The historical saga of American superheroes. Born in the period between the Great Depression and the World War II to combat the hobgoblins of the modern world, these mutant human beings with superhuman powers colonized the funny papers, radio dramas, television and films, to become a truly national industry in the United States: they gave expression to the fears and obsessions of the twentieth century and bolstered American ideals.

Superhero creator and Marvel Comics legend, Stan Lee, together with Marvel's top artist, John Buscema, demonstrate the skills needed to create compelling characters and scenes for drawing and writing comic books. Based on the book of the same name, the video became an educational classic for aspiring cartoonists and is also available on DVD. Stan Lee's flair for humor and close friendship with Buscema adds to this good-natured instructional video a sense of drama, action and fun. Stan Lee's inimitable talent for creating superheroes (Spider Man, The Incredible Hulk, etc.) and Buscema's own creations (Conan the Barbarian, Silver Surfer, etc.) meshes well in the conversation and makes this a special treat for comic book fans as well as cartoonists on all levels