Hip Hop Family Tree Book 2: 1981-1983: 0 - Softcover

Piskor, Ed

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1606997564 ISBN 13: 9781606997567

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books, 2014

Synopsis

Following the runaway success of the original Hip Hop Family Tree, Ed Piskor hits us with another block-rocking instalment. The lore of the early days of hip hop has become the stuff of myth, so what better way to document this fascinating, epic true story than in another great mythological medium - the comic book? From exciting young talent and self-proclaimed hip hop nerd Ed Piskor comes this explosively entertaining, encyclopaedic history of the formative years of the music genre that has changed global culture.

About this title

Review:

Captures the personalities, imagery and milestones with a hilarity and efficiency that no other medium could.

The second collection of Piskor's hip-hop history in comics may be a better place to start reading it than the first.... There's plenty more to come, and Piskor's Jack Kirby-ish drawing chops -- monumental figures in thrusting, dynamic action; flat colors that crush perspective -- constitute precisely the sturdy vehicle to carry it as far as Piskor will take it.--Ray Olson

In this volume, you see the evolution from club following to recording industry. Names you recognize are put in a different light -- Melle Mel, Kool Herc, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, Ice T, Run-DMC, Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons.--Brook Stephenson

...[P]henomenal ... Piskor is constantly exploring fresh ways to capture the intensity of the music and the hip-hop scene in his artwork. His storytelling is evolving as the world of his narrative gets better, and the wild growth of the hip-hop industry in the mid-'80s suggests that Piskor's best is yet to come.--Oliver Sava

One of the defining histories of hip hop... Ed created a portal into the beginning of hip hop, and just saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is a poor way of explaining why its impact is greater than that of a detailed book.--Daniel Genis

...[T]his second stunning volume of Piskor's witty and thorough history of music, culture and commerce is a blast to read. His depiction of the birth of the movement, its musicians, visual artists, executives and other hustlers crackles with energy. On paper, the printing and production add an appropriately authentic '80s appearance and vibe to it, enhancing the fun and flavor.--Richard Pachter

Piskor had not been born when his new volume begins, but perhaps it's just as well: Like a reporter with art pen in hand -- and a hip-hop soundtrack in his head -- the Pittsburgh cartoonist drops bold lines while steeped in deep research, bringing both a fan's passion and a journalist's discerning eye to this nitty-gritty history of the art form.--Michael Cavna "Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2014 "

An astonishing feat of cultural archaeology, in both ambition and execution. The project somehow doesn't seem quite real: a comic-book history of hip-hop going back to the very beginning -- the late 70s -- where lore is thick and documentation scarce. To tell this story in any language would be a challenge; to tell it in the language of comics feels like a magical summoning.--Lary Wallace

The first book had some great moments in it and this one does too. Picking up in 1981 this book weaves in all the different stuff that was going on at the time... and all of this is woven into an overarching saga that flows seamlessly and never feels like a collection of random anecdotes.--Nick Gazin

He's not just doin' a comic book, he's doin' a piece of history.--Darryl "DMC" McDaniels

About the Author:

Ed Piskor (1982) lives and draws out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His New York Times Best-Selling series Hip Hop Family Tree, which was originally serialized on Boing Boing, has gone back to print numerous times, and won the 2015 Eisner Award for "Best Reality-Based Work." His series for Marvel, X-Men: Grand Design, was released in 2017 to wide acclaim.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1606997564
• ISBN 13: 9781606997567
• Binding: Flexibound
• Number of pages: 112