Citizendia

An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the comics form. Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A narrative or story is a construct created in a suitable format (written spoken poetry prose images song Theater, or Dance) that describes a sequence of Comics (via Latin from the Greek "" kōmikos, of or pertaining to "comedy" from kōmos "revel" The standard dimensions (since 1975) are 17 x 26 cm (6 ⅝" × 10 ¼"), although they were larger in the past. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches.

Since the invention of the comic book format in the 1930s, the United States has been the leading producer with only the British comic books (during the inter-war period and up until the 1970s) and the Japanese manga as close competitors in terms of quantity. A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative A British comic is a periodical published in the United Kingdom that contains comic strips ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly

Comic book sales began to decline after World War II, when the medium was competing with the spread of television and mass market paperback books. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. Confirming the trend, mass media researchers in the period found comic book reading among children with television sets in homes "drastically reduced". [1] In the 1960s, comic books' audience expanded to include college students who favored the naturalistic, "superheroes in the real world" trend initiated by Stan Lee at Marvel Comics. College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. Naturalism is a movement in Theatre, film, and Literature that seeks to replicate a believable everyday reality, as opposed to such A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber; December 28, 1922) is an American Writer, editor, creator of comic book characters Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc The 1960s also saw the advent of the underground comics. Underground comics (or comix) are Small press or self-published Comic books that began to appear in the US in the late 1960s Later, the recognition of the comic medium among academics, literary critics and art museums helped solidify comics as a serious artform with established traditions, stylistic conventions, and artistic evolution. Literary criticism is the study discussion evaluation and interpretation of Literature. An art gallery or art museum is a space for the exhibition of art, usually Visual art. Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted Standards norms social norms or criteria, often taking the form of

Contents

History

Proto-comic books and the Platinum Age

The creation of the modern American comic book came in stages. Comic strips had been collected in hardcover book form as early as 1833, with The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck, which appeared in New York in 1842, as the first to be published in English. A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Histoire de M Vieux Bois, published in English as The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck, and also known as Les amours de Mr [2] This was the first of seven graphic novels[3]/comic books. These were not comic books as we know them with word balloons but rather blocks of text under a single scene.

The first entirely US produced comic book was The Yellow Kid in McFadden's Flats in 1897 which in addition to using word balloons regularly [4] also coined the term comic book which is why The History of Comic Books uses it as the starting point for the Platinum Age.

Despite a series of related Hearst comics being published soon afterwards (including the first known full color comic The Blackberries in 1901) the first monthly comic book (Comics Monthly) did not appear until 1922 and only lasted a year. In 1929 Dell Publishing, founded by George T. Delacorte Jr., published The Funnies, described by the Library of Congress as "a short-lived newspaper tabloid insert". Dell Publishing was an American publisher of Books, Magazines, and Comic books. George T Delacorte Jr, (1894 &ndash 1991 founded the Dell Publishing Company in 1921 The Funnies is an American publication of the late 1920s that was a seminal precursor of Comic books. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest [5] (This is not to be confused with Dell's later same-name comic book, which began publication in 1936. ) Historian Ron Goulart describes the 16-page, four-color periodical "more a Sunday comic section without the rest of the newspaper than a true comic book. But it did offer all original material and was sold on newsstands". A newsagent ( British English) newsagency ( Australian English) or newsstand ( American English) is often a small business that sells [6] It ran 36 issues, published Saturdays through Oct. 16, 1930.

Thanks to the depression and the cost of shutting down and restarting press the printing companies started giving comics away just to keep the presses running. In 1933, salesperson Maxwell Gaines and sales manager Harry I. Maxwell Charles Gaines aka MC Gaines, aka Charles Gaines, aka Charlie Gaines (born Maxwell Ginsburg or Maxwell Ginzberg c Wildenberg, and owner George Janosik of the Waterbury, Connecticut company Eastern Color Printing — which among other thing printed Sunday-paper comic strip sections — produced Funnies on Parade as a way to keep his presses running. The Eastern Color Printing Company was a company which published Comic books, beginning in 1933 A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist Funnies on Parade is an American publication of the early 1930s that was a seminal precursor of Comic books. Like The Funnies but only eight pages[7] this was a newsprint magazine. Newsprint is low-cost non-archival Paper most commonly used to print Newspapers plus other publications and advertising material Rather than using original material, however, it reprinted in color several comic strips licensed from the McNaught and McClure Syndicate. These included such highly popular strips as cartoonist Al Smith's Mutt and Jeff, Ham Fisher's Joe Palooka, and Percy Crosby's Skippy. Alfred Emanuel Smith Jr, known in private and public life as Al Smith, ( December 30, 1873 - October 4, 1944) was elected Governor Mutt and Jeff is an American newspaper Comic strip created by Bud Fisher in 1907 Hammond Edward "Ham" Fisher ( September 24, 1900 &ndash September 7, 1955) was an American comic strip writer Joe Palooka was an American Comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion created by cartoonist Ham Fisher Percy Leo Crosby ( December 8, 1891 &ndash December 8, 1964) was a U Skippy was an American Comic strip written and drawn by Percy Crosby that ran from 1923 to 1945 This periodical, however, was neither sold nor available on newsstands, but rather sent free as a promotional item to consumers who mailed in coupons clipped from Proctor & Gamble soap and toiletries products. A newsagent ( British English) newsagency ( Australian English) or newsstand ( American English) is often a small business that sells Procter & Gamble Co ( P&G,) is a Fortune 500, American global corporation based in Cincinnati Ohio, that manufactures a wide Ten-thousand copies were made. [7] The promotion proved a success, and Eastern Color that year produced similar periodicals for Canada Dry soft drinks, Kinney Shoes, Wheatena cereal and others, with print runs of from 100,000 to 250,000. Canada Dry is a Brand of Soft drinks marketed by Dr Pepper/Seven Up, a unit of Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Soft drink is a beverage that does not contain Alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are commonly known as soda soda pop pop, or Kinney Shoes is a defunct chain of full-service shoe stores They carried a full line of shoes dress and casual for men women and children Wheatena is an American high- Fiber, toasted- Wheat Cereal that originated on Mulberry Street in New York City, New [6]

