Film Noir 101: The 101 Best Film Noir Posters from the 1940s-1950s

Film Noir 101: The 101 Best Film Noir Posters from the 1940s-1950s (2014) Mark Fertig

Fantagraphics has expanded its comics/graphic novel offerings to deliver an exceptional volume of film noir original theatrical posters. The question is are these the best films noir or the best film noir posters, or both? The question is largely moot; many will quibble over the inclusion of one film over another, one ranking higher or lower than another, but the thing that matters is Film Noir 101 is a celebration of both the art and the style of film noir. 

The poster reproductions are absolutely gorgeous, printed on high quality paper (which is what we've come to expect from Fantagraphics) but the size of the volume - 10.75" x 14.25" - makes the book itself a work of art. It's hard for us to imagine what it was like to promote movies in the 1940s and 1950s without the Internet, Pinterest, Facebook, etc., but Film Noir 101 shows us that the poster had to carry the weight in those days and many of those represented here are impossible to ignore.  

The artwork alone makes this book a must-have, but Fertig's brief essays on each film are superb. Read them not only to find out more about the films, but the stories behind the films, the actors and the culture of the times. Now that I've finished reading the book, I'm tracking down all the films I haven't yet seen. (You'll probably want to do the same.)

If you're a fan of film noir or classic films in general, you won't want to miss this volume. Let's hope we'll see future volumes from Fantagraphics.