Comic Book University: YouTube for the super hero in all of us
The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962). Cover art by Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I don’t normally do a shout-out for a solitary YouTube channel, especially one that is fairly new, but the channel called Comic Book University has quite impressed me with its depth, number of videos, and its range of subjects.
Headed up by Professor Bill, so far the channel has taken serious, in depth looks at The Incredible Hulk, Doomsday, Killer Croc, and the unforgettable talent of artist Jack Kirby. Besides the series videos on those topics, there have been a handful of individual videos, including a memorial for Kenny Baker, known as R2-D2 from the Star Wars films. Also, Professor Bill’s videos have hinted at more to come, possibly including videos on the X-Men, Captain America, and other characters and topics.
Basically, there’s already a lot of good stuff here, and more should be on the way.
The series about the Hulk includes nine videos, each running from about 10 to 20 minutes, not including an intro video of a minute and a half. The Hulk’s origin as Bruce Banner is covered, as well as the Hulk’s powers, some of which are somewhat rare and not commonly known. For instance, did you know the Hulk could see ethereal or spiritual beings? I did from my early readings of The Defenders comics, but that had been long ago and I’d forgotten it.
The Hulk videos also cover a number of major story lines over the years involving the big green guy. The gray Hulk, Planet Hulk and World War Hulk are covered well, but plenty of other tales are mentioned.
The series of four videos about Jack Kirby are quite educational, going over Kirby’s earliest days as an artist, his time with Marvel, his brief stint with DC, his return to Marvel, and his later works. The final Kirby video features a nice tribute to this famous comic book artist.
Comic Book University isn’t just about the history of comics, however. It also looks to the present and the future in interviews with some of today’s comics creators and others working in the field. So far there have been interviews with Jonathan Miller of Outpouring Comics and Luis Zambrano of The Geek Fortress. More interviews can be expected in the future.
One of the nice details about the Comic Book University channel, and its companion Facebook page, is the sheer love for the topic that Professor Bill brings to his subject material. Not only does he love comics, but he appears to be a long-time fan and is quite knowledgeable of the medium.
There are other YouTube channels related to comic books and the comic book industry, but Comic Book University has quickly become my new favorite. If you have a personal favorite, please let others know about it in the comments section so Professor Bill and the rest of us can check it out.
And while you’re at it, don’t forget to Stay Nerdy!
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