The Awesome Golden Age of Comic Books

Comic books have been in existence for more than 80 years. The Golden Age comics is an era between 1938 and 1956. It is the first comic book age. Many renowned characters such as Batman, Captain America, and Superman were introduced during this period. In this post, we explore the Golden Age of comic books.

History

Superman was introduced to action comics in 1938. Detective Comics published it thus making it known worldwide. Rival firms created other superheroes to compete with Superman. The Golden Age began during this era. It comprises several eras.

 During World War II

Captain Marvel first appeared in Whiz Comics in 1940. All-American Publications and Detective Comics published other superheroes including Batman, the Atom, Aquaman, the Flash, Green Arrow and Robin between 1939 and 1941. Timely Comics sold millions of comics such as Captain America, the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch in the 1940s. Current statistics show that Captain Marvel is the best-selling Golden Age comic. Initially, it was published twice a month to gain popularity.

Patriotic heroes were famous during the Second World War They wore blue, red and white attire. Most of them competed with the Axis powers. The Captain America comic book had a certain character who battled with Adolf Hitler. After a while, publishers started venturing into different genres. For example, Walt Disney became the most sought after superhero. Dell Comics featured Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Tarzan, and Rogers. MLJ introduced Archie Andrews in 1941. It led to the creation of teen humor comic books.

The War Exchange Conservation Act prohibited the importation of American comics in Canada. Canadian publishers started introducing different characters. They were known as the Canadian Whites.

 After World War II

Dagwood Spilt the Atom used Strip Blondie comic characters. They enabled young readers to have a clear understanding of nuclear war without being paranoid. Humor comics such as Four Color, Uncle Scrooge and Mad debuted in 1952. Juvenile delinquency became a major concern in America between 1953 and 1954. It led to the formation of the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency.

William Gaines publishers testified in court that the comics did not promote illegal behavior in juveniles. The Association of Comics Magazine Publishers created the Comics Code Authority to self-censor comic books.

 Diversification of Genres

Superhero comics started losing popularity in the late 1940s. Major comic publishers started venturing into different genres including crime, fiction, horror, romance, science, and war. They converted some superhero titles to suit these genres. For example, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Superboy converted from fun comics to adventure comics.

All-American Western replaced All-American Comics in 1948 while Green Lantern and Flash Comics were canceled in 1949. However, comics such as Adventure Comics, Action Comics, Batman, Detective Comics and Wonder Woman were published until 1960.

Plastic Man converted to detective comics in 1950. Its cover was published in November 1956. The Black Cat converted into a horror comic in 1951. However, it underwent several title transformations such as Black cat Mystery and Black Cat Western. Many people like purchasing Golden Age comics. Established retailers aim at satisfying their clients’ needs. There is a wide array of comic books to select such as Batman, Green Arrow, Superboy, and Superman. You can buy them online or by visiting a retail shop.