History of comics Essay Example

back to ancient Greek mythological gods and superheroes. For instance, the modern comic book hero Flash incorporates the imagery of Hermes, the Greek god, with a winged helmet and boots. Samson's vulnerability in the Old Testament, symbolized by his haircut, reflects the weaknesses that affect modern heroes like Superman's kryptonite. Additionally, other ancient heroes such as Zeus, Gilgamesh, Thor, Beowulf, and Jason and the Argonauts embody conventions seen in present-day comic book heroes - having a sidekick (sometimes with homoerotic undertones), facing sexual temptation, and joining forces with others like the Justice League. More contemporary archetypes include Friedrich Nietzsche's Ubermensch and Tarzan as the pulp ubermensch (Coogan 2006).

According to Hayman and Pratt (2005), modern comic books were influenced by ancient cave paintings and medieval woodcuttings. The medieval broadsheet, consisting of narrative strips carved into woodcuttings, depicted cartoonish stories of public executions and caricatures of public figures. These broadsheets were widely circulated with the invention of the printing press and eventually collected into early versions of magazines or newspapers, resembling comic books. Some scholars also consider the Bayeux Tapestry an early example of a comic strip, illustrating events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 (Meskin 2007).

The Yellow Kid, created by Richard Felton Outcault, is widely considered as the first genuine comic strip. It made its debut in 1895 in The New York World, owned by Joseph Pulitzer, with the goal of increasing newspaper sales. One notable feature of The Yellow Kid was its utilization of speech balloons in comic strips. Publishers soon realized that comics like Outcault's could attract a wider readership to their newspapers. This resulted in the

inclusion of popular comic features such as Buster Brown, Foxy Grandpa, Krazy Kat, Katzenjammer Kids, Popeye, and Mutt and Jeff. These intentionally humorous strips from the early 20th century became known as "the comics" or "the funnies." In the 1930s, with the emergence of the comic book industry titles like Famous Funnies, Funnies on Parade, and The Funnies further solidified this trend. Initially consisting mainly of reprints from popular newspaper comic strips, comic books developed their own distinct cultural and economic identity separate from newspaper syndicates over time (Eisner 1985).

Comic books and pulp magazines share similarities in distribution, audience, narrative style, and thematic content. Pulp magazines earned their name due to their use of inexpensive paper for wide circulation. These magazines have a long commercial history that dates back to newspaper comic strips and even earlier to the Civil War dime novels. In contrast to comics, pulp magazines targeted specific audiences and focused on genres like action, adventure, fantasy, and suspense.
In 1933, Harry Wildenberg and Max C. Gaines introduced the first four-color newsprint comic by folding a traditional tabloid-size comic called Funnies on Parade in half. This innovative format was successfully sold at newsstands by Eastern Color and Dell Publishing and served as the foundation for modern comic books. Newsstands remained the primary distributor of comics until the 1990s.

The period between 1930 and 1950 is commonly referred to as the Golden Age.

The comic book industry became a distinct form of entertainment after 1938 when Superman was created by Jerome Siegal and Joseph Shuster, marking the beginning of the superhero genre which would become the foundation of the industry. Batman, introduced by

DC comics in 1939, gradually displaced crime and detective stories from their titles. The popularity of superheroes in the 1930s led to the emergence of other characters like Wonder Woman, Captain America, The Flash, and the Green Lantern. Marvel comics introduced enduring characters including the Human Torch and Captain America (Coogan 2006). Will Eisner's work on his masked detective series The Spirit brought cinematic techniques to comic books and developed much of the storytelling style that is still employed today. Eisner's "cinematic" storytelling differed from daily comic strips and children's comics with its longer narratives, varied perspectives, use of light and sound, dynamic framing, and vibrant colors.

The comic book industry thrived during World War II due to its alignment with two prevailing ideologies of the time: New Deal-style social reform and WWII patriotism. While DC superhero comics emphasized the importance of public welfare and a strong federal government, Marvel comics showcased WWII patriotism through the creation of Captain America, who famously punched Hitler in the face. The primary theme of the Golden Age was defending normalcy, but its momentum waned after the war. Ultimately, the cancellation of Captain Marvel and Plastic Man, both known for their light-hearted approach to super heroics, marked the end of the Golden Age (Coogan 2006).The era known as the Silver Age spanned from 1956 to 1971.

The decline of comic books after World War II was caused by various factors, including a lack of purpose, competition from television, and Senate investigations into the cultural impact of the industry. Among these investigations, popular "horror" comic books were heavily scrutinized. Dr. Fredric Wertham's book, The Seduction of the Innocent, further exacerbated

the situation by accusing certain comics of corrupting young people and inciting violent behavior. In order to counter these allegations and revive readership, comic book companies established the Comics Code Authority as a self-regulating body (McCloud 1993).

