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The Comic Book Ages
Nov 8, 2003 06:49 PM
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Here are some basic questions and talking points:
1. Should there be an actual Atom Age that's separate and distinct from the Golden Age? If so, is 1946 the appropriate year for its start? Did the Golden Age really end in 1945?
2. 1956's Showcase #4 has received almost universal acceptance as the first Silver Age comic. Marvel's Fantastic Four #1, which was published five years later, has obvious significance for Marvel and the comic book world. Does the "Marvel Age" thus deserve it's own age designation or should it remain as a subset of the the Silver Age?
3. The current OPG mentions ASM 121 and the "Death of Gwen Stacy" from 1971 as a possible catalyst for the commencement of the Bronze Age. Some would favor other prominent comic book releases or events for this distinction, such as Conan #1, GL #76, Kirby's move to Marvel, and so on. Also, for several years 1980 was thought of as the end-point of the Bronze Age. The latest Overstreet books now say it's 1985. Any thoughts?
4. What, if anything, should the Modern Age be re-named as? Can we identify and define more than one age for this post-Bronze period or is it still too early to think about this?
5. The following chart comes from the OPG. Most of you have seen it already. Note that the catalysts for the first two rows were left blank.
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(624 of 648)
The Comic Book Ages
Nov 8, 2006 08:46 AM
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Yay!
*wheels out the cake*
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(625 of 648)
The Comic Book Ages
Nov 9, 2006 04:29 PM
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burp...i mean bump! 
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(626 of 648)
The Comic Book Ages
Nov 25, 2006 05:58 AM
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bump 
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(627 of 648)
The Comic Book Ages
Dec 8, 2006 12:22 PM
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(628 of 648)
The Comic Book Ages
Dec 8, 2006 04:35 PM
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You are such a one trick pony. 
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(629 of 648)
The Comic Book Ages
Dec 25, 2006 01:52 PM
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1. Yes, slot of the Atom age tends to turn to atoms alot faster than the Golden Age
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(630 of 648)
The Comic Book Ages
Jan 21, 2007 05:57 PM
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(631 of 648)
The Comic Book Ages
Jan 6, 2008 10:01 PM
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(632 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 5, 2011 06:15 AM
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The Dark Age Of Comic Books
Though this definition may never be accepted in comicdom, a pretty cogent argument is put forth.
Talk amongst yourselves.
Best Match is The Devil!
The DEVIL !!!
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(633 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 5, 2011 09:19 AM
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komic_buyer wrote: The Dark Age Of Comic Books
Though this definition may never be accepted in comicdom, a pretty cogent argument is put forth. 
OOOOOOO the Dark Ages. It's an interesting essay. I remember Alan Moore almost apologized for Watchmen because it later took the fun out of comic books helping lead to that 'Dark Age'. So he later created more optimistic books like '1963'.
Speaking of the real 1963, I had the real experience of the different comics ages back then. I was 11 and loved the Flash and Justice League. Some older person told me there was another Flash and about the Justice Society. Even though it was only about a decade away when they existed, to me it was a different era and I so wanted to see those books and thought I never would. Our barber shop and other people that had boxes of comics, had nice comics for sure, but they were 'recent' like 1959 to 1962. To me they never existed . So much later when the term Golden Age came about, it fit for me.
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(634 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 5, 2011 01:37 PM
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comics_forever wrote:komic_buyer wrote:The Dark Age Of Comic Books
Though this definition may never be accepted in comicdom, a pretty cogent argument is put forth.
OOOOOOO the Dark Ages. It's an interesting essay. I remember Alan Moore almost apologized for Watchmen because it later took the fun out of comic books helping lead to that 'Dark Age'. So he later created more optimistic books like '1963'.
Speaking of the real 1963, I had the real experience of the different comics ages back then. I was 11 and loved the Flash and Justice League. Some older person told me there was another Flash and about the Justice Society. Even though it was only about a decade away when they existed, to me it was a different era and I so wanted to see those books and thought I never would. Our barber shop and other people that had boxes of comics, had nice comics for sure, but they were 'recent' like 1959 to 1962. To me they never existed . So much later when the term Golden Age came about, it fit for me.
