Respected anthologist Leonard S. Marcus turns his literary microscope to the world of comics, which has lately morphed and matured at a furious pace. Powerful influences from manga to the movies to underground comix have influenced the thirteen artists and writers interviewed in these pages to create their own word-and-picture narratives. Here are their moving, funny, inspirational stories: true tales from the crucible of creative struggles that led each to become a master of one of today's most vibrant art forms. The book also contains an original graphic short on the common theme of "the city" from each of the artists, a mini-comic set in a cityscape of their choosing--present-day, historical, or imaginary.

Featuring interviews with:
Harry Bliss
Catia Chien
Geoffrey Hayes
Kazu Kibuishi
Hope Larson
Danica Novgorodoff
Matt Phelan
Dave Roman
Mark and Siena Cherson Siegel
James Sturm
Sara Varon
Gene Luen Yang