Famous Funnies and New Fun

Eastern Color Press' Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics (Eastern Color Printing, 1933)
Eastern Color Press' Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics (Eastern Color Printing, 1933)

That same year, however, Gaines and Wildenberg collaborated with Dell to publish the 36-page Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics,[8] considered by historians the first true American comic book; Goulart, for example, calls it "the cornerstone for one of the most lucrative branches of magazine publishing". Famous Funnies is an American publication of the 1930s that represents what Popular culture historians consider the first true American comic book [6] It was distributed through the Woolworth's department store chain, though it is unclear whether it was sold or given away; the cover (see above) displays no price, but Goulart refers, either metaphorically or literally, to "sticking a ten-cent pricetag [sic] on the comic books". The F W Woolworth Company (often referred to as Woolworth's) was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores A department store is a Retail establishment which specializes in selling a wide range of products without a single predominant merchandise line. Sic is a Latin word meaning "thus" "so" "as such" or "just as that" [6]

When Delacorte declined to continue with Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics, Eastern Color on its own published Famous Funnies #1 (cover-dated July 1934), a 68-page giant selling for 10¢. Distributed to newsstands by the mammoth American News Company, it proved a hit with readers during the cash-strapped Great Depression, selling 90 percent of its 200,000 print though ironically running Eastern Color more than $4,000 in the red. American News Company was a magazine distribution company which dominated the distribution market in the forties and fifties [6] That quickly changed, with the book turning a $30,000 profit each issue starting with #12. [6] Famous Funnies would eventually run 218 issues, inspire imitators, and largely launch a new mass medium. "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press"

Famous Funnies #1 (July 1934). Cover art by Jon Mayes.
Famous Funnies #1 (July 1934). Cover art by Jon Mayes.

When the supply of available existing comic strips began to dwindle, early comic books began to include a small amount of new, original material in comic-strip format. Inevitably, a comic book of all-original material, with no comic-strip reprints, debuted. Fledgling publisher Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's founded National Allied Publications — which would evolve into DC Comics — to release New Fun #1 (Feb. Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson (1890-1968 was an American Pulp magazine Writer and Entrepreneur who pioneered the American comic DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company More Fun Comics, originally titled New Fun The Big Comic Magazine a 1935). This was a tabloid-sized, 10-inch by 15-inch, 36-page magazine with a card-stock, non-glossy cover. A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest An anthology, it mixed humor features such as the funny animal comic "Pelion and Ossa" and the college-set "Jigger and Ginger" with such dramatic fare as the Western strip "Jack Woods" and the "yellow peril" adventure "Barry O'Neill", featuring a Fu Manchu-styled villain, Fang Gow. ANThology is the first Major label album by Alien Ant Farm released on March 6, 2001 in the USA and March 19 Humour or humor (see spelling differences) is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke Laughter and provide Amusement Funny animal is a Cartooning term for the Genre of Comics and Animated cartoons in which the main characters are Humanoid or Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West between the years of 1860 and 1900 Yellow Peril (sometimes Yellow Terror) was a color metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with Immigration of Chinese Dr Fu Manchu is a Fictional character first featured in a series of novels by English author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century Issue #6 (Oct. 1935) brought the comic-book debut of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the future creators of Superman, who began their careers with the musketeer swashbuckler "Henri Duval" (doing the first two installments before turning it over to others) and, under the pseudonyms "Leger and Reuths", the supernatural-crimefighter adventure Doctor Occult. Jerome "Jerry" Siegel (October 17 1914 – January 28 1996 who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, Siegel was a fan of movies Joseph "Joe" Shuster (July 10 1914 - July 30 1992 was a Canadian -born American Comic book Artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events Doctor Occult is a Fictional character, a magic user in the DC Comics universe.

