Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
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Post by Confessor on Aug 16, 2016 19:21:30 GMT -5
EC was the gold standard in total publisher quality I know I'm opening up a whole can of "what is or isn't a Golden Age comic" worms here, but I don't see those EC books as either Golden Age or early Silver Age. To me they're something distinctly different. I dislike Golden Age comics, as a rule of thumb, but I adore EC's crime or horror titles. They seem a little too sophisticated for Golden Age comics and not super-heroy or hip enough to be quite Silver Age. I've heard the phrase Atomic Age used to describe that 50's era of comics and I must admit that I kind of like that term. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 16, 2016 19:27:16 GMT -5
I've heard the phrase Atomic Age used to describe that 50's era of comics and I must admit that I kind of like that term. Thus my earlier question about the time frame. Atom Age (to those who recognize it) is from 1945 (end of WWII) to 1956 (start of the Silver Age). Part of what makes discussing a "Golden Age" tricky is that, unlike the other ages, there is no one dominant genre, so there is no major event, transformation, or approach that dominates the era. The Sub-Mariner fought The Human Torch, Donald Duck found square eggs, and the romance, fantasy, war, and horror genres proliferated as well. It's not until Wertham and Seduction of the Innocent came around that the field narrowed considerably. But, by acknowledging an "Atom Age," it narrows things down just a little bit more, as superheroes were largely out of vogue at this point and horror, westerns, teen humor, and funny animal titles were on the rise. |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 16, 2016 19:28:57 GMT -5
EC was the gold standard in total publisher quality I know I'm opening up a whole can of "what is or isn't a Golden Age comic" worms, but I kind of see those EC books as Golden Age or early Silver Age. To be they're something different. As a rule of thumb, I dislike Golden Age comics, but I adore EC's crime or horror titles. They seems little too sophisticated for Golden Age comics and not super-heroy or hip enough to be quite Silver Age. I've heard the phrase Atomic Age used to describe that 50's era of comics and I must admit that I kind of like that term. You are right Confessor, I agree. I believe in a distinct name for the period between what's known as the Golden Age and the beginning of The Silver Age. Late 1940s until about DC Showcase #4 where the horror, romance teen comedy, western, SF, war and other genres ruled. And super-heroes were rare exceptions. Since the OP didn't define Golden Age, I thought I'd mention EC anyway. It's importance, besides it's roster of talent, publisher of Mad and the focus of censor's wrath leading to the Comics Code makes the company quite important for Comic history |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2016 20:34:16 GMT -5
I know I'm opening up a whole can of "what is or isn't a Golden Age comic" worms, but I kind of see those EC books as Golden Age or early Silver Age. To be they're something different. As a rule of thumb, I dislike Golden Age comics, but I adore EC's crime or horror titles. They seems little too sophisticated for Golden Age comics and not super-heroy or hip enough to be quite Silver Age. I've heard the phrase Atomic Age used to describe that 50's era of comics and I must admit that I kind of like that term. You are right Confessor, I agree. I believe in a distinct name for the period between what's known as the Golden Age and the beginning of The Silver Age. Late 1940s until about DC Showcase #4 where the horror, romance teen comedy, western, SF, war and other genres ruled. And super-heroes were rare exceptions. Since the OP didn't define Golden Age, I thought I'd mention EC anyway. It's importance, besides it's roster of talent, publisher of Mad and the focus of censor's wrath leading to the Comics Code makes the company quite important for Comic history I agree the Golden Age ended sometime in the late 40's. IMO the Golden Age was 1938-1948. Then Atomic Age until the Silver Age in 1956-1969. Then the Bronze age 1970-1985. Beyond 1986 I have no idea...modern, copper, etc. |
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,872
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Post by shaxper on Aug 16, 2016 20:37:43 GMT -5
I agree the Golden Age ended sometime in the late 40's. IMO the Golden Age was 1938-1947. Why specifically 1947? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2016 20:55:44 GMT -5
I agree the Golden Age ended sometime in the late 40's. IMO the Golden Age was 1938-1947. Why specifically 1947? Sorry I corrected my post. I meant to say 1948. When All-American Comics became All-America Western. That started the shift IMO away from superheroes to other genres. By 1951 All Star Comics would become All Star Western. Star Spangled Comics would become Star Spangled War Stories . Capt America would become Capt America Weird Tales (1948). Marvel Mystery Comics would become Marvel Tales (horror). Plastic Man was pushed out of Police Comics in 1950. Daredevil was pushed out to star the Little Wise Guys. And so on... |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 16, 2016 21:01:41 GMT -5
There's no universal accepted date for the end of the Golden Age but most agree it hinges on the ending of super-hero popularity post WWII. That ending occurred slowly but steadily. Many agree that the Golden Age was definitely over with the end of DC's JSA stories in All-Star Comics.
