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51-498: The first two series titled Mystic came during the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books from publisher Martin Goodman , whose Timely Comics by the early 1960s would evolve into Marvel Comics . The first four issues were nominally edited by Goodman, but the contents came almost entirely from either the Funnies, Inc. , or Harry "A" Chesler studios. Editor Joe Simon relaunched the series after

102-512: A corporate predecessor of DC Comics ) to 1956 (introduction of DC's second incarnation of The Flash ). The following period, the Silver Age , goes from 1956 to 1970. The Bronze Age follows and spans from 1970 to 1985. Finally the last period, from c. 1985 until today, is the Modern Age . This division is standard but not all the critics apply it, since some of them propose their own periods, and

153-693: A new golden age. Writers and artists redefined classic characters and launched new series that brought readership to levels not seen in decades, and landmark publications such as Maus redefined the medium's potential. The industry, however, soon experienced a series of financial shocks and crises that threatened its viability, and from which it took years to recover. American comics historians generally divide 20th-century American comics history chronologically into ages. The first period, called Golden Age , extends from c. 1938 (first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1 by National Allied Publications ,

204-562: A newspaper ( Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics ), appeared in 1933. Although the first comic books were themselves newspaper-strip reprints, comics soon featured original material, and the first appearance of Superman in 1938 launched the Golden Age of Comic Books . During World War II , superheroes and talking animals were the most popular genres, but new genres were also developed (i.e., western, romance, and science fiction) and increased readership. Comic book sales began to decline in

255-743: A result, the Comics Code Authority was created by the Association of Comics Magazine Publishers to enact self-censorship by comic book publishers. At this time, EC canceled its crime and horror titles and focused primarily on Mad . The Silver Age of Comic Books is recognized by some as beginning with the debut of the first successful new superhero since the Golden Age, DC Comics' new Flash , in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956). History of American comic books The history of American comics began in

306-657: A seven-month gap, with future Marvel chief Stan Lee taking over with issue #8 or #9 after Simon left the company. It ran 10 issues (March 1940 – Aug. 1942). A superhero anthology with no regular starring feature, Mystic Comics introduced at least three notable characters: the Blazing Skull (issue #5, March 1941), who made appearances both in the Golden Age and in the 2000s; and the Destroyer (issue #6, Oct. 1941), noted by comics historian and former Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas as "Stan's most popular superhero creation before

357-688: The Yellow Kid magazine consisting of sheets previously appeared in newspapers and it was the first magazine of its kind. From 1903 to 1905, Gustave Verbeek wrote his comic series "The Upside-Downs of Old Man Muffaroo and Little Lady Lovekins" between 1903 and 1905. These comics were made in such a way that one could read the 6-panel comic, flip the book and keep reading. He made 64 such comics in total. The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype

408-569: The Angel was cover-featured for the first three, with one or two stories in each, and the Young Allies on issue #4. Timely star the Human Torch appeared in the first two issues, and time traveler Tommy Tyme in the first three. The Destroyer was the only character with a story every issue. A one-shot publication, Mystic Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1 (Oct. 2009), featured a new 22-page story of

459-452: The Comics Code Authority prohibited most of what had appeared prior to 1954. The website Copper Age Comics proposes that the Copper Age began in 1984 with Marvel's Secret Wars limited series and ended in 1991 with Jim Lee 's X-Men series. In 1992, a group of Marvel artists (including Jim Lee) defected to form the creator-owned Image Comics ; the site marks this as the beginning of

510-761: The Flash , Green Lantern , Doctor Fate , the Atom , Hawkman , Green Arrow and Aquaman . Timely Comics , the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics , had million-selling titles featuring the Human Torch , the Sub-Mariner , and Captain America . Although DC and Timely characters are well remembered today, circulation figures suggest that the best-selling superhero title of the era was Fawcett Comics ' Captain Marvel Adventures with sales of about 1.4 million copies per issue. The comic