Superman and superheroes

In 1938, after Wheeler-Nicholson had been ousted by partner Harry Donenfeld, National Allied editor Vin Sullivan pulled a Siegel & Shuster creation from the slush pile and used it as the cover feature of Action Comics #1 (June 1938). Harry Donenfeld (1893-1965 was an American publisher who is known primarily for being the owner of National Allied Publications, which distributed Detective Vincent "Vin" Sullivan (born circa 1911 died February 3, 1999) was a pioneering American Comic book editor, Artist Jerome "Jerry" Siegel (October 17 1914 – January 28 1996 who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, Siegel was a fan of movies Joseph "Joe" Shuster (July 10 1914 - July 30 1992 was a Canadian -born American Comic book Artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics In Publishing, the slush pile is the set of unsolicited Manuscripts either sent directly to the publisher by authors or sent through an agent not known Action Comics is an American Comic book series which introduced Superman, the first major Superhero character as the term The duo's alien hero, Superman, dressed in colorful tights and a cape, evoking costumed circus daredevil performers, became the archetype of the "superheroes" that would follow. Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, Clowns trained animals trapeze acts Hoopers, tightrope walkers Action Comics would become the American comic book with the second-largest number of issues, next to Dell Comics' Four Color, with over 860 issues published as of 2008. Dell Comics was the Comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in Pulp magazines. Four Color, also known as Four Color Comics and One Shots, was an extremely prolific American Comic book

Action Comics #1 (June 1938). The début of Superman. Cover art by Joe Shuster.
Action Comics #1 (June 1938). Action Comics is an American Comic book series which introduced Superman, the first major Superhero character as the term The début of Superman. Cover art by Joe Shuster. Joseph "Joe" Shuster (July 10 1914 - July 30 1992 was a Canadian -born American Comic book Artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics

Siegel & Shuster's creation, influenced by the pulp fiction stories and by the legend of the Golem of Prague , Superman had superhuman strength, speed and other abilities, and lived day-to-day in his secret identity as a mild-mannered reporter, Clark Kent. Pulp magazines (or pulp fiction; often referred to as "the pulps" were inexpensive Fiction magazines In Jewish folklore, a golem (גולם sometimes as in Yiddish, pronounced goilem) is an animated being created entirely from inanimate matter Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. A superhuman is an entity with intelligence or abilities exceeding normal human standards A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate Persona (usually adopting a Pseudonym) while keeping their true identity A reporter is a type of Journalist who Researches and presents information in certain types of Mass media. Within two years, most comic-book companies were publishing large lines of superhero titles, and Superman has gone on to become one of the world's most recognizable characters.

The period from the late 1930s through roughly the end of the 1940s is known as the Golden Age of comic books. The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books generally thought as lasting from the 1930s until late 1940s during which Comic books It is characterized by extremely large print runs (comic books being very popular as cheap entertainment during World War II); erratic quality of stories, art and print quality; and by being a rare industry that provided jobs to an ethnic cross-section of Americans, albeit often at low wages and in sweatshop working conditions. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A sweatshop is a working environment with very difficult or dangerous conditions usually where the workers have few rights or ways to address their situation

Following the war, the popularity of superhero comics rapidly declined, and they began to be phased out around 1945 and replaced with teen humor (epitomized by Archie Comics), funny animal comics (such as those featuring Walt Disney characters), science fiction, western, romance, and satiric humor comics. Archie Comics is an American Comic book publisher known for its many series featuring the fictional teenage Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper Funny animal is a Cartooning term for the Genre of Comics and Animated cartoons in which the main characters are Humanoid or Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. A romance novel is a literary Genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human Timely's superhero line ended in 1950 when it canceled Captain America, which had already been converted into a horror title for its final issues. Timely Comics is the 1940s Comic book Publishing company that would evolve into first Atlas Comics, and then Marvel Comics Except for National's Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, superheroes were all but wiped out by 1952.