Interesting question (perhaps answered somewhere in the previous 42 pages of this thread): Who coined the term Golden Age and when did he coin it? I'm of an only slightly later vintage than you, was collecting comics in the 1960s, and can't remember a time when the term wasn't in use.
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(635 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 5, 2011 01:39 PM
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goodbooks3 wrote:comics_forever wrote:komic_buyer wrote:The Dark Age Of Comic Books
Though this definition may never be accepted in comicdom, a pretty cogent argument is put forth.
OOOOOOO the Dark Ages. It's an interesting essay. I remember Alan Moore almost apologized for Watchmen because it later took the fun out of comic books helping lead to that 'Dark Age'. So he later created more optimistic books like '1963'.
Speaking of the real 1963, I had the real experience of the different comics ages back then. I was 11 and loved the Flash and Justice League. Some older person told me there was another Flash and about the Justice Society. Even though it was only about a decade away when they existed, to me it was a different era and I so wanted to see those books and thought I never would. Our barber shop and other people that had boxes of comics, had nice comics for sure, but they were 'recent' like 1959 to 1962. To me they never existed . So much later when the term Golden Age came about, it fit for me.
Interesting question (perhaps answered somewhere in the previous 42 pages of this thread): Who coined the term Golden Age and when did he coin it? I'm of an only slightly later vintage than you, was collecting comics in the 1960s, and can't remember a time when the term wasn't in use.
Actually, I guess I'm of a slightly more recent vintage than you.
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(636 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 5, 2011 05:45 PM
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Interesting question Who coined the term Golden Age and when did he coin it? I'm of an only slightly later vintage than you, was collecting comics in the 1960s, and can't remember a time when the term wasn't in use. Actually, I guess I'm of a slightly more recent vintage than you. [/quote] Alright now. Slightly more recent. LOL. But I was thinking about your question and putting that with some google searches, I think I know. I remember seeing the term actually used by Marvel when they came up with Fantasy Masterpieces in 1966 with their Captain America reprints. At the top it says "From the Golden Age of Marvel". But before that in the letter pages at DC, letter writers such as Jerry Bails and Roy Thomas would thank the editors for bringing back "Golden Age" characters after Flash #123 came out. Maybe Bails and Roy Thomas also used the terms earlier in their fanzines. But that's the earliest I remember the term in DC letter pages and Marvel's Fantasy Masterpieces.
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(637 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 5, 2011 06:05 PM
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Maybe Bails and Roy Thomas also used the terms earlier in their saw. But that's the earliest I remember the term in DC letter pages and Marvel's Fantasy Masterpieces.
I guess the terms where created by comic collectors. They might have been made popular by fanzines and the very early big shot comic book dealers. I remember as a child we called books from the forties golden age (even before Fantasy Masterpieces) with the modern books being silver age. We foresaw a tradition of comic collecting that would last many years.We forgot to categorize the books from the fifties
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(638 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 5, 2011 07:29 PM
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My guess is it first circulated in the early fanzines but they were using a tern already circulating among collectors. There was a widely circulated compilation film released in 1957 called The Golden Age of Comedy referring to silent shorts so it wouldn't take rocket science to use it to describe 1940s comic books, I remember a comic book guide that came out in 1975 (not Overstreet) said the term referred specifically to comic books up to 1945 starting with Action 1.
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(639 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 5, 2011 08:52 PM
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IMO:
Pre Action #1-Pre-Super Hero Age
Action #1-Superboy #1-Golden Age
Vault Of Horror #12-Showcase #3-EC Age
Showcase #4 -Pre Fantastic Four #1-Silver age (DC)
Fantastic Four #1 -Pre Conan #1-Silver Age (Marvel)
Conan #1 -1980-Bronze Age
!980-present-Who Cares Age
Superboy#1 is the missing link between the golden and silver age DC comics.