561-539: The New York World , fueling the greed of Hearst. Fierce competition between Hearst and Pulitzer in 1896 led to enticing away of Outcault by Hearst to work in the New York Journal . A bitter legal battle allowed Pulitzer to keep publishing Hogan's Alley (which he entrusted to Georges B. Luks ) and Hearst to publish the series under another name. Richard Outcault chose the title The Yellow Kid . Published in 1897,

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612-490: The Terror (#5-10) by writer Phil Sturm and penciler Syd Shores . The non-superhero trio of detectives the 3X's [sic] (issue #1) comprised Timely's first team feature. Timely's second series titled Mystic Comics was a shorter-lived superhero anthology that ran four issues (Oct. 1944 – March 1945). This later revival was edited by Vincent Fago as Lee had left for military duty in early 1942. Paul Gustavson 's costumed detective

663-693: The Thin Man , by artist Klaus Nordling and an unknown writer (issue #4, Aug. 1940); the Blue Blaze, a living dead man who disappeared into a swamp in his final appearance, by Harry Douglas who signed his name "Harry / Douglas" leading to much confusion and many theories over the possibility of two creators. (#1-4); the robot hero Flexo the Rubber Man (#1-4); the Black Marvel (#5-9), by artist Al Gabriele and an unknown writer (not Stan Lee as often mis-attributed); and

714-422: The 19th century in mass print media , in the era of sensationalist journalism , where newspaper comics served as further entertainment for mass readership. In the 20th century, comics became an autonomous art medium and an integral part of American culture . The history of American comics started in 1842 with the U.S. publication of Rodolphe Töpffer 's work The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck , but

765-659: The Archie Andrews character remaining in print well into the 21st century. At the same time in Canada, American comic books were prohibited importation under the War Exchange Conservation Act which restricted the importation of non-essential goods. Canadian publishers responded to this lack of competition by producing titles of their own, informally called the Canadian Whites . While these titles flourished during

816-590: The Fantastic Four". The Destroyer was cover-featured for the last half of the run. The Black Widow is comic books' first super-powered, costumed female character; She appeared in Mystic Comics #4 (Aug. 1940) and #5 (Mar. 1941), as well as #7 (Dec. 1941). An antihero who killed evildoers to deliver their souls to Satan, her master, she is unrelated to Marvel Comics' later superspy character, Black Widow. Additional superheroes introduced in this initial series include

867-534: The Golden Age Vision by writer-artist David Lapham , and reprints of Sub-Mariner , Human Torch and Vision stories from Marvel Mystery Comics #12 and 14. Titled simply Mystic and published by Marvel's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics , this was a 61-issue horror-suspense anthology (March 1951-Aug. 1957). Mystic debuted shortly before Atlas' Strange Tales , increasing the company's science fiction/fantasy/horror line from four titles to six. Begun prior to

918-560: The Golden Age. During this time, the popularity of superhero comics waned. To retain reader interest, comic publishers diversified into other genres, such as war , Westerns , science fiction , romance , crime and horror . Many superhero titles were canceled or converted to other genres. In 1946, DC Comics ' Superboy , Aquaman and Green Arrow were switched from More Fun Comics into Adventure Comics so More Fun could focus on humor. In 1948 All-American Comics , featuring Green Lantern , Johnny Thunder and Dr. Mid-Nite ,

969-585: The Modern Age, which continues to the present. An alternative name for the period after the mid-1980s is the Dark Age of Comic Books . Pop culture writer Matthew J. Theriault proposed the Dark Age (c. 1985 to 2004), the Modern Age (beginning c. 2004 with the publication of Marvel's " Avengers Disassembled " and DC Comics' " Infinite Crisis ", and ending c. 2011), and the Postmodern Age (beginning c. 2011 with

1020-458: The broader counterculture of the 1960s . The Bronze Age of Comic Books is an informal name for a period in the history of American superhero comic books usually said to run from 1970 to 1985. It follows the Silver Age of Comic Books and is followed by the Modern Age of Comic Books . The Bronze Age retained many of the conventions of the Silver Age, with traditional superhero titles remaining

