Synopses & Reviews
Will Eisnerand#8212;best known for his influential comic book series
The Spirit and his groundbreaking graphic novel
A Contract with Godand#8212;believed in the teaching power of comics, and from 1951 to 1971 he produced
PS magazine for the U.S. Army. This
Preventive Maintenance Monthly (called
PS because it was a postscript to the standard technical manuals) was aimed at teaching American soldiers everything about weapons safety for vehicles, aircraft, firearms, and electronics. Eisner illustrated these vital lessons in drawings, pinups, step-by-step guides, and comic strips. This collection contains the best of Eisnerand#8217;s 227 issues of
PS, reproduced in a portable digest format. This relatively unknown work by Eisner is finally exploredand#8212;the missing link between his comic books and his later, more mature graphic novel style.
Praise for PS Magazine:
"For the first time, Will Eisnerand#8217;s superlative work for the U.S. Army has been assembled into a single collection. The result shows the artistand#8217;s keen understanding of the educative power of graphic storytelling. From 1951 to 1971, between The Spirit and A Contract with God, Eisner produced PS Magazine for the army in order to teach the common soldier how best to use, maintain, repair, and requisition their equipment. From explaining how to load a truck correctly to why it wonand#8217;t start, Eisner used a combination of humor, sound technical writing, and graphic storytelling to educate the soldiers. His magazines could be found at the front lines, in the officerand#8217;s mess, and in the quarters of senior military officials. It featured a cast of recurring characters like the loveable Joe Dope and the voluptuous Connie Rodd, who headlined featured segments like and#8220;Joeand#8217;s Dope Sheetand#8221; and the provocatively named and#8220;Connie Roddand#8217;s Briefs.and#8221; With Eisnerand#8217;s wonderful artwork and clarity of style making sometimes difficult concepts easy to understand, itand#8217;s no wonder PS Magazine was so popular with military personnel. A fascinating document for both fans of Eisner and military history buffs."and#160;
- Publishers Weekly starred review and#160;
and#8220;These amusing yet pragmatic sketches provide a and#8216;missing-linkand#8217; comics document for fans and demonstrate the same mastery of his craft that marked Eisnerand#8217;s better-known works.and#8221;
and#8212;Booklist
and#8220;An instructional model for todayand#8217;s producers of nonandshy;fiction comics, which too often lack such visual traction, this also has appeal for military buffs, vehicle junkies, and Eisner fans.and#8221;
and#8212;Library Journaland#160;
and#8220;The enthusiast whoand#8217;s been nurturing a curiosity about Eisnerand#8217;s lost years will find all he needs to know from this beautifully produced little volume.and#8221; and#8212;The Comics Journal
"Eisner understood comics' potential for education decades before his peers, and PS magazine was his first laboratory. This thoughtful new collection is an essential addition to the Eisner library."and#160;
-Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics
Synopsis
Drawing from dozens of the U.S. Army's official field manuals, editor Jay McCullough has culled a thousand pages of the most useful and curious tidbits for the would-be soldier, historian, movie-maker, writer, or survivalist—including techniques on first aid; survival in the hottest or coldest of climates; finding or building life-saving shelters; surviving nuclear, biological, and chemical attacks; physical and mental fitness, and how to find food and water anywhere, anytime. With hundreds of photographs and illustrations showing everything from edible plants to rare skin diseases of the jungle, every page reveals how useful Army knowledge can be.
Synopsis
Everything you must know to survive almost any dangerous situation.
Synopsis
Will Eisnerbest known for his influential comic book series The Spirit and his groundbreaking graphic novel A Contract with Godbelieved in the teaching power of comics, and from 1951 to 1971 he produced PS Magazine for the U.S. Army. This Preventive Maintenance Monthly, called PS because it was a postscript to the standard technical manuals, was aimed at teaching American soldiers everything about weapons safety for vehicles, aircraft, firepower, and electronics. Eisner illustrated these vital lessons in drawings, pinups, step-by-step guides, and comic strips. This collection contains the best of Eisner's 227 issues of PS Magazine, reproduced in a portable digest format. This relatively unknown work by Eisner is finally exploredthe missing link between his comic book work and his later, mature graphic novel style.
About the Author
The U.S. Department of the Army is headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and authors The Soldier's Guide, The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, U.S. Army Ranger Handbook, U.S. Army Hand-to-Hand Combat, U.S. Army First Aid Manual, U.S. Army Weapons Systems, U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook, U.S. Army Guide to Boobytraps, U.S. Army Explosives and Demolitions Handbook, U.S. Army Special Forces Guide to Unconventional Warfare, and U.S. Army Special Forces Medical Handbook.Jay McCullough is a writer and editor specializing in the subjects of history and military history. He is the editor of The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Survival Skills, Tactics, and Techniques; The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Combat Skills, Tactics, and Techniques; and The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Special Forces Skills, Tactics, and Techniques. He lives in North Haven, Connecticut.