The Star Reach Companion

The Star*Reach Companion is a complete history and bibliography of the 1970s independent comic, highlighting its importance to the comics field. Star*Reach's influence was enormous, impacting nearly every aspect of modern comics and genres, and showcasing such creators as Dave Stevens, Frank Brunner, Howard Chaykin, Steve Leialoha, Walter Simonson, Barry Windsor-Smith, Ken Steacy, John Workman, Mike Vosburg, P. Craig Russell, Dave Sim, Michael Gilbert, and many others. In addition to extensive historical coverage and interviews by author Richard Arndt, the book also features full stories from Star*Reach and its sister magazine Imagine, including the first Gideon Faust story by Before Watchmen writer Len Wein and The Shadow artist Howard Chaykin, "Marginal Incident" by Fables artist Steve Leialoha, and, presented for the first time in the original, intended version, "Siegfried and the Dragon" by P. Craig Russell, one of the first of his operatic adaptations. Also included is extensive information about independent magazines like Witzend, Hot Stuf', and Andromedea that both preceded and followed Star*Reach in its mission to re-invent comics for a more mature audience. It includes a Foreword by Star*Reach founder Mike Friedrich, and a cover by Howard Chaykin!