Comics continued to increase their readership into the 1950s, however, with Walt Disney's Comics and Stories selling almost three million copies a month in 1953. [9] Close to a dozen Dell funny-animal titles sold over one million copies each per month. EC Comics' more adult-oriented horror titles sold 400,000 a month. Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American Publisher of Comic books specializing in Crime fiction, Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience

The Comics Code

Main article: Comics Code Authority

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, horror and true crime comics flourished, many containing violence and gore. The Comics Code Authority ( CCA) is part of the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA and was created to regulate the content of comic books in the United Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience True crime is a Non-fiction literary genre in which the author uses an actual Crime and real people as a point of departure EC Educational Comics later switched to Entertaining Comics owned by Max Gaines' son, William M. Gaines, was the most successful and artistically creative of all the publishers. Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American Publisher of Comic books specializing in Crime fiction, Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American Publisher of Comic books specializing in Crime fiction, William Maxwell Gaines ( March 1, 1922 &ndash June 3, 1992) (more frequently referred to as Bill Gaines) was the publisher and co-editor The careers of many famous artists such as Al Feldstein, Wallace Wood, Reed Crandall, Jack Davis, Will Elder, Alex Raymond and others began in the offices of EC. Albert "Al" B Feldstein (born October 24, 1925) is an American painter of Western wildlife and an influential author-editor who wrote drew and Wallace Allan Wood ( June 17, 1927, Menahga Minnesota – November 2, 1981, Los Angeles California) was an American Reed Crandall ( February 22, 1917 &ndash September 13, 1982) was an American Illustrator and Penciller of Jack Davis may refer to Jack Davis (actor (1914&ndash1992 Jack Davis (American football, offensive American football player William "Will" Elder ( September 22, 1921 – May 15, 2008) was an American Illustrator and Comic book artist Alexander Gillespie Raymond ( October 2, 1909 – September 6, 1956) was an American Comic strip artist best known for creating the However, in spite of the quality of the work, Gaines was unjustly singled out by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham as the most infamous. Fredric Wertham ( March 20, 1895 November 18, 1981) was a German-American Psychiatrist and crusading author who protested

Psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent, concerned with what he perceived to be sadistic and homosexual undertones in horror and in superhero comics, respectively, raised anxieties about comics. Fredric Wertham ( March 20, 1895 November 18, 1981) was a German-American Psychiatrist and crusading author who protested Seduction of the Innocent is a book by Dr Frederic Wertham, published in 1954, that warned that Comic books were a bad form of popular Literature Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. Soon moral crusaders blamed comic books as a cause of poor grades juvenile delinquency, drug use, and ultimately, crime itself. Juvenile delinquency refers to criminal acts performed by juveniles Most Legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles such as This led the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency to take an interest in comic books. The United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency was established by the United States Senate in 1953 to investigate the problem of Juvenile delinquency As a result of these firey debates and irrational actions, schools and parent groups held public comic-book burnings, and some cities banned comic books. A ban (derived from Banishment) is generally any Decree that prohibits something Industry circulation declined drastically.

In the wake of these events, many comics publishers, most notably National and Archie, founded the Comics Code Authority in 1954 and drafted the Comics Code, intended as "the most stringent code in existence for any communications media". The Comics Code Authority ( CCA) is part of the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA and was created to regulate the content of comic books in the United The Comics Code Authority ( CCA) is part of the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA and was created to regulate the content of comic books in the United A Comic Code Seal of Approval soon appeared on virtually every comic book carried on newsstands. EC, after experimenting with less controversial comic books, dropped its comics line to focus on the satiric Mad — a comic book that changed to magazine format in order to circumvent the Code. Mad is a monthly American Humor Magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952

Silver Age of Comic Books

Main article: Silver Age of Comic Books
Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956), the launch of comics' Silver Age. Cover art by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert.
Showcase #4 (Oct. The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books predominantly those featuring the Superhero 1956), the launch of comics' Silver Age. The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books predominantly those featuring the Superhero Cover art by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert. Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925) is an American Comic book Artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age Joe Kubert (born September 18, 1926) is a Jewish - American Comic book Artist who went on to found the Joe Kubert School

The Silver Age represents the period in which superheroes returned and came to dominate the comic-book lines of the two major publishers, Marvel and DC. In the mid-1950s, following the popularity of TV series The Adventures of Superman, publishers experimented with the superhero once more. Showcase #4 (National, 1956) introduced the rebooted hero The Flash, which began a second wave of superhero popularity known as the Silver Age of comic books. Showcase has been the title of several Anthology series published by DC Comics. Reboot, in serial Fiction, means a discarding of much or even all previous continuity in the series to start anew A silver age is a name often given to a particular period within a history typically as a lesser and later successor to a golden age, the metal Silver generally being National expanded its line of superheroes over the next six years, introducing new versions of Green Lantern, the Atom, Hawkman and others. For other meanings of the term see Hawkman (disambiguation Hawkman is a Superhero in the DC Comics universe.

