest profession.” — Newsday

Download or read book The Making of Star Wars Enhanced Edition written by J. W. Rinzler and published by Ballantine Group. This book was released on 2013-10-22 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This enhanced eBook transforms The Making of Star Wars into an immersive multimedia experience worthy of the original film. It features exclusive content pulled from the Lucasfilm archives by author J. W. Rinzler: • 26 minutes of rare behind-the-scenes video* • 29 minutes of rare audio interviews with the cast and crew • New bonus photos and artwork not found in the print edition After the 1973 success of American Graffiti, filmmaker George Lucas made the fateful decision to pursue a longtime dream project: a space fantasy movie unlike any ever produced. Lucas envisioned a swashbuckling SF saga inspired by the Flash Gordon serials, classic American westerns, the epic cinema of Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa, and mythological heroes. Its original title: The Star Wars. The rest is history, and how it was made is a story as entertaining and exciting as the movie that has enthralled millions for more than thirty years—a story that has never been told as it was meant to be. Until now. Using his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its trove of “lost” interviews, photos, production notes, factoids, and anecdotes, Star Wars scholar J. W. Rinzler hurtles readers back in time for a one-of-a-kind behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the “little” movie that became a phenomenon. It’s all here: • the evolution of the now-classic story and characters—including “Annikin Starkiller” and “a huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills” named Han Solo • excerpts from George Lucas’s numerous, ever-morphing script drafts • the birth of Industrial Light & Magic, the special-effects company that revolutionized Hollywood filmmaking • the studio-hopping and budget battles that nearly scuttled the entire project • the director’s early casting saga, which might have led to a film spoken mostly in Japanese—including the intensive auditions that won the cast members their roles and made them legends • the grueling, nearly catastrophic location shoot in Tunisia and the subsequent breakneck dash at Elstree Studios in London • the who’s who of young film rebels who pitched in to help—including Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Brian DePalma But perhaps most exciting, and rarest of all, are the interviews conducted before and during production and immediately after the release of Star Wars—in which George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Sir Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, composer John Williams, effects masters Dennis Muren, Richard Edlund, and John Dykstra, Phil Tippett, Rick Baker, legendary production designer John Barry, and a host of others share their fascinating tales from the trenches and candid opinions of the film that would ultimately change their lives. No matter how you view the spectrum of this phenomenon, The Making of Star Wars stands as a crucial document—rich in fascination and revelation—of a genuine cinematic and cultural touchstone. *Video may not play on all readers. Please check your user manual for details.

Download or read book Secret Wars written by Jonathan Hickman and published by Marvel Entertainment. This book was released on 2016-03-16 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Latverian Prime Minister Lucia Von Bardas funds a group of supervillans as a means of wreaking terror on American soil. and the U.S. government refuses to overthrow the Latverian government, S.H.I.E.L.D's Nick Furry is forced to call upon Spider-Man, Captain America, Daredevil, Black Widow, Luke Cage, Wolverine and Daisy Johnson to help.

Download or read book War Comics written by Mike Conroy and published by Ilex Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examining how stories of conflict have been told in comics down the years, this book covers everything from EC Comics depictions of the US Civil War to Joe Saccos reportage on modern, assymmetric, conflicts. Comics from the First and Second World Wars are put in context, with their propaganda- driven plotlines and enemy-bashing superheroes, but the book also covers rebellious, anti-war, underground comix, horror comics, investigative journalism and more thoughtful mainstream developments such as Charleys War. War Comics: A Graphic History exposes this fascinating genre in all its many forms.

Download or read book Star Wars written by and published by Marvel. This book was released on 2016-01-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You know him...you love him...now, join him for his biggest caper as master of charm Lando Calrissian gets his very own book! Before he joined the rebellion, before he ran Cloud City, Lando made his way in the galaxy getting by on some swindles, some swagger, and a smile. Lobot at his side, Lando has a plan to steal a very valuable ship...but has he bitten off more than he can chew? Writer Charles Soule (DEATH OF WOLVERINE, INHUMAN, SHE-HULK) and artist Alex Maleev (DAREDEVIL, SPIDER-WOMAN, MOON KNIGHT) bring us the tale of a scoundrel in his natural element--trouble! COLLECTING: STAR WARS: LANDO 1-5

Download or read book Deadpool Amazing Spider Man Hulk written by John Layman and published by Marvel Entertainment. This book was released on 2011-09-07 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a perfect world, what could possibly go wrong? Peter Parker thinks life couldn't get any better - until an explosion at Horizon Labs plummets him (along with Deadpool and Hulk) into another dimension where the Amazing-Spider is the world's most powerful and beloved hero, and Peter Parker is a billionaire mogul playboy (with surprises in his supporting cast). Will Peter discover the price for perfection? Meanwhile, Deadpool teams up with Deadpool (well...Deathwish) in this alternate-reality-doppelganger extravaganza! And what dreams come true does this dimension hold for Hulk? Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #38, DEADPOOL ANNUAL #1 and INCREDIBLE HULKS ANNUAL #1

Download or read book Star Wars written by Jody Houser and published by Marvel Entertainment. This book was released on 2019-05-15 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collects STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC — ANAKIN SKYWALKER, OBI-WAN KENOBI, PADMÉ AMIDALA and QUI-GON JINN and material from STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC SPECIAL. This is the Age of Star Wars — an epic series of adventures uniting your favorite characters from all three trilogies! Join the greatest heroes of the Old Republic. Witness the moments that define them, the incredible battles that shaped them — and their eternal conflict between light and darkness! Maverick Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn is known to bend the rules — but a mission gone awry forces him to confront his conflicting beliefs! Anakin Skywalker has a chance to strike a devastating blow to the separatist cause. Will he choose the darker path or hold true to the Jedi code? Padmé Amidala sets out on a secret mission! Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Jedi, takes on an apprentice. Will his mission alongside his young Padawan bring them closer together or sow the seeds that will drive them apart? Plus: Mace Windu, Captain Rex and Jar Jar Binks!

Download or read book Comic Books written by Shirrel Rhoades and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2008 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an insider's guide to how the comic book industry works. You'll learn how comic book superheroes are created and the deeper meanings they represent. You'll follow the development of sequential art storytelling - from caveman wall paintings to modern manga and cinematic techniques. Here you will explore comics in all forms: those flimsy pamphlets we call comic books; thick graphic novels; Japanese manga; and blockbuster movies featuring epic battles between good and evil. But behind it all, you'll discover how comics are an intellectual property business, the real money found in licensed bedsheets and fast-food merchandise, heart-pounding theme park rides and collectible toys, video games, and Hollywood extravaganza featuring such popular superheroes as Spider-Man, Superman, X-Men, and Batman.

Download or read book Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars written by and published by . This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Complete History of American Comic Books written by Shirrel Rhoades and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2008 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an updated history of the American comic book by an industry insider. You'll follow the development of comics from the first appearance of the comic book format in the Platinum Age of the 1930s to the creation of the superhero genre in the Golden Age, to the current period, where comics flourish as graphic novels and blockbuster movies. Along the way you will meet the hustlers, hucksters, hacks, and visionaries who made the American comic book what it is today. It's an exciting journey, filled with mutants, changelings, atomized scientists, gamma-ray accidents, and supernaturally empowered heroes and villains who challenge the imagination and spark the secret identities lurking within us.