HEXAGON COMICS: THE FIRST 70 YEARS! THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF FRANCE’S OLDEST COMIC-BOOK PUBLISHER edited by Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier

HEXAGON COMICS: THE FIRST 70 YEARS!
THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF FRANCE’S OLDEST COMIC-BOOK PUBLISHER
edited by Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier; cover by Roberto Castro.

7X10 trade paperback 

300 p b&w.

ISBN 978-1-61227-807-0. 

US$22.95 / GBP 14.99

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HEXAGON-COMICS-ILLUSTRATED-COMIC-BOOK-PUBLISHER/dp/1612278078

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-hexagon-comics-the-first-70-years.html

Established in 1950, Hexagon Comics is France’s oldest comics publisher, with a universe of characters as diverse and varied as Marvel’s or DC’s. This profusely illustrated 300-page history includes articles by Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Joe Kubert, Roy Thomas and Mike Baron, ten comics stories, four prose stories by some of America’s best pulp authors, illustrations by Paul Pope, Stan Sakai, Steve Rude, Steve Bissette, Jean-Claude Forest and dozens of the world’s best comic artists, interviews, biographies, characters’ profiles, a history of Hexagon from its first publication in 1950, and more...

HEXAGON COMICS: THE FIRST 70 YEARS is “a discovery of unsung European comic books, heretofore unseen by American readers” (Will Eisner), and an “eye-filling collection of some of the best series that Hexagon produced during its long and lustrous history” (Stan Lee), not to be missed by any true comic-book aficionado.

CONTENTS:

FOREWORD BY FILM MAKER MARC CARO (CITY OF LOST CHILDREN).

COMICS STORIES: 
- BATHY-09 (RJM LOFFICIER/ALFONSO RUIZ), 
- DOUG MALONE & MALINBORNE (RJM LOFFICIER/JUAN RONCAGLIOLO), 
- KABUR (RJM LOFFICIER/DAVID LAFUENTE), 
- MORGANE (RJM LOFFICIER/MANUEL MARTIN PENICHE), 
- OZARK (JM LAINÉ/JM ARDEN/REED MAN), THE PARTISANS (RJM LOFFICIER/MARIO GUEVARA),
-  PHENIX (RJM LOFFICIER/FERNANDO PASARIN), 
- RAKAR (RJM LOFFICIER/ROBERTO CASTRO), 
- STARCYB (RJM LOFFICIER/MANUEL MARTIN PENICHE), 
- WAMPUS (FRANCO FRESCURA/LUCIANO BERNASCONI),
- ZEMBLA (JIM DANDY/FRANCO ONETA).

PROSE STORIES: 
- GALOR & ANTONIN (TRAVIS HILTZ), 
- JED PUMA (MATTHEW BAUGH), 
- STORMSHADOW (FRANK SCHILDINER),
-  THE TIME BRIGADE (CLAUDE J. LEGRAND).

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JM ARDEN, LUCIANO BERNASCONI, ALESSANDRO BIFFIGNANDI, STEPHEN R. BISSETTE, ONOFRIO BRAMANTE, ALEXIS BRICLOT, LINA BUFFOLENTE, ANNIBALE CASABIANCA, ROBERTO CASTRO, DOMINIQUE CEBE, VINCENZO CHIOMENTI, LEONE CIMPELLIN, MARIO CUBBINO, MARIANO DE LA TORRE, MARCELLO DI CHIARRA, JJ DZIALOWSKI, SERGIO FERNANDEZ DAVILA, JEAN-CLAUDE FOREST, GERALD FORTON, JEAN FRISANO, EDUARDO GARCIA, MANUEL GARCIA, CHRISTIAN GOSSETT, TIMOTHY J. GREEN II, DANILO GROSSI, MARIO GUEVARA, LADRÖNN, MAURO LIRUSSI, ALFREDO MACALL, CHRIS MALGRAIN, ALESSO MARIANI, MANUEL MARTIN PENICHE, GABRIEL MAYORGA, JEAN-YVES MITTON, YVES MONDET, FRANCO ONETA, CHRISTOPHE OUVRARD, FRANCO PALUDETTI, RAFFAELE PAPARELLA, IVO PAVONE, STEPHANE & OLIVER PERU, PAUL POPE, LUCA POZZA, EDMOND RIPOLL, JUAN RONCAGLIOLO, STEPHANE ROUX, STEVE RUDE,ALFONSO RUIZ, JOSE LUIS RUIZ PEREZ, STAN SAKAI, JAY STEPHENS, RAUL TREVINO, GIORGIO TREVISAN, EMILIO UBERTI. NESTOR VARGAS, GUIDO ZAMPERONI.
 
INTERVIEWS WITH LUCIANO BERNASCONI, JJ DZIALOWSKI, JM LAINÉ, ALFREDO MACALL, MANUEL MARTIN PENICHE, FRANCO ONETA, IVO PAVONE, GIORGIO TREVISAN.
 
BIOS OF LUCIANO BERNASCONI, ALESSANDRO BIFFIGANDI, ONOFRIO BRAMANTE, LINA BUFFOLENTE, ANNIBALE CASABIANCA, CARLO CEDRONI, VINCENZO CHIOMENTI, LEONE CIMPELLIN, MARIO CUBBINO, DANILO GROSSI, CLAUDE J. LEGRAND, JM LOFFICIER, YVES MONDET, THIERRY MORNET, FRANCO & FAUSTO ONETA, FRANCO PALUDETTI, RAFFAELE PAPARELLA, IVO PAVONE, GIORGIO TREVISAN, EMILIO UBERTI, GUIDO ZAMPERONI.
 
ARTICLES BY MIKE BARON, ERIC BOISSAU, MATTHEW DENNION, WILL EISNER, JM LAINÉ, PATRICE LESPARRE, JOE KUBERT, STAN LEE, RJM LOFFICIER, THIERRY MORNET, MICHEL PAGEL, FRANK SCHILDINER, ERIC STOFFEL, ROY THOMAS.
 
FOCUS ON THE GUARDIAN OF THE REPUBLIC, KABUR, PHENIX, STARLOCK, STRANGERS, WAMPUS, ZEMBLA, NEW HEROES, TEENAGE HEROES, UNDERWATER HEROES.

 If you read my post on Jean-Marc Lofficier and Hexagon Comics then that post compared to this book was me placing a microdot on the back of a stamp. If you missed that feature (thanks to Blogger and its weird search engine) here is a link:

https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2016/09/jean-marc-lofficier-man-who-created.html

This book was certain;ly an eye-opener for me and the contents had me flipping back and forth through the pages.  The creator biographies are always welcome if you have a genuine interest in comic book history -phpotographs of the creators are very welcome because you may see the name and the art style that goes with a name but there is nothing like the words "Oh. So that is what he looks like!" Nice especially since a good number of these creators are no longer with us.

There is plenty -plenty- of artwork as well as stripwork. You get to see the "generation 1" creators -the originators- and "generation 2" the new blood that are taking Hexago into the 2020s!

It is always a very nice surprise when you have been reading and collecting comics as long as I have to find new characters, creators and comics. I know that there are other old companies around the world but how many ever feature in books or even online? Timely became Atlas and Atlas became Marvel Comics and National Periodical Publishing became DC Comics but Hexagon was and is Hexagon!

Even if you are not interested in the history then the characters are some of thwe most unique -such as Wampus. But if you just love looking at different art styles and page layouts this book has that. I just cannot recommend this book enough-it is pure comics joy and I am still browsing through it and how can you ignore that cover?!