Treasure Island Treasury of Comics is a book that details the creation of pirate comic books in the last seven years, most notably Tales of the Black Freighter. The book features the works of Max Shea, Michael Longfield, Tim Snowden, XRAT, Lisa Downing, Harvey Kurtzman, Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and many others.[1]
Background[]
Treasure Island: Treasury of Comics is a book which details the creation of Tales of the Black Freighter and the appeal of pirate comics, which first became popular after the 1950s when comic books were briefly scrutinized (except for certain comic books that were inspired by government-sponsored agents). Due to the government acting in favor of the comic book industry, EC Comics dominated the marketplace of pirate-related titles throughout the 1950s. Soon after other publishers began following EC's example.
In chapter 5 of Treasure Island Treasury of Comics, the book describes the appeal of pirate comics in general and focuses on the unanticipated success of Tales of the Black Freighter by National Comics. Originally conceived by artist Joe Orlando and writer Max Shea in May 1960, it tells the story of "a vessel from Hell" that takes on the souls of "evil men so that they may walk its blood-stained decks for all eternity." The title is notorious for its horrific scenes of piratical brutality and excesses. Orlando left the project after nine issues, and artist Walt Feinberg took over. One of their more notable collaborations was the two-part "Marooned" story in issues 23 and 24. The series ended soon thereafter, and Shea disappeared from the public eye.
Trivia[]
- The "brief surge" of anti-comic book sentiment is a stark contrast to the real-life anti-comic book sentiment in the 1950s which led to the regulation of comic book content and the formation of the Comics Code Authority.
- The Watchmen version of EC Comics flourished over its pirate-centered stories while its real-life counterpart faced public criticism for its content and pressured by the censors, ceased publication of its comic lines except for its humor magazine Mad.
- The title "A Man on Fifteen Dead Men's Chests" refers to the classic pirate song of the same name.
- The Black Freighter, as confirmed by Alan Moore, is inspired by the song "Seeräuberjenny" ("Pirate Jenny") from Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's 1928 play The Threepenny Opera.
- According to the Watchmen Sourcebook, the in-universe price for Treasure Island Treasury of Comics is $18.95.[1]
- The item number for the book is XM66245.[1]