1071-549: The cancellation of most of its titles. Golden Age of Comic Books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era in the history of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and many well-known characters were introduced, including Superman , Batman , Robin , Captain Marvel , Captain America , and Wonder Woman . The first recorded use of

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1122-564: The comic book industry hit a setback when the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency was created in order to investigate the problem of juvenile delinquency . After the publication of Fredric Wertham 's Seduction of the Innocent the following year that claimed comics sparked illegal behavior among minors, comic book publishers such as EC's William Gaines were subpoenaed to testify in public hearings. As

1173-479: The creation of the comic-book industry's self-censorship board, the Comics Code Authority , Mystic softened its horror when it went under the auspices of the Comics Code beginning with issue #37 (May 1955). The series' contributors included artists Bill Everett and John Severin . Mystic ran until the collapse of American News Company , Atlas' distributor, which forced Atlas to undergo drastic restructuring and

1224-578: The dates selected may vary depending on the authors. The first recorded use of the term "Golden Age" pertaining to comics was by Richard A. Lupoff in an article, "Re-Birth", published in issue one of the fanzine Comic Art in April 1960. The first use of the terms "Golden Age" and "Silver Age" together as comic periodization was in a letter from a reader published in Justice League of America #42 (February 1966) that stated: "If you guys keep bringing back

1275-508: The early 1950s, and comics were socially condemned for their alleged harmful effects on children; to protect the reputation of comic books, the Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed, but this eliminated the publication of crime and horror genres. The Silver Age of Comic Books began in 1956 with a resurgence of interest in superheroes. Non-superhero sales declined and many publishers closed. [Marvel Comics and National Periodicals(DC)] introduced new and popular superheroes and thereby became

1326-463: The entire 1950s were Action Comics , Adventure Comics , Batman , Detective Comics , Superboy , Superman , Wonder Woman and World's Finest Comics . Plastic Man appeared in Quality Comics ' Police Comics until 1950, when its focus switched to detective stories; his solo title continued bimonthly until issue 52, cover-dated February 1955. Timely Comics ' The Human Torch

1377-523: The final two issues, which included Black Cat stories. Lev Gleason Publications ' Daredevil was edged out of his title by the Little Wise Guys in 1950. Fawcett Comics ' Whiz Comics , Master Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures were canceled in 1953, and The Marvel Family was canceled the following year. Also during this period, the mass media with the advent of television were forcing media companies to put out comics that reflected

1428-440: The first color strip, designed by Walt McDougall , showing that the technique already enabled this kind of publications. Authors began to create recurring characters. Thus, in 1894 and still in the New York World , Richard F. Outcault presented Hogan's Alley , created shortly before in the magazine Truth Magazine . In this series of full-page large drawings teeming with humorous details, he staged street urchins, one of whom

1479-474: The first drawings of humanized animals in the series Little Bears and Tykes . Nevertheless, drawings published in the press were rather a series of humorous independent cartoons occupying a full page. The purpose of the cartoon itself, as expressed through narrative sequence expressed through images which follow one another, was only imposed slowly. In 1894, Joseph Pulitzer published in the New York World

1530-627: The general history of comics has led Geppi to add two periods before the Golden Age: the Victorian Age (from 1828 to 1882) and the Platinum Age (the period of comic strips). Alternative definitions of these periods exist, as comics historian William W. Savage sets the ending of the Atom Age (the period in which there was a prevalence of atomic-bomb narratives and horror stories ) in 1954, the year that

1581-619: The heroes from the Golden Age, people 20 years from now will be calling this decade the Silver Sixties!" Comics historian/movie producer Michael Uslan says this natural hierarchy of gold–silver–bronze, akin to Olympic medals, soon took hold in common parlance: "Fans immediately glommed onto this, refining it more directly into a Silver Age version of the Golden Age. Very soon, it was in our vernacular, replacing such expressions as ... 'Second Heroic Age of Comics' or 'The Modern Age' of comics. It wasn't long before dealers were ... specifying it

