Brief History of Comic Books

Comics have a long and rich history that spans more than a century and over that time the industry has seen many changes, both in style and technology. Comic books can be categorized by the era in witch it was published. The eras are broken down as follows.

 

The Platinum Age Of Comics

The Platinum age lasted from 1890-1934. These books were predominantly compilations of comic strips from news papers. In this era we see the introduction of such timeless characters as, Pop Eye the sailor man, Dick Tracy, and Little Orphan Anne.

 

The Golden Age

The Golden age refers to comic books from 1934-1955. During this period is when we first met some familiar faces such as Batman, Captain America, Superman and Wonder Woman. These titles gained mass popularity in the early 1940's. Furthermore, they were a popular among the troops during World War II.

This led to a demand for more graphic and grittier content. In response, new titles began to emerge from the horror genre, such as, Weird Fantasy or The Crypt of Terror. However, for some this proved to be too gritty. So, the end of the golden age was marked by the introduction of the Comic Code Authority. This code was created to control the content of comic books with the public's best interests in mind.

 

The Silver Age

The silver age (1956-1969) was when superhero's secured their spot as the predominant genre of comic books. However, a lot had to change in accordance with the comic code. Wile DC comics adapted by remaking some of their classic characters like The Flash, Marvel comics was struggling and would slash their production in order to survive.

Regardless, with the team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Marvel would continue on with the introduction of characters such as Spiderman, the X-men, as well as the Fantastic Four. The silver age truly set the stage for things to come.

The Bronze Age

The Bronze Age lasted through the 70's and marked a market shift. At this time superheroes lost their spot as top selling form of comic book to Archie comics. More pages are added to the standard comic book layout and prices increase. Many of the big characters from the silver age are continually re-invented and build in popularity. In addition, new and less conventional characters emerge such as, The Punished and Wolverine.

The Modern Age

The Modern age is from 1980 to today. During this time we have seen the industry explode in all directions. New technologies are once again changing the landscape of the industry. It is now possible to subscribe, buy and read a comic book online. With dozens of publishers popping up all over the map and movie deals bringing in big bucks, it's no wonder why some of these rare books can hold so much value.

Over one hundred years after their inception, comic books remain a significant part of pop culture. Even though so much has changed over the years, Comic books have shown their adaptability in the face of adversity and continue to show society a fantasy reflection of it's self.