In 1961 writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby created the Fantastic Four for Marvel Comics. Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber; December 28, 1922) is an American Writer, editor, creator of comic book characters Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg, August 28, 1917 &ndash February 6, 1994) was an American Comic book The Fantastic Four is a fictional Superhero team appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc In a landmark that changed the industry, The Fantastic Four #1 initiated a naturalistic style of superheroes with human failings, fears, and inner demons, who squabbled and worried about the likes of rent money. Naturalism is a movement in Theatre, film, and Literature that seeks to replicate a believable everyday reality, as opposed to such In contrast to the super heroic do-gooder archetypes of established superheroes at the time, this ushered a revolution. With dynamic artwork by Kirby, Steve Ditko, Don Heck and others complementing Lee's colorful, catchy prose, the new style found an audience among children (who loved the superheroes) and college students (who claimed to find deeper themes). Steve Ditko (born 2 November 1927) is an American Comic book Artist and Writer best known as the co-creator of the Don Heck ( January 2, 1929 – February 23, 1995) was an American Comic book Artist best known for co-creating Marvel was initially restricted in the number of titles it could produce in that its books were distributed by rival National, a situation not alleviated until the late 1960s.

Other notable companies included the American Comics Group (ACG), the low-budget Charlton, where many professionals such as Dick Giordano got their start; Dell; Gold Key; Harvey Comics, home of the Harvey cartoon characters (Casper the Friendly Ghost) and non-animated others (Richie Rich); and Tower, best-known for T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. American Comics Group (ACG was a small publisher during the Golden and Silver Age of comic books that published several well-remembered characters and titles Charlton Comics was an American Comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1986 having begun under a different name in 1944 Dick Giordano (born Richard Joseph Giordano on July 20, 1932) is an American Comic book Artist and editor Dell Comics was the Comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in Pulp magazines. Gold Key Comics was an Imprint of Western Publishing created for Comic books distributed to Newsstands History Gold Key Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey Publications) was an American Comic book Publisher, founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941 after buying Casper the Friendly Ghost is the Protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name Richard "Richie" Rich Jr is a Fictional character that debuted in Harvey Comics' Little Dot #1 cover-dated September, Tower Comics was an American Comic book publishing company best known for The T THUNDER Agents is a team of Comic book Superheroes originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s

Underground comics

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, a surge of underground comics occurred. Underground comics (or comix) are Small press or self-published Comic books that began to appear in the US in the late 1960s These comics were published independently of the established comic book publishers and most reflected the youth counterculture and drug culture of the time. Counterculture (also " counter-culture " is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a Cultural group, or Drug subcultures are examples of Countercultures primarily defined by Recreational drug use. Many were notable for their uninhibited, irreverent style, which hadn't been seen in comics before. The movement is often considered to have been started by R. Crumb's publication of Zap Comix #1 in 1968, though there were antecedents such as pornographic "Tijuana bibles", dating to the 1920s, and Frank Stack's The Adventures of Jesus, published in 1962. Robert Dennis Crumb (born August 30, 1943) often credited simply as R Zap Comix is the best-known of the Underground comics that emerged as part of the youth Counterculture of the late 1960s Tijuana bibles (also known as eight-pagers or dirty little eight-pagers) were pornographic Comic books produced in the United States Frank Huntington Stack (aka Foolbert Sturgeon) (b 1937 in Houston Texas United States is an American underground Cartoonist.

Although many of the underground artists continued to produce work, the underground comix movement is considered by most historians to have ended by 1980, to be replaced that decade by a rise in independent, non-Comics Code compliant alternative comics and the resulting increase in acceptance of adult-oriented comic books. The term "alternative comics" is one of several labels applied to a range of Comics that have appeared since about 1980 in the wake of the Underground comix

Bronze Age of Comic Books

Main article: Bronze Age of Comic Books

Originally used by Wizard (magazine) in 1995 to denote the Modern Horror age historians and fans now use the term Bronze Age to describe the period of American mainstream comics history that begins with a period of concentrated changes to comic books circa 1970. The Bronze Age of Comic Books is an informal name for a period in the history of mainstream American comic books usually said to run from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s Wizard or Wizard The Magazine of Comics Entertainment and Pop Culture (originally titled Wizard The Guide to Comics and The Bronze Age of Comic Books is an informal name for a period in the history of mainstream American comic books usually said to run from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s Unlike the Golden/Silver Age transition, the Silver/Bronze transition involved many continually published books, making the transition less sharp; not every book can be said to have entered the Bronze Age at the same time. [10]

Changes commonly considered to mark the transition between Silver and Bronze ages include:

The Modern Age

Main article: Modern Age of Comic Books

The development of a non-returnable "direct market" distribution system in the 1970s coincided with the appearance of comic book specialty stores across North America. The Modern Age of Comic Books is an informal name for the period in the history of mainstream American comic books generally considered to last from the mid-1980s until The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for North American Comic books. These specialty stores were a haven for more distinct voices and stories, but they also marginalized comics in the public eye. Serialized comic stories became longer and more complex, requiring readers to buy more issues to finish a story. Between 1970 and 1990, comic-book prices rose sharply because of a combination of factors: a nationwide paper shortage, increasing production values, and the minimal profit incentive for stores to stock comic books (due to the small unit price of an individual comic book relative to a magazine).

