comics history
Formula One, Taylor Swift, and “Will Eisner Week” Event
Today’s a busy day! Why? Well, for one thing, today two of my books came out from Penguin Random House. One of those books is 96 Facts About Formula One. The other one is 96 Datos Sobre Taylor Swift, which is the Spanish-language edition of my USA Today bestselling book 96 Facts About Taylor Swift. I wrote both books, they were both illustrated by Risa Rodil, and the Taylor Swift book was translated into Spanish by Ariela Rudy Zaltzman.
Here’s the official publisher description of 96 Facts About Formula One:
Packed with fun facts, quick quizzes, and bonus pages for journaling, this is a must-have for anyone wanting to know more about some of F1’s most famous drivers, including Charles Leclerc, Jamie Chadwick, Lella Lombardi, Lewis Hamilton, Marta García, and Max Verstappen.
96 Facts About Formula One is available HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Here’s the official publisher description of 96 Datos Sobre Taylor Swift:
¡El libro de datos y diario definitivo para fans de Taylor Swift! Lleno de datos curiosos, cuestionarios cortos y hojas en blanco para escribir, es un libro que todos y todas las Swifties deben tener.
And here it is in English:
The ultimate fact book and journal for fans of Taylor Swift! Packed with fun facts, quick quizzes, and bonus pages for journaling, this is a must-have for any Swiftie.
96 Datos Sobre Taylor Swift is available HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!! At 7pm EST today, Tuesday March 3rd, 2026, I’ll be appearing on an online panel discussion, as part of Will Eisner Week. The panel is called “The Comics vs the Fascists – A Will Eisner Week 2026 Event.” The event is FREE, but you have to register, which you can do by emailing comicssymposium@gmail.com
Here’s a description of the “Comics vs. the Fascists” panel:
When fascism threatened the world in the 1930s and ‘40s, comics creators rushed to counter its threat, including through their characters actions. Will Eisner (with The Spirit), Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (with Captain America), and Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (with Superman) were among the prominent writers and artists who used their four-color platforms to combat fascists both at home and abroad. Today, shining a spotlight on the way these creators rose to the challenge, and what lessons may be learned for the present, is an expert panel including:
- Karen Green (Columbia University Curator for Comics and Cartoons)
- Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook)
- Arie Kaplan (From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books)
- Charles Kochman (Abrams ComicArts)
- Danny Fingeroth (Will Eisner Studios) moderator
More info about the event can be found HERE.
The Fantastic Four LGB Comes Out in July!
Last year, I wrote a children’s book called The Fantastic Four Little Golden Book, which was illustrated by Eda Kaban. It comes out on July 1, 2025 from Penguin Random House.
Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, I should also point out that – although The Fantastic Four LGB comes out just a few short weeks before the Fantastic Four: First Steps movie – it’s not an adaptation of that film. So if this book isn’t based on the movie, what is it? Well, I don’t want to say too much about it at this early date. But I can say that it’s a loving tribute to the 1960s-era Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Fantastic Four comics.
(And honestly, just from watching the FF: First Steps trailer, it certainly looks like that movie is also a tribute to the 1960s-era FF comics. So I guess the movie and this book both have that in common.)
Here’s the official publisher description of the book:
Marvel’s iconic first family of super heroes, the Fantastic Four, arrive to save the day in their first ever Little Golden Book!
When a team of four daring space explorers get bombarded by mysterious cosmic rays, they return to Earth changed forever. Given incredible powers, Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing band together to keep the world safe from super villains and alien invaders. These action-packed full-color pages will introduce these heroes’ amazing powers and their friends and foes! Kids 2 to 5—along with Marvel fans and collectors—will love this Little Golden Book based on The Fantastic Four.
And hey, did you notice that part in the publisher description where it said that this is the first-ever Fantastic Four Little Golden Book? Which is pretty cool! I’m very proud of this book, I had a fantastic * time writing it, and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
Speaking of which, it’s available for preorder HERE, HERE, and HERE.
And to see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House, click HERE.
* Honestly, what other word was I going to use?
It’s the Danny & Arie Show on “Dollar Bin Bandits”!
Not long ago, my friend Danny Fingeroth and I were both guests on the “Dollar Bin Bandits” podcast, where host Oren Phillips spoke to us about the history of Jews in the comic book industry. Danny and I are both experts on that topic (since we’ve both written books on it), and we had a wonderful time talking to Oren about the impact and legacy of legendary Jewish comic book creators like Will Eisner, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby. I think it made for a really fun episode of “Dollar Bin Bandits.”
Oh, and did I mention that the episode is out NOW? Because it IS! You can check out the episode right this very minute, on YouTube and all podcast platforms. HERE is the YouTube (video) version.
And you can listen to the Apple Podcasts version of the episode HERE.