|
|
Post by Icctrombone on Jun 2, 2018 12:40:16 GMT -5
The golden age is anytime you're reading a good comic.
|
|
|
|
Post by andybates on Jun 2, 2018 17:56:51 GMT -5
From a Marvel perspective, here is the best I can figure for the age demarcations:
Golden Age: Marvel Comics #1 (1939) through pre-Fantatsic Four (1961)
Silver Age: Fantastic Four #1 (1961) through Fantastic Four #102 (the last F.F. issue with Jack Kirby) (1970)
Bronze Age: Fantastic Four #103 (1970) through pre-Secret Wars (1985)
Modern Age: Secret Wars (1985) and beyond
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,220 
|
Post by Confessor on Jun 2, 2018 21:48:26 GMT -5
I agree with Cei-U! that the terms are only useful in the most off-hand ways in general comic book conversation. I use them a lot myself, but I also realise that they're not terribly helpful -- especially since fandom can't agree on the exact demarcation points.
I also favour the use of "Platinum Age" for pre-Action Comics #1 comics, "Atomic Age" for '40s non-superhero stuff like EC Comics, and "Copper Age" for anything from about 1985 until 2000 or so.
|
|
|
|
Post by andybates on Jun 2, 2018 23:41:45 GMT -5
But you don’t have to know exact dates to get an idea of the general characteristics of comics from a given period.
Golden: Little to no continuity, invincible powers who were always heroic.
Silver: Characters with flaws and more realistic interactions, start of a real shared universe and continuity.
Bronze: More adult themes like drug addiction, segregation, death.
Modern: Ummmm…tie-in action figures?!
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2018 0:07:29 GMT -5
But you don’t have to know exact dates to get an idea of the general characteristics of comics from a given period. Golden: Little to no continuity, invincible powers who were always heroic. Silver: Characters with flaws and more realistic interactions, start of a real shared universe and continuity. Bronze: More adult themes like drug addiction, segregation, death. Modern: Ummmm…tie-in action figures?! But again this apples to only super-hero comics, not all comics from a given age. EC horror and crime comics of the 50s dealt with many more adult themes than most Bronze Age books and characters in those has no invincible powers of shared universe or continuity. You are pulling some characteristics from one genre of comics and trying to create a labeling pattern/structure that applies to all comics from those eras, and it just doesn't work once you leave super-hero comics behind. If your only interest is in super-hero comics, then it is marginally applicable and useful, if you are going to consider comics as a whole, it is useless and not applicable to most genres of comics. -M |
|
|
|
Post by Reptisaurus! on Jun 3, 2018 0:20:14 GMT -5
Yeah I like the terms as adjectives, but they don't have any inherent meaning the way that the terms pre-code/post code do.
Flash # 179 and House of Mystery # 174 were both on sale March of '68, but the latter seems to me a "silver age" book and the former very bronze age.
|
|
|
|
Post by andybates on Jun 3, 2018 2:15:27 GMT -5
But again this apples to only super-hero comics, not all comics from a given age. EC horror and crime comics of the 50s dealt with many more adult themes than most Bronze Age books and characters in those has no invincible powers of shared universe or continuity. You are pulling some characteristics from one genre of comics and trying to create a labeling pattern/structure that applies to all comics from those eras, and it just doesn't work once you leave super-hero comics behind. If your only interest is in super-hero comics, then it is marginally applicable and useful, if you are going to consider comics as a whole, it is useless and not applicable to most genres of comics. Yes, the “Golden Age of Comics” and the other ages apply primarily to superhero comics. And of course when you talk in generalities, there are always going to be exceptions. Nothing will ever apply to all comics of a given era. So sure, there are going to be mature EC comics in the ’50s, but you don’t see topics like drug addiction in mainstream comics from DC and Marvel until the ’70s. Again, these are not categorizations that I just made up; they are commonly-used terms for identifying broad ranges of comics. |
|
|
|
Post by Reptisaurus! on Jun 3, 2018 5:56:20 GMT -5
From a Marvel perspective, here is the best I can figure for the age demarcations: Golden Age: Marvel Comics #1 (1939) through pre-Fantatsic Four (1961) Silver Age: Fantastic Four #1 (1961) through Fantastic Four #102 (the last F.F. issue with Jack Kirby) (1970) Bronze Age: Fantastic Four #103 (1970) through pre-Secret Wars (1985) Modern Age: Secret Wars (1985) and beyond I propose some additions:  Less Golden-Ish-Age (1943): Vincent Fago becomes EIC of Marvel, the focus shifts to funny animal books, Mighty Mouse is "Timely Comics" (this is a convenient label for Golden Age Marvel but not accurate) best seller. Electrum age: (1954) Post code-Marvel, where everyone stumbled around trying to write with the new rules, and many of the books went from 4 to 5 stories an issue. This further damaged quality. Poop Age: (1957-1958) Distribution collapses, Marvel only publishes inventory stories for a while, Joe Maneely dies. Post-Poop Age: (1958-1961) "Atlas" distributed by National Periodical Publications, limited to 8 titles a month. 90% of everything drawn by Ditko, Kirby, Decarlo, Heck, Hartley and Reinman. |