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1632-630: The late 1870s, which gave American artists the idea to produce similar works. In 1849, Journey to the Gold Diggins by Jeremiah Saddlebags by James A. and Donald F. Read was the first American comic. Domestic production remained limited until the emergence of satirical magazines that, on the model of British Punch , published drawings and humorous short stories, but also stories in pictures and silent comics. The three main titles were Puck , Judge and Life . Authors such as Arthur Burdett Frost created stories as innovative as those produced in

1683-763: The late 19th century (the so-called "Platinum Age") was characterized by a gradual introduction of the key elements of the American mass comics. Then, the funnies were found in the humor pages of newspapers: they were published in the Sunday edition to retain readership. Indeed, it was not the information given that distinguished the newspapers but the editorials and the pages which were not informative, whose illustrations were an important component. These pages were then called comic supplement. In 1892, William Randolph Hearst published cartoons in his first newspaper, The San Francisco Examiner . James Swinnerton created on this occasion

1734-591: The leading comics publisher in the Bronze Age of Comic Books (from 1970 to 1985). Unlike the Golden and Silver ages, the start of the Bronze Age is not marked by a single event. Although the Bronze Age was dominated by the superhero genres, underground comics appeared for the first time, which addressed new aesthetic themes and followed a new distribution model. Following the Bronze Age, the Modern Age initially seemed to be

1785-504: The licensed Walt Disney animated-character comics) outsold the superhero comics of the day. The publisher featured licensed movie and literary characters such as Mickey Mouse , Donald Duck , Roy Rogers and Tarzan . It was during this era that noted Donald Duck writer-artist Carl Barks rose to prominence. Additionally, MLJ 's introduction of Archie Andrews in Pep Comics #22 (December 1941) gave rise to teen humor comics , with

1836-435: The mainstay of the industry. However, a return of darker plot elements and storylines more related to relevant social issues, such as racism, began to flourish during the period, prefiguring the later Modern Age of Comic Books. The Modern Age of Comic Books is a period in the history of American superhero comic books which is generally considered to have begun in 1985 and continues through the present day. During approximately

1887-453: The medium was initially developed through comic strips in daily newspapers . The seminal years of comic strips established its canonical features (e.g., speech balloons ) and initial genres (family strips, adventure tales). Comic-strip characters became national celebrities, and were subject to cross-media adaptation, while newspapers competed for the most popular artists. The first American-style true comic book , published independently of

1938-551: The popular culture of the time period. Comic books focused on space, mystery, and suspense that television and other forms of media were turning to in the march toward scientific progress. According to historian Michael A. Amundson, appealing comic-book characters helped ease young readers' fear of nuclear war and neutralize anxiety about the questions posed by atomic power. It was during this period that long-running humor comics debuted, including EC Comics ' series Mad and Dell's series Uncle Scrooge (both in 1952). In 1953,

1989-470: The publication of Ultimate Fallout #4, the first appearance of Miles Morales , and continuing to the present). Comics creator Tom Pinchuk proposed the name Diamond Age (2000–present) for the period starting with the appearance of Marvel's Ultimate line. Comics in the United States originated in the early European works. In 1842, the work Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois by Rodolphe Töpffer

2040-468: The same period by Europeans. However, these magazines only reached an audience educated and rich enough to afford them. The arrival of new printing techniques, along with other technologies, allowed easy and cheap reproduction of images for the American comic to take off. Some media moguls like William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer engaged in a fierce competition, publishing cartoons in their newspapers in an attempt to attract readers. The period of

2091-675: The term "Golden Age" was by Richard A. Lupoff in an article, "Re-Birth", published in issue one of the fanzine Comic Art in April 1960. An event cited by many as marking the beginning of the Golden Age was the 1938 debut of Superman in Action Comics #1, published by Detective Comics (predecessor of DC Comics ). Superman's popularity helped make comic books a major arm of publishing, which led rival companies to create superheroes of their own to emulate Superman's success. Between 1939 and 1941 Detective Comics and its sister company, All-American Publications , introduced popular superheroes such as Batman and Robin , Wonder Woman ,