Spawn #1 (May 1992). Cover art by Todd McFarlane.
Spawn #1 (May 1992). Spawn is a fictional Comic book character created by Todd McFarlane. Cover art by Todd McFarlane. Todd McFarlane (born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian Comic book artist writer toy manufacturer/designer and media Entrepreneur who is best known

In the mid-to-late 1980s, two series published by DC Comics, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen, had a profound impact upon the American comic-book industry. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company Batman The Dark Knight Returns, originally published under the title Batman The Dark Knight, is a Batman comic book mini-series Watchmen is a twelve-issue Comic book Limited series written by Alan Moore, and illustrated by Dave Gibbons and John Higgins Their popularity and the mainstream-press attention they garnered, combined with changing social tastes, led to a more mature-themed, darker tone nicknamed by fans as "grim-and-gritty". This change was underscored by the growing popularity of antiheroes such as the Punisher, and Wolverine, as well as the darker tone of some independent publishers such as First Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and founded in the 1990s, Image Comics. The Punisher ( Frank Castle) is a fictional Antihero that appears in the Comic books published by Marvel Comics. First Comics was an American Comic-book publisher History First Comics launched in 1983 with a line-up of creators including Frank Brunner Dark Horse Comics is one of the largest independent American Comic book publishers behind dominant publishers Marvel Comics and DC Comics Image Comics is an American Comic book publisher It was founded in 1992 by seven high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their This tendency towards darkness and nihilism was manifested in DC's production of heavily promoted comic book stories such as "A Death in the Family" in the Batman series (in which Batman's sidekick Robin was brutally murdered by The Joker), while at Marvel, the continuing popularity of the various X-Men books led to storylines involving the genocide of superpowered "mutants" in allegorical stories about religious and ethnic persecution. A Death in the Family is a Batman Comic book story arc first published in the late 1980s which gave fans the ability to influence the story Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created Robin (also referred to as The Boy Wonder) is the name of several Fictional characters appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics, originally The Joker is a fictional character appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics. The X-Men is a team of fictional Superhero characters in Comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Though a speculator boom in the early 1990s temporarily increased specialty store sales — collectors "invested" in multiple copies of a single comic to sell at a profit later — these booms ended in a collectibles glut, and comic sales declined sharply in the mid-1990s, leading to the demise of many hundreds of stores. In the 2000s, fewer comics sell in North America than at any time in their publishing history. Though the large superhero-oriented publishers like Marvel and DC are still often referred to as the "mainstream" of comics, they are no longer a mass medium in the same sense as in previous decades.

While the actual publications are no longer as widespread, however, licensing and merchandising have made many comic-books characters aside from such perennials as Superman and Batman more widely known to the general public than ever. The verb license or grant license means to give permission The noun license is the document demonstrating that permission Merchandising refers to the methods practices and operations conducted to promote and sustain certain categories of commercial activity In particular, several movies and videogames based in comic-books characters have been released, and such heavily promoted events as Spider-Man's wedding, the death of Superman and the death of Captain America received widespread media coverage. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Mary Jane Watson is a fictional Supporting character appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Death of Superman is a Comic book Storyline (culminating in Superman #75 in 1992 that served as the catalyst for DC Comics '

Prestige format

Prestige format comic books are typically longer than standard comic books, typically being of between 48 and 72 pages, and printed on glossy paper with a spine and card stock cover. The format was first used by DC on Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American Writer, Artist and Film director best known for his dark The success of this work led to the establishment of the format, and it is now used generally to showcase works by big name creators or to spotlight significant storylines.

These storylines can be serialized over a limited number of issues, or can be standalone. Standalone works published in the form, such as Batman: The Killing Joke, are sometimes referred to either as graphic novels or novellas. Batman The Killing Joke is an influential one-shot Superhero Comic book written by Alan Moore and drawn by Brian Bolland A

Independent and alternative comics

Main article: Alternative comics

Comic specialty stores did help encourage several waves of independent-produced comics, beginning in the mid-1970s. The term "alternative comics" is one of several labels applied to a range of Comics that have appeared since about 1980 in the wake of the Underground comix The first of these was generally referred to as "independent" or "alternative" comics; some of these, such as Big Apple Comix, continued somewhat in the tradition of underground comics, while others, such as Star Reach, resembled the output of mainstream publishers in format and genre but were published by smaller artist-owned ventures or by a single artist; a few (notably RAW) were experimental attempts to bring comics closer to the world of fine art. Big Apple Comix is an early independent comic book published by Flo Steinberg in 1975 Star Reach (also spelled Star*Reach) was an influential Science fiction and fantasy Comics anthology published by Mike Friedrich RAW was a groundbreaking Comics anthology edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly and published from 1980 to 1991 Fine art is any Art form developed primarily for Aesthetics rather than Utility.