|
|
|
Post by MDG on Jun 4, 2018 8:36:55 GMT -5
Yeah I like the terms as adjectives, but they don't have any inherent meaning the way that the terms pre-code/post code do. Flash # 179 and House of Mystery # 174 were both on sale March of '68, but the latter seems to me a "silver age" book and the former very bronze age. The difference between HOM 173 and 174 is probably one of the clearest changes between ages in a single title (though the "new" version relied heavily on reprints, there was a clearly different editorial voice). But, like some here, I don't like focusing ages too much on specific changes at DC and Marvel. Like it or not (as fans) a lot of changes had more to do with industry changes, like the boost of life given to superheros (slowly by Marvel and almost overnight by Batmania) and the responses by existoing companies (Archie, Dell) and launch of shortlived ones (Fass, Tower). Similarly, the early Bronze (newsstand distribution, traditional work relationships with creative staff, entrenched publishers) is much different than the latter part (direct distribution, new audience, creator rights, new publishers, etc.) |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 9:52:35 GMT -5
What do you think of the designations Golden Age of Comic Books, Silver Age, Bronze Age, and Modern Age?
On the one hand, they are sort of meaningful as designations. And useful. I have often talked about how the back issues I track down tend to be Silver Age (which, if Wikipedia is accurate, started in 1956 and ended in 1970). On the other side of the coin, though, it's very arbitrary.
And as a pedant - not a positive character trait, I might add - the designations are a little awkward if one uses a sports parallel. Everyone wants to win a gold medal, right? And we may be happy if we win a silver medal, but it isn't gold. And while we may appreciate a bronze medal, we'd much rather win the silver or gold. From a purely pedantic and self-deprecating point of view, does that mean Silver Age and Bronze Age comics are inferior to Golden Age comics? Were all those Golden Age (1930s-1950s) comics really better than the 60s comics or 80s comics? That's one argument against such designations.
Or we could examine it from another perspective. I know nothing about investing in metals, but if I was to do that, I'd be better off investing in gold or silver than bronze, right? (It'd be highly amusing if someone then shared a link about how bronze investment is a big thing now!).
Also, if it's right the Modern Age began in the 80s, well isn't 80s old hat by now? When does the next age start? What would we call it? Does it even matter?
I do approach this topic from a semi-serious perspective. At the end of the day, enjoy what you enjoy. Whether it's 1940, 1953 or 1980, I will enjoy what I enjoy. The date on it, and the comic era designation, are meaningless in a certain sense if the story itself entertains. That is what matters, I know.
But from a discussion perspective, and be serious or semi-serious if you wish, what is your view on the various designations?
|
|
|
|
Post by Icctrombone on Mar 21, 2019 9:57:50 GMT -5
When did the modern age start? Seems like it might be the longest age since it started around 1990. Maybe someone should refer to 1990-2000 as the speculator age.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 9:59:14 GMT -5
The Speculator Age? Nooooooooooooooooooo!
I don't know how accurate Wikipedia is, but it lists the Modern Age as having started in the mid-80s. Which, depressingly, was 30+ years ago?
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,220
|
Post by Confessor on Mar 21, 2019 11:49:18 GMT -5
The search function is a wonderful thing to use before starting threads.  My thoughts on the subject: I think that the terms Golden, Silver, Bronze, Copper etc are only useful in the most basic way in a general comic book conversation. And then, only when talking about U.S. superhero comics! I do use the terms a lot myself, but I also realise that they're not terribly helpful or accurate -- especially since fandom can't even agree on the exact demarcation points. I also favour the use of "Platinum Age" for pre-Action Comics #1 comics, "Atomic Age" for late '40s/early '50s non-superhero stuff like EC Comics, and "Copper Age" for anything from about 1985 until 2000 or so. |
|
|
|
Post by rberman on Mar 21, 2019 11:51:11 GMT -5
The search function is a wonderful thing to use before starting threads. Can the threads be merged? |
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,220
|
Post by Confessor on Mar 21, 2019 11:54:06 GMT -5
The search function is a wonderful thing to use before starting threads. Can the threads be merged? Certainly, as long as @taxidriver1980 is happy with that. |
|
