Created by comics historian Rick Marschall, it was published between 1983 and 1990 by Fantagraphics.

While some issues were thematic, most were a mix of articles, interviews, comic strip reprints and more.

Marschall later co-founded another magazine about comics, Hogan's Alley.

During that same period in the 1980s, Fantagraphics launched an imprint, Nemo Bookshelf, the Classic Comics Library.

This was a line of classic comic strip reprint books, including Little Orphan Annie, Pogo, Red Barry, Dickie Dare, The Complete E. C. Segar Popeye and Prince Valiant.