Sex in the Comics

This is a fine, large-format, serious-minded history of sex in 20th century comics, that would be of interest to comic fans, comic artists, as well as art, social and cultural historians. It is fully illustrated, in both black and white and full color, and includes an index. There is about equal amounts text and examples of comics. This book covers a wide-gamut, from Lil' Abner, to R. Crumb to Cathy, to Frank Frazetta, to Penthouse's Wicked Wanda, and Playboy's Little Annie Fannie, and a smattering of the undergrounds. There is also an overview of comics in various countries throughout the world. There is a fair amount of explicit content, but it is not gratuitous. It has a nice dustjacket, modest on the front, a little more risque on the back. I won't give this book a five star rating, because although this book covers a lot of ground, I'm sure there is a lot of territory not covered, and that someone could go into more scholarly depth on the subject. (For instance, there isn't any discussion of how these comics relate to erotic art prior to the 20th century.) But at the moment, I don't know of another book that is any more comprehensive. Bear in mind that this book is nearly 20 years old.