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(640 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 6, 2011 07:36 AM
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dumbdolores wrote:IMO: Pre Action #1-Pre-Super Hero Age Action #1-Superboy #1-Golden Age Vault Of Horror #12-Showcase #3-EC Age Showcase #4 -Pre Fantastic Four #1-Silver age (DC) Fantastic Four #1 -Pre Conan #1-Silver Age (Marvel) Conan #1 -1980-Bronze Age !980-present-Who Cares Age Superboy#1 is the missing link between the golden and silver age DC comics. What's the significance of Superboy 1? My understanding is that there were massive cancellations of books in 1945, which is why many people date the end the Golden Age to that year. I'm not sure that the publication of Superboy 1 in 1949 was the end of anything particularly significant since sales had by that time been declining for several years. But maybe I'm missing something. Related point: I've always thought it rather odd that Superboy doesn't appear on the cover of More Fun 101, where he was introduced. I guess the editors were not expecting big things from the strip.
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(641 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 6, 2011 12:48 PM
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goodbooks3 wrote:dumbdolores wrote:IMO: Pre Action #1-Pre-Super Hero Age Action #1-Superboy #1-Golden Age Vault Of Horror #12-Showcase #3-EC Age Showcase #4 -Pre Fantastic Four #1-Silver age (DC) Fantastic Four #1 -Pre Conan #1-Silver Age (Marvel) Conan #1 -1980-Bronze Age !980-present-Who Cares Age Superboy#1 is the missing link between the golden and silver age DC comics. What's the significance of Superboy 1? My understanding is that there were massive cancellations of books in 1945, which is why many people date the end the Golden Age to that year. I'm not sure that the publication of Superboy 1 in 1949 was the end of anything particularly significant since sales had by that time been declining for several years. But maybe I'm missing something. The term "Atom Age" is still hanging on, for 1946-1955. Makes sense too, because there's no way EC Comics are Golden Age comics, and the Silver Age is dominated by superheroes. Related point: I've always thought it rather odd that Superboy doesn't appear on the cover of More Fun 101, where he was introduced. I guess the editors were not expecting big things from the strip. I just read something about this, not sure if it's just hearsay. Either Siegel or Schuster (not sure which one) pitched the series while the other one was away in WW II, so there was some tension there. DC didn't want to make the Superboy series too obvious, so they didn't put him on the cover? I dunno, Google it I guess. Another quick point - Aquaman wasn't on the cover of a comic until B+B # 28!!
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(642 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 6, 2011 12:52 PM
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dumbdolores wrote:1980-present-Who Cares Age You don't know what you're missing. Some of the most sophisticated and entertaining comics come from the last 30 years. I feel sad for anyone who dismisses the era entirely, if only for the fact that they've never read Alan Moore. Best writer comics has ever had.
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(643 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 6, 2011 03:15 PM
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stupidman! wrote:goodbooks3 wrote:dumbdolores wrote:IMO: Pre Action #1-Pre-Super Hero Age Action #1-Superboy #1-Golden Age Vault Of Horror #12-Showcase #3-EC Age Showcase #4 -Pre Fantastic Four #1-Silver age (DC) Fantastic Four #1 -Pre Conan #1-Silver Age (Marvel) Conan #1 -1980-Bronze Age !980-present-Who Cares Age Superboy#1 is the missing link between the golden and silver age DC comics. What's the significance of Superboy 1? My understanding is that there were massive cancellations of books in 1945, which is why many people date the end the Golden Age to that year. I'm not sure that the publication of Superboy 1 in 1949 was the end of anything particularly significant since sales had by that time been declining for several years. But maybe I'm missing something. The term "Atom Age" is still hanging on, for 1946-1955. Makes sense too, because there's no way EC Comics are Golden Age comics, and the Silver Age is dominated by superheroes. Related point: I've always thought it rather odd that Superboy doesn't appear on the cover of More Fun 101, where he was introduced. I guess the editors were not expecting big things from the strip. I just read something about this, not sure if it's just hearsay. Either Siegel or Schuster (