The last issue was #57. Feb/Mar 1951. It then became All Star Western. Some might say 1953 with the end of Fawcett's Captain Marvel. Personally, both years seem to be a bit too late for me and comic's had changed dramatically beforehand.EC horror began in 1950. I'd be fine with that year as the starting point for The Atomic Age
edit: now I'm reading what md62 had written and fine with it. With EC starting up, The Atomic Age was in full swing
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2016 21:19:41 GMT -5
I agree the Atomic Age could start with 1948 as I pointed out or 1949 when the majority of super hero titles were canceled. Last appearance of the JSA in 1951 or Capt Marvel in 1953 doesn't count IMO since heroes continued at DC with Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman & Marvel (Atlas) revived their Big 3 in 1953 (granted its was short lived - Cap & Torch only lasted 3 issues but Sub-Mariner lasted for 9 issues).
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 16, 2016 21:34:44 GMT -5
Another date of importance for the end of the Golden Age and beginning of The Atomic Age Sept/Oct 1947 was the cover date for Crestwood Publishing's Young Love comics by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. This title very shortly was selling millions of copies per issue and kicked off the big Romance Comics genre. By the very early 1950s, approximately 1/3 of the entire American comics market was romance books .jpg) Fall 1948 saw the first on-going horror comic, ACG's Adventures Into The Unknown #1 So instead of marking the end of the Golden Age with things that were discontinued, maybe it's better to do so with benchmarks that began |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Aug 16, 2016 21:42:08 GMT -5
I have serious issues with the concept of "Ages" of comics. I recognize comfort of classification. But comic book ages always seem to be centered on Super-Hero comics whether that makes sense or not. It simply reinforces the incestuous thinking that leads to the idea that Comics = Superheroes.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 16, 2016 21:47:04 GMT -5
I have serious issues with the concept of "Ages" of comics. I recognize comfort of classification. But comic book ages always seem to be centered on Super-Hero comics whether that makes sense or not. It simply reinforces the incestuous thinking that leads to the idea that Comics = Superheroes. Yes, but at least The Atomic Age was the anti-superhero age. I would have felt quite at home with this period, especially since it was pre-code |
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Post by hondobrode on Aug 16, 2016 22:12:30 GMT -5
It's very difficult to pick between Dell and EC, but I'm casting my vote for EC. Not only for Mad-the-comic-later-Mad Magazine, and the Comics Code Authority / senate hearings, but for showing that comics could be better than what had come before (with exceptions of course). The line also showed how strong genre stories, told well, could be without superheroes. Gaines also heroically tried to shift gears at the end with his Picto-Fiction line, but by then the horse was already spooked. The market just didn't support it. EC still inspires to today's creators and probably had the greatest line up of talent, per capita, of any comic book publisher at the time, and probably after as well. Stories by Ray Bradbury didn't hurt either. The artistic stable included  Al Feldstein  Jack Davis  Graham Ingels  Wally Wood  Jack Kamen  Johnny Craig  Joe Orlando  Harvey Kurtzman  George Evans  Reed Crandall  Will Elder  Dave Berg  John Severin  Bernie Krigstein  Al Williamson  Frank Frazetta |
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Post by tingramretro on Aug 17, 2016 1:15:21 GMT -5
Super Goof appeared in a number of licensed titles in the UK, none of them by Dell. I think IPC Magazines was one. Right, and Super Goof's first appearance was in a Dell story. So either Dell stories were being reprinted in the UK by other publishers or, at the very least, those stories were influential upon UK comics. Thus, while you may never have seen a Dell comic in the UK, Dell still had an important influence upon the comics of the UK. I wouldn't have said "important". Those reprints would have been in the early 70s, and would have been in just one of a few dozen comics available, most of the others being original material. I don't really see how they had any "influence" on anything. |
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Post by tingramretro on Aug 17, 2016 1:29:23 GMT -5
Right, and Super Goof's first appearance was in a Dell story. So either Dell stories were being reprinted in the UK by other publishers or, at the very least, those stories were influential upon UK comics. Thus, while you may never have seen a Dell comic in the UK, Dell still had an important influence upon the comics of the UK. Never heard of Super Goof, which IPC magazine did that appear in? IPC produced a number of reprint comics featuring Disney characters in the 70s and early 80s. Mickey & Donald was one. I don't think they were terribly popular, though. There were a few of these rather forgettable reprint books from various companies- Tarzan, Laurel & Hardy, that sort of stuff-but they didn't get anything like the sales of Battle, 2000 AD, Warlord, Beano or Whizzer & Chips, to name five . |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2016 8:15:51 GMT -5
Archie Comics gets my vote. Archie and his pals have been published continuously since the 40s and seem to be still going strong.
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