Instead, a slow accumulation of odd plot elements and devices slowly remade the characters. Modern cultural logic regards comic books as a childrens medium, a decidedly minor facet of american popular culture. Some strict collectors consider the era finished by 1950. Superman in look magazine golden age comic books cgc. Comics historians divide the history of american comic books into ages. The odd thing here is the comic books were the source material for the movies which is becoming source material for the comics which to some feel a recycled undertaking. Created by jerry siegel and joe shuster, superman is possibly the most recognizable comic book character to this day. This wiki follows superman only throghout the golden age. Kall of earthtwo is commonly referred to as the golden age superman, thus being the main superman that appeared throughout the golden age of comic books. Top 100 most valuable comic books of the golden age 19381956 the 100 most valuable comic books from each age. Supermans origin is perhaps one of the bestknown stories in comic book history. Superman is perhaps the longestlived of the classic golden age superhero characters to remain in the public imagination, and, in addition to a 75year history of comic book publication, the character has also had a long career on the silver screen.
Through inclusions and omissions, did goldenage comics replicate the racism and sexism of us culture or question stereotypes and prejudice. The golden age or golden age of comic books is an era of comic books between the late 30s and mid50s and though it is not exclusive to superhero fiction, it is important to it. This page will deal with the most valuable of all, golden age comic books. Comics histories sometimes reduce the golden age to the superman. Dc later assigned his golden age appearances from 1938 through the early 50s to the earthtwo version of the character while his silver age counterpart existed on earthone. Many famous heroes made their first appearance in the golden age, such as bruce wayne the golden age of comic books was a period beginning. In this article, all dates given for various ages are approximate. If you are a superman fan that wants have these great stories and pay a little extra, go for it right now. The amazing stylistic history of comic books 99designs. His father was the esteemed scientist, jorl, and his mother was a librarian named lora. The story has been through many revisions through decades of publication in comic books and radio, television and film adaptations. The fascinating dichotomy present in this era is that it is remembered so fondly hence the golden age moniker while it was also when comic books were at their most disposable.
Pregolden age 193338 the birth of the modern comic book. We have such a wide selection that the comics are broken out by letters. Oct 12, 2015 as a matter of fact, they are releasing five separate volumes, each pulling material from the 75 years book, and each highlighting a distinctive historical age in comic books. Detective comics also introduced us to batman and robin. During this time, modern comic books were first published and enjoyed a surge of popularity. The first release is this one, devoted to as the title suggests the golden age of dc comics, an era ending in 1955, when the silver age was born. Superman the man of steel in the golden age britannica. The superhero archetype was created and many wellknown characters were introduced, including superman, batman, captain marvel, captain america, and wonder. Superman s origin is perhaps one of the bestknown stories in comic book history. Superman complete set of 3 mnh us postage stamps scotts 3185f, 4084a and 4084k. With superman s quick success, the demand for superman stories exceeded the creators ability to produce them. Superman appears in the dc comics and dark horse comics miniseries superman vs. These eras include the golden age 19381950, the silver age 19561970, the bronze age 19701985, and the modern age 1985present.
Golden age comics wide selection of golden age superworld. As shown in the original golden age comics including. Superman battles saboteurs, investigates a rash of plane crashes, faces a superpowered luthor and much more. The golden age of comic books, 19381956, its significance and its historical impact on modern comics. Throughout the golden age, comics as a medium were not yet synonymous with superheroes as a genre horror stories, funny animals, mysterysolving detectives, westerns, romances, reporters wearing a press hat, and more all remained popular throughout this period, in some cases more popular than. But the modern comic book magazine format was born five years earlier. Welcome to superworld comics golden age comics browsing page. During this era, comic books became more popular, with the concept of superhero created and firmly established. I was searching around for different sources and i came across this forum. Feb 07, 2019 for this episode kriss and dpalm do something a little different and instead of focus on a particular character, theyre breaking down the history of comic books starting with the golden and. The man of tomorrows golden age adventures continue.
