Superman soared out of a Depression-era America desperate not for just a hero but a superhero to prevail against the crushing realities of life. But as comic book readers escape into a rich world of words and pictures, it's easy to forget the slumped-over figure at the drawing board--the cartoonist, who may live in Metropolis for much of the day but still calls Minnesota home.

In Superheroes, Strip Artists & Talking Animals, Britt Aamodt coaxes twenty-three contemporary artists from Minnesota's burgeoning cartoonist community to talk about one of America's most colorful,...