The "small press" scene continued to grow and diversify, with a number of small publishers in the 1990s changing the format and distribution of their books to more closely resemble non-comics publishing. The "minicomics" form, an extremely informal version of self-publishing, arose in the 1980s and became increasingly popular among artists in the 1990s, despite reaching an even more limited audience than the small press. A minicomic is a small creator-published Comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 "Art comics" has sometimes been used as a general term for alternative, small-press, or minicomic artists working outside of mainstream traditions. Publishers and artists working in all of these forms stated a desire to refine comics further as an art form. Comics (via Latin from the Greek "" kōmikos, of or pertaining to "comedy" from kōmos "revel"

Artist recognition

Some comic books have gained recognition and earned their creators awards from outside the genre, such as Art Spiegelman's Maus (which won the Pulitzer Prize) and Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (an issue of which won the World Fantasy Award for "Best Short Story"). Art Spiegelman (born February 15, 1948) is an American Comics artist editor and advocate for the medium of comics best known for his Maus A Survivor's Tale is a memoir by Art Spiegelman, presented as a Graphic novel. The Pulitzer Prize, ˈpʊlɨtsɚ PULL-it-sər is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in Newspaper journalism, Neil Richard Gaiman (ˈgeɪmən (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of Science fiction and Fantasy short stories and The Sandman is a Comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published in the United States by the DC Comics imprint Vertigo The World Fantasy Awards are annual international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of Fantasy. Though not a comic book itself, Michael Chabon's comic-book themed The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Michael Chabon (pron SHAY-bon (born May 24 1963 is an American author and "one of the most celebrated writers of his generation" according to the The Virginia The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a 2000 Novel by American author Michael Chabon that won the Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize, ˈpʊlɨtsɚ PULL-it-sər is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in Newspaper journalism, Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes.

Popular interest in superheroes increased with the success of feature films such as X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002). X-Men is a 2000 Superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics characters of the same name. Spider-Man is a 2002 American Superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. To capitalize on this interest, comics publishers launched concerted promotional efforts such as Free Comic Book Day (first held on May 5, 2002). Free Comic Book Day is an annual promotional effort by the North American Comic book industry to help bring new readers into independent comic book Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. In addition, the filmed adaptation of non-superhero comic books like Ghost World, Road to Perdition, and American Splendor raised hopes that the medium's image can be changed for the better. Ghost World is a Graphic novel written and illustrated by Daniel Clowes. Road to Perdition is a 2002 period drama directed by Sam Mendes. American Splendor is a series of Autobiographical Comic books and Graphic novels written by Harvey Pekar and drawn by a variety of

Production

Comic books are a collaborative medium. Generally, some kind of writer/scripter/plotter will outline the whole story and is a core of the story telling process. (At EC, Al Feldstein and Bill Gaines came up with a new story every working day for over five years. Albert "Al" B Feldstein (born October 24, 1925) is an American painter of Western wildlife and an influential author-editor who wrote drew and William Maxwell Gaines ( March 1, 1922 &ndash June 3, 1992) (more frequently referred to as Bill Gaines) was the publisher and co-editor An accomplishment unequaled in the field. )

The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. A penciller (or penciler) is one of a number of types of Artists working within the Comic book industry These artists are concerned with layout (positions and vantages on scenes) to showcase steps in the plot. In earlier generations it was more common for artists to use a loose pencilling approach, in which the penciller does not take much care to reduce the vagaries of the pencil art, leaving it to the inker to interpret the penciller's intent and render the art in a more finished state. The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional Comic book, or Graphic novel.

Today many pencillers prefer to create very meticulously detailed pages, where every nuance that they expect to see in the inked art is indicated in pencil. This is known as tight pencilling. Because the inking and the pencilling are so closely aligned there are strong cross influences - inked lines emphasize aspects of the scene, but is this particular emphasis the intention of the penciller or is the penciller's preference off-base compared to the point of the story?

Then the colorist comes into the picture and is responsible for adding color to the black and white (possibly shaded) line art. In Comics, a colorist is responsible for adding color to black and white line art Almost all comic books are rendered in color and have been for much of the history of comic books. Sometimes color is not added for specific effect or when production resources don't allow for a colorist. A colorist also can add to or shift the emphasis of a page of comic art - the penciller laid out the basic scene - the inker emphasizes the depth and drama of the edges of things and their weight on the page, and the colorist can further emphasize what draws the eye and adds or subtracts to the realism of the scene.

Finally the letterer renders what needs to be said on a page of art for the story - which could be dialogue or the content of signs or print if shown. A letterer is a member of a team of Comic book creators responsible for drawing the Comic book 's text This may seem like an easy job, but the right use of fonts, letter size, and layout of the words inside the balloon all contribute to the impact of the art. A good letterer is a good calligrapher, and a great letterer has as much to do with the quality of the comic as the writer, penciler, inker, or colorist.

