Men Of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book
By Gerard Jones – Published by Basic Books – ISBN 0465036562 – 384 pages

The first few decades of the 20th century saw mass migration of persecuted European Jews out of their traditional homes and their relocation to the United States. Many settled in the heart of New York and came to dominate the financial life of the city through a network of mob connections. Other Jews moved to the suburbs or to industrial towns like Cleveland and integrated into small town USA. The growth of Pulps and comic books brought both groups together — the streetwise city centre Jews (the “Gangsters”) controlled the distribution and managed the publishing companies, while their suburban cousins (the “Geeks”) were the editors and writers who created the stories that fuelled the new media. This book follows the life experiences of major players from each community and shows that while they may have needed each other, they never really understood each other.
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