For all the great writing that's evolved from the comics industry, very little of it has been focused on covering the ins and outs of the business and uncovering the industry's past, which is rich with characters, loaded with great anecdotes, and ripe for exploration. Now, Dark Horse Comics presents the first all-encompassing insider's look at the history of this eccentric, endearing industry.

Comics: Between the Panels is an all-new coffee table-style hardcover collection of alphabetic entries, detailing the goings on of the comics industry in a way that many people have never seen. Written and researched by Dark Horse Comics' co-founder and President Mike Richardson and journalist Steve Duin, Comics: Between the Panels takes a look at more than 100 years of comics history, and presents it on a level that's both insightful and entertaining. From creators and characters, to companies, collectors, and conventions, this book explores everything, including the earliest daily strips in newspapers, the industry crisis in the 1950s, the most recent blockbuster titles and characters, and whatever else fits Between the Panels. In short, Comics: Between the Panels is everything you ever wanted to know about the comics industry but didn't know whom to ask.

"Setting the record straight. Singing the praises of the unsung heroes. Salvaging both the bitter memories and the sweet. Celebrating the strange quirks of the collectors. And that's just the letter S," noted Steve Duin, lifelong collector of comics, columnist for The Oregonian newspaper in Portland, and co-author of Comics: Between the Panels.

Comics: Between the Panels is a lavish hardcover volume, featuring full-color photographs on each of its 500 informative pages. This gigantic tome chronicling the life and times of the comic book industry is available at comic book and retail book stores everywhere for $49.95 starting September 9.