 Amazing Heroes #85 (December 15, 1985). Cover art byAlan Davis. | |
| Editor | Michael Catron (founding editor) Kim Thompson (1981–1992) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Comics criticism and news |
| Frequency | Varied between monthly and biweekly |
| Publisher | Fantagraphics Books |
| First issue | June 1981 |
| Final issue Number | July 1992 204 (plus a number of special issues and annuals) |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Stamford, Connecticut (1981–1984) Greater Los Angeles,California (1984–1989) Seattle, Washington (1989–1992) |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 0745-6506 |
Amazing Heroes was amagazine about thecomic book medium published by American companyFantagraphics Books from 1981 to 1992. Unlike its companion title,The Comics Journal,Amazing Heroes was a hobbyist magazine rather than an analytical journal.[1]
Fantagraphics decided to publishAmazing Heroes as another income stream to supplementThe Comics Journal. As long-time Fantagraphics co-publisherKim Thompson put it: "If you want to look at it cynically, we set out to stealThe Comic Reader's cheese. Which we did."[2]
Amazing Heroes' first editor was Fantagraphics' head of promotion and circulation,Michael Catron. His inability to meet deadlines led to his being replaced after issue #6[3][4] byComics Journal editorKim Thompson.
The magazine was initially published under the Fantagraphics imprintZam Inc.,[5] through issue #6.[6] Beginning with #7, the publishing imprint becameRedbeard Inc.[7] It remained under Redbeard through at least issue #61,[8] but by issue #68 was being published directly by Fantagraphics Books, Inc.[9]
The magazine began as a monthly, then appeared twice a month for many years, and then went monthly again beginning in 1989. The magazine ran for 204 issues, folding with its July 1992 issue.[10] The final issue was released as a flip book, with issue #203 on the front and issue #204 inverted on the back. It also released a number of special issues, such asAmazing Heroes Preview Special #1–5, 10, & 11 (1985–1990),Amazing Heroes Swimsuit Special #1–5 (1990–1993), andThe Best of Amazing Heroes Swimsuit Special (1993).
In February 1993, Fantagraphics announced that the publisherPersonality Comics had bought the rights toAmazing Heroes, and planned to revive the magazine.[11] Nothing came of it, however, as Personality itself folded later that year, and by 1994 the rights had reverted back to Fantagraphics.[12]
Amazing Heroes' first 13 issues were magazine-sized, while the rest were comic book-sized.
The regular content included industry news, comics creator interviews, histories of comic book characters and reviews. Features includedHero Histories of various characters/features, previews of upcoming series, andletters page. Other regular features were a column called "Doc's Bookshelf" by Dwight Decker (which ran from 1987–1989),[5] and a question-and-answer feature called "Information Center", which ran from 1986–1989.[5]
There were regular special editions presenting previews of all comics slated to appear over the next six months, withAmazing Heroes Preview Special appearing twice a year, beginning with the Summer 1985 issue #1.[5] These were extra-sized issues (often square-bound), and many issues also contained joke entries. The editors fluctuated between publishing these as separately numbered specials and special issues of the regular series itself, with issues #133, 145, 157, and 170 of the regular series (released in 1988 and 1989) taking the place of specials six through nine.
TheAmazing Heroes Swimsuit Special, featuring pin-ups of characters inbikinis and similar beach apparel by various artists, debuted with a June 1990 edition.[5] It was preceded by annual swimsuit issues ofAmazing Heroes: #115 (April 1987), #138 (April 1988), and #164 (May 1989).
Amazing Heroes #200 (Apr. 1992) contained an extended preview ofScott McCloud'sUnderstanding Comics; the issue was later awarded aDon Thompson Award for Best Non-Fiction Work.
From 1985 to 1987, the magazine presentedThe Jack Kirby Award for achievement in comic books, voted on by comic-book professionals and managed byAmazing Heroes managing editorDave Olbrich.[13] After a dispute in 1987 over who owned them,[13] the Kirby Awards were discontinued.[14] Starting in 1988, two new awards were created: theEisner Award, managed by Olbrich, and the Fantagraphics-managedHarvey Award.
Amazing Heroes won the U.K.'sEagle Award for Favourite Specialist Comics Publication four years in a row, from 1985 to 1988: