Best of Witzend

"Fed up with the formulaic restrictions, censorious nature, and onerous denial of creator's rights in mainstream comics, cartoonist Wallace Wood boldly decided to launch his own magazine. Witzend immediately became a cauldron of creativity for Wood and his friends. And with friends like Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, Gray Morrow, Steve Ditko, Reed Crandall, Art Spiegelman, Vaughn Bode, Jim Steranko, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Alex Toth, Joe Staton, Mike Zeck, Howard Chaykin, and Bernie Wrightson--to name just a few--it was a joyous outpouring of unfettered artistic freedom. Best of Witzend includes the first appearance of Wood's feral avenger, Animan; Wood's fairy tale with teeth, Pipsqueak Papers; Ditko's controversial Mr. A; Morrow's swashbuckling Orion--and an Edgar Allan Poe poem stunningly illuminated by Frank Frazetta. Curated by Bill Pearson, Wood's handpicked successor, Best of Witzend also includes intimate details of Witzend's turbulent history and testimony to the inspiration it gave to other artists"--Back cover.