The comic book industry experienced a revival in the 1960s, known as the Silver Age. In this era, superhero comics continued to serve as a medium for societal beliefs, similar to the previous Golden Age. However, as audience preferences evolved, Silver Age comics moved away from explicitly conveying ideological messages. The Vietnam War and its impact on public opinion led superheroes to question America's position as a global superpower after having united Americans during World War II.

Marvel comics played a significant role in this shift by introducing characters like the Hulk and Spiderman who possessed relatable weaknesses or flaws that resonated with disoriented audiences. Marvel also countered DC's Justice League of America by creating their own team called the Fantastic Four.

While these stories still depicted battles between good and evil, they became more intricate. Antagonists could exhibit virtues while heroes themselves were hesitant, self-centered, or even engaged in arguments among each other.

The Silver Age came to an end when Steve Rogers decided to abandon his Captain America persona in response to "Secret Empire," which was a fictionalized Watergate story (Coogan 2006).The period from 1971 to 1980 is known as the Bronze Age.

During the Bronze Age, comic books shifted their focus from societal issues to an emphasis on form and stylistic details. Instead of exploring ideals, values, and conflicts, comic books began to study the form itself. In response to criticism that comic book art was not considered

"great" art, artists started experimenting with color and page display. Although this new focus on art received critical acclaim, the industry saw a decline in sales due to outdated distribution practices. While traditional newsstands still carried comic books, they were being rapidly replaced by chain stores. To address this issue and revamp their marketing structure, the comic book industry established the Academy of Comic-Book Arts (ACBA) and later the Comic Guild. These organizations aimed to achieve the same level of prestige for comic books as the Academy Awards do for motion pictures, according to Stan Lee, the creator of Spiderman (Coogan 2006). Additionally, these associations sought to garner respect from the American public, similar to the reputation comic book industries had in France and Japan. Furthermore, they aimed to provide comic book writers with greater benefits and job security.

Despite a decline in comic book sales, both DC and Marvel managed to generate revenue by licensing their characters for television. DC's profits came from Saturday cartoons such as Superfriends and Batman, along with the Wonder Woman series. The Superman movie featuring Christopher Reeve also contributed to DC's profits. Meanwhile, Marvel licensed the Incredible Hulk series starring Bill Bixby and authorized the animated Fantastic Four series. Additionally, Marvel obtained the rights to publish Star Wars comic books (Coogan 2006).

From 1980 to 1987, a period known as The Iron Age occurred.

During the Iron Age, the focus on form seen in the Bronze Age reached new heights, with form itself becoming the substance of the work. This resulted in an intricate blending of postmodern intertextuality and self-reflexiveness among comic book heroes like Frank

Miller's Daredevil, who began questioning their own heroism and showing signs of instability. The emphasis shifted from using heroes as a storytelling tool to making them the central subject of comic book stories. The Iron Age also saw an increased fixation on mortality among heroes, as several superheroes met their demise, including Captain Marvel, Batman (symbolically), and Rorschach from Watchmen. In 1992, even Superman died while being held by Louis Lane. Additionally, DC Comics completely restructured its universe's history in Crisis on Infinite Earths, effectively erasing all stories before 1986. A prime example of a superhero's demise during this period is Spawn, a self-proclaimed greatest success that is essentially a lifeless body. It can be argued that during this era, the comic book genre turned inwardly reflective, challenging its own conventions and potentially undermining its own existence.

Comic book publishers generated higher profits by increasing comic book prices and distributing them to specialized retail outlets instead of newsstands, without accepting returns. Furthermore, they prioritized catering to the dedicated fan base rather than casual mainstream readers. This change in comic book production and distribution reflected their growing popularity within a niche subculture (Coogan 2006).

Since 1987, we have been in the Modern Age.

During the late 1980s, efforts were made to revive the comic book industry, which had almost self-destructed. The aim was to uphold the continuity of the Golden and Silver ages while reconstructing the fallen mission convention of the Iron Age. A notable development during this time was marketing new editions of popular comics such as Spiderman and X-Men as collectibles with potential future value. This approach proved effective in the

1990s when comics became highly coveted collectibles, second only to stamps and coins in terms of popularity. Despite having a smaller audience compared to previous eras, comic books in the 1990s achieved success as enthusiasts were willing to purchase more issues at higher prices.

In 1991, the American Comic Book Industry had a significant moment with Marvel's listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Marvel quickly found success as their X-Men comic sold 8.2 million copies in just six months. This success allowed them to expand into various forms of entertainment, making superheroes popular figures in Hollywood. Profitable movies like X-Men (2000), Spiderman, Daredevil, The Hulk, and The Incredibles emerged from this expansion. Thanks to advanced computer-generated imagery, superhero battles and abilities now appear just as awe-inspiring and seamless as they do on the pages of comics. As a result, comic books have regained their prominent position in a commercial culture dominated by corporations.