I came across Byron Preiss in an old newspaper article.   He wanted to use comic books to teach kids how to read.  I wanted to learn more about him. so I started an Internet search for a man who built a publishing empire from a comic book and a dream 

“In 1971, while Preiss was teaching at a Philadelphia elementary school, he conceived and with Jim Steranko produced an anti-drug comic book, The Block, designed for low-level reading skills. Published by Steranko's company, Supergraphics, it was distributed to schools nationwide.”

Jim Steranko , life-long friend and collaborator said:

"For more than three decades, he (Byron) spearheaded a multiplicity of mediaforms, from comics and ebooks to electronic games and CD-ROMs, that fused words and images like few other individuals would achieve in the entertainment arts. As an author, he generated dozens of books, from hard science and history volumes to profusely illustrated children's literature. As a packager, he produced a stream of quality fiction and nonfiction titles for almost every primary publishing house... Preiss was a subtle, yet seminal force in contemporary popular culture and specifically in the evolution of narrative illustration"  

Byron Preiss Presentation

Next >