Combining elements of art history, oral history, and personal anecdote, the series is sourced from firsthand interactions with multiple influential figures in early comics, notably Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Will Eisner, and Jack Kirby.

[1] Steranko was already an established comic book artist when he wrote The Steranko History of Comics and was able to gain direct access to multiple influential figures in the industry, including Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Will Eisner, and Jack Kirby.

[2] The Steranko History of Comics was one of several works published from the mid-1960s to early 1970s on the history of comics, science fiction, pulp fiction, and other adjacent mediums that were produced in recognition of the largely uncodified history of those mediums; notable examples include Seekers of Tomorrow (1965) by Sam Moskowitz, Great Comic Book Heroes (1965) by Jules Feiffer, and All In Color for a Dime (1970) by Richard A. Lupoff and Don Thompson.

[2][3] "Using images to make points of connection rather than dry academic quotes, Steranko, without any formal training in history, in many ways began the study of cultural historicism in comics by making his process plain.

His method of understanding comics history—by hunting for cultural forebears, swipes, artifacts, and stories—is still very much in practice today."