I condensed this essay somewhat: if you go to the WDL blog and read the original you'll see that Mark tends to cover the same ground several times, particularly when discussing the post-WWII environment in America (a topic that clearly fascinated him, but one that he never quite found a way to definitively summarize in the context of covering one film at a time).
He ultimately became more comfortable writing about film poster art, which tied in perfectly with his academic career at Susquehanna University. His magnum opus, focusing on poster art for westerns, is due to be released by Fantagraphics in the fall--a true coffee table book.
https://www.fantagraphics.com/collections/mark-fertig/products/hang-em-high-110-years-of-western-movie-posters-1911-2020
Looks like a keeper...
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