The New Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Stories: From Crumb to Clowes

A single-issue anthology curated by the Smithsonian Institution and New College Press, this 2004 release traces the evolution of American comics from the underground comix of Robert Crumb to the alternative work of Daniel Clowes. While the collection spans a broad artistic movement, its most frequently featured creators are Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, with Ditko also serving as the volume's most prolific artist. It stands as a concise, museum-quality snapshot of the medium's shift from mainstream superheroics to personal, avant-garde storytelling.