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2142-650: The time of the Second World War following the Shield 's debut in 1940. Many heroes of this time period battled the Axis powers , with covers such as Captain America Comics #1 ( cover-dated March 1941) showing the title character punching Nazi leader Adolf Hitler . As comic books grew in popularity, publishers began launching titles that expanded into a variety of genres. Dell Comics ' non-superhero characters (particularly

2193-423: The war, they did not survive the lifting of trade restrictions afterwards. The term Atomic Age of Comic Books is sometimes used to describe a brief time period, starting with either the end of World War II in 1945 or in 1948 with the first outcry of Fredric Wertham, and lasting until the mid-1950s. Some authors consider this an interregnum period or an era in its own right, but most regard it as still part of

2244-944: Was a Golden Age comic for sale or a Silver Age comic for sale." In A Complete History of American Comic Books , Shirrel Rhoades cites Steve Geppi (the publisher of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide and founder of Diamond Comic Distributors , the direct market distribution monopoly between 1997 and 2020) who, taking into account comic strips, divides the history of comics in ages: Victorian ( Victorian Age , from 1828 to 1882), of platinum ( Platinum Age , from 1882 to 1938), of gold ( Golden Age , from 1938 to 1945), atomic ( Atom Age , from 1946 to 1956), of silver ( Silver Age , from 1956 to 1971), of bronze ( Bronze Age , from 1971 to 1985), of copper ( Copper Age , from 1986 to 1992), of chrome ( Chrome Age , from 1992 to 1999), and modern ( Modern Age , 2000 to present). According to Rhoades, consideration of comic strips in

2295-456: Was a dominating force during the Silver Age. The Code restricted many topics from being covered in stories: this prevented certain genres, such as crime and horror comics, from being sold at most comic book shops, and also helped superheroes stay popular and culturally relevant. The underground comix movement began at the end of the Silver Age in response to the restrictions of the Code, and was part of

2346-584: Was canceled with issue #35 (March 1949) and Marvel Mystery Comics , featuring the Human Torch, with issue #93 (Aug. 1949) became the horror comic Marvel Tales . Sub-Mariner Comics was canceled with issue #42 (June 1949) and Captain America Comics , by then Captain America's Weird Tales , with #75 (Feb. 1950). Harvey Comics ' Black Cat was canceled in 1951 and rebooted as a horror comic later that year—the title would change to Black Cat Mystery , Black Cat Mystic , and eventually Black Cat Western for

2397-459: Was created and many well-known characters were introduced, including Superman , Batman , Captain Marvel , Captain America , and Wonder Woman . The Silver Age of Comic Books began with the publication of DC Comics' Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956), which introduced the modern version of the Flash . At the time, only three superheroes— Superman , Batman , and Wonder Woman —were still published under their own titles. The Comics Code

2448-494: Was published biweekly at one point to capitalize on its popularity. Another notable series was The Spirit by Will Eisner , which deviated from the usual publishing model of the period as a weekly multi-page supplement in the Register and Tribune Syndicate newspapers for which Eisner held the copyright, a rare consideration for creators of that period. Patriotic heroes donning red, white, and blue were particularly popular during

2499-435: Was published under the title The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck in the U.S. This edition (a newspaper supplement titled Brother Jonathan Extra No. IX, September 14, 1842) was an unlicensed copy of the original work as it was done without Töpffer's authorization. This first publication was followed by other works of this author, always under types of unlicensed editions. Töpffer comics were reprinted regularly until

2550-508: Was replaced with All-American Western . The following year, Flash Comics and Green Lantern were canceled. In 1951 All Star Comics , featuring the Justice Society of America , became All-Star Western . The next year Star Spangled Comics , featuring Robin, was retitled Star Spangled War Stories . Sensation Comics , featuring Wonder Woman , was canceled in 1953. The only superhero comics published continuously through

2601-492: Was wearing a blue nightgown (which turned yellow in 1895). Soon, the little character became the darling of readers who called him Yellow Kid . On October 25, 1896, the Yellow Kid pronounced his first words in a speech balloon (they were previously written on his shirt). Outcault had already used this method but this date is often considered as the birth of comics in the United States. Yellow Kid' s success boosted sales of

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