The superhero

Main article: Superhero

Superhero dramatic-adventure and science-fiction stories have dominated American comic books for most of the medium's history. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. An adventure is an activity that comprises Risky dangerous and uncertain experiences "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" Before the 1960s, comics were published in many genres, including humor, Westerns, romance, horror, military fiction, crime fiction, biography, and adaptations of classic literature. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Humour or humor (see spelling differences) is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke Laughter and provide Amusement Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West between the years of 1860 and 1900 A romance novel is a literary Genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience War comics is a genre of Comic books that gained popularity in English-speaking countries following Crime fiction is the Genre of Fiction that deals with Crimes their detection criminals and their motives It is usually distinguished from A biography (from the Greek words bíos (βίος meaning "life" and gráphein (γράφειν meaning "to write" is an account In the traditional sense a Classic Book is one written in Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome (see Classics) Non-superhero comics have continued to exist as niche publishing, with humor titles, such as those from Archie Comics and Bongo Comics, the most visible alternatives. Archie Comics is an American Comic book publisher known for its many series featuring the fictional teenage Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper Bongo Comics is a Comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Steve and Cindy Vance Bill Morrison, Mike Rote and Simpsons DC's Vertigo imprint publishes a wide range of non-superhero series, though the most popular titles tend to have a slight science-fiction or fantasy slant. Vertigo is an Imprint of the American Comic-book publisher DC Comics.

Pricing

Timing varies slightly by publisher as not all publishers changed prices at the same time (data samples taken from X-Men, Action Comics and Avengers cover price listings in ComicBase 10 Archive Edition). Typical prices of a new, standard-size, mainstream American comic book, in US$:

  • Prior to 1962:  . The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 10
  • 1962 - 1969:   . 12
  • 1969 - 1971:   . 15
  • 1971 - 1974:   . 20
  • 1974 - 1976:   . 25
  • 1976 - 1977:   . 30
  • 1977 - 1979:   . 35
  • 1979 - 1980:   . 40
  • 1980 - 1981:   . 50
  • 1982 - 1985:   . 60
  • 1985 - 1986:    . 65
  • 1986 - 1988:    . 75
  • 1988 - 1991:   1. 00
  • 1992 - 1995:   1. 25
  • 1995 - 1996:   1. 50
  • 1996 - 1997:   1. 95
  • 1997 - 2000:   1. 99
  • 2000 - 2005:   2. 25
  • 2005 - 2006:   2. 50
  • 2006 - 2008:   2. 99

See also

Culture of the
United States

Architecture
Cinema
Comic books
Cuisine
Dance
Literature
Music
Poetry
Radio
Sculpture
Television
Theater
Visual arts

Footnotes

  1. ^ Himmelweit, Hilde et al. The development of the culture of the United States of America — music, cinema, dance, architecture, literature, poetry The Architecture of the United States includes a wide variety of architectural styles over its History. United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century The cuisine of the United States is a style of food preparation derived from the United States. There is great variety in dance in the United States of America, it is the home of the Hip hop dance and its derivative Rock and Roll, and modern Square dance American literature refers to written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and Colonial America. The music of the United States reflects the country's multi-ethnic population through a diverse array of styles The poetry of the United States arose first during its beginnings as the constitutionally unified Thirteen colonies (although before this a strong Radio is one of the major major mass media of the United States. The history of sculpture in the United States reflects the country's 18th century foundation in Roman republican civic values as well as Protestant Christianity Television is one of the major major mass media of the United States. Theater of the United States is based in the Western tradition mostly borrowed from the performance styles prevalent in Europe Sculpture of the United States Visual arts of the United States refers to the history of Painting and Visual art in the United States. This is a list of films based on English-language comics. It includes films that are adaptations of English-language Comics and those films whose characters This page indexes the individual year in Comics pages Each year is annotated with significant events as reference points Television and the Child (Oxford University Press, London, 1958) p. 36
  2. ^ "History of Comic Books Victorian and Platinum Ages"
  3. ^ About: Comics
  4. ^ In the Beginning...
  5. ^ U. S. Library of Congress, "American Treasures of the Library of Congress" exhibition
  6. ^ a b c d e f Goulart, Ron. Comic Book Encyclopedia (Harper Entertainment, New York, 2004)
  7. ^ a b Brown, Mitchell. "The 100 Greatest Comic Books of the 20th Century: Funnies on Parade"
  8. ^ Grand Comics Database: Famous Famous - Carnival of Comics
  9. ^ Willits, Malcolm. HarperCollins is a Publishing company owned by News Corporation. "Interview with George Sherman". Vanguard 1968.
  10. ^ History of Comics-Bronze Age

References

External links

Comics Buyer's Guide ( (CBG is the second longest-running Periodical reporting on the Comic book industry Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner
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