One of 500 numbered copies, signed by the author and the illustrator Jose Villarrubia. Octavo, illustration by Jose Villarrubia, cloth backed boards. Though the book itself is not rare, the wraparound dustwrapper containing all the Hearts/King Features characters is scarce.Ītlanta/Portland: Top Shelf Productions. This duo created what was in essence a marketing book about the stable of comic characters at King Features. To write the book, King Features brought in erstwhile Hollywood scriptwriter, playwright and newspaper columnist Jack Lait, who would later co-author 'New York Confidential', 'Chicago Confidential' and 'Washington Confidential'. This allowed Biederman to develop the skill of being able to copy any of the cartoonists at King features and it was he who was assigned the artwork in this book. Louis Biederman worked as a staff assistant at King Features at this time, filling in when cartoonists went on vacation, inking different cartoonists work and pitching in on the lettering. Segar, Chester Gould, all shown interacting - at a banquet, the races (a match between Spark Plug and Maud), and at a wedding - in color drawings (some double page) by Louis Biedermann. A story by Jack Lait featuring 1920's comic characters created by George McManus, George Herriman, Frederick Burr Opper, Reuben L. 10-112, color illustrations by Louis Biedermann, original green cloth, spine panel lettered in gold, color pictorial onlay affixed to front panel, pictorial endpapers. ALL THE FUNNY FOLKS: THE WONDER TALE OF HOW THE COMIC-STRIP CHARACTERS LIVE AND LOVE 'BEHIND THE SCENES.' After Gaines untimely death in 1947, his son Max took over the company and took it in the direction that is well known today of horror and science fiction stories during the 1950s. Gaines would then go on to establish the E.C. The companies were merged in 1944 with Gaines being bought out. Leibowitz was also co-owner of National Allied Publications, the company that would eventually become National-DC comics. The financing for All-American came from his partner Jack Leibowitz. Gaines founded All-American Publications which featured original material including the super-heroes Flash, Hawkman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. In 1933 he devised a saddle stitched newsprint pamphlet which was the precursor of the modern four color comic book. Gaines is essentially the father of the modern comic book. The second insert is 'Picture Stories From the Bible: The Story of Ruth' by Gaines and artist Don Cameron.

It also includes two four color comic inserts, the first 'The Minute Man Answers the Call' with writing credit to Gaines and illustrated by an uncredited Sheldon Moldoff, which is a promotion to buy War Bonds. This is one of the earliest essay's on comic books, an offprint from Print: A Quarterly Journal of Graphic Arts (Summer, 1942). 2 5-8 11-14, , illustrated throughout, printed wrappers. NARRATIVE ILLUSTRATION: THE STORY OF THE COMICS.

All the Funny Folks by Jack Lait