During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. Comics have been in existence since the end of the 19th century, but it was after the depression that the popularity of newspaper cartoons expanded into a major industry. The golden age of comic books useful notes tv tropes. Though comics had become increasingly popular in the early 20th century, originally in newspapers in magazines and. Dc comics characters superman, batman, robin, wonder woman. The 8 ages of comic books by alex grand comic book historians.
The golden age of comic books describes an era of american comic books from 1938 to 1956. Get the best deals on superman golden age comics 19381955 when you shop the largest online. How censors killed the weird, experimental, progressive golden. It follows the silver age of comic books, 3 and is followed by the modern age of comic books.
Sep 18, 2018 the first decade or so after superman was introduced in 1938 is generally known today as the golden age of comics, particularly when it comes to superhero books. What do superman, batman, captain america, and other comicbook superheroes reveal about the society of the united states during this golden age period. Truth, justice, and the birth of the superhero comic book. The golden age omnibus volume 1 is an impressive book for the first and arguably greatest superhero of all time, even if it has some minor flaws. Created in new york by jewish immigrants, the first comic book. Comic books can be as pulpy or as serious or as just plain weird as you want them to be. The precise era of the golden age is disputed, though most agree that it was born with the launch of superman in 1938. One event cited for the beginning of the golden age was the 1938 debut of superman in action. This was superman, the very first comic character to have powers far beyond a normal human being. The preeminent hero of the dc universe, superman s adventures have been continuously published since 1938. Even seasoned collectors may have problems attaining comics from this era.
Select the range of golden age comic books by choosing a view above. Like the invincible superman of the optimistic golden age, now is a time when anything is possible. Mar 11, 2015 hey im currently studying history in my last year of high school. Golden age of comic books golden age comics wiki fandom. For this episode kriss and dpalm do something a little different and instead of focus on a particular character, theyre breaking down the. The golden age describes an era in the creation of comic books published between the years of 1938 and 1955.
This category is for superheroes created during the golden age of comic books. For our finals we have to do a research project on any topic we want, and ive chosen to study comic books in relation to ww2. The golden age of comic books was a period beginning in 1938 and ending in the mid 50s. In fact, they are among the older and more desirable comics on the market.
Representations of american culture from the great depression to the cold war before beginning a historical study of comic books, it is necessary to shed our modern perception of the medium. These are the years when comics were considered a new and exciting form of art. Just think, without the paper drives during the war the number of golden age books available to the collectors market today could be staggering. Nov 04, 2016 one thing can be said about our current comic book age. The bronze age of comic books is an informal name for a period in the history of american superhero comic books usually said to run from 1970 to 1984. Oct 06, 2016 what makes this an age for comic books is that the success of the movies then change the content of the comic books to match for corporate synergy. Unlike other golden age heroes in dc comics, superman, batman and wonder woman had no definitive dividing line between their silver age and golden age incarnations, since their books were never cancelled, and their characters never left the public eye. The version of superman from the golden age of comic books was also the very first version of the character.
Created by jerry siegel and joe shuster, superman is possibly the most. Discover the golden age of comic books in under six minutes with this. Although affecting the history of some superheroes, zero hour didnt significantly alter superman s history since the 1986 reboot. The golden age is a common term describing an era of comics beginning in 1938, when superman made his first comic book debut. The origin of superman is the story that relates superman s arrival on earth and the beginnings of his career as a superhero. The golden age of comic books was a period in the history of american comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s. The end of this era is vague and nonspecific but it is generally agreed that by the mid1950s, the silver age had begun. Although the stories continued to carry the siegel and shuster byline, progressively more of the work was done by assistants in the siegel and shuster studio les daniels, comix.
With the exception of the beginning of the golden age and the beginning of the silver age, little consensus exists on startingending dates. Many iconic characters were introduced in this time period and became part of american culture at a very interesting point in our history. Superman superman the man of steel in the golden age. We will say that the golden age begins in 1938 and ends in 1956, when the silver age began. Apr 03, 2017 the golden age of comics 19381956 technically, the golden age of comics took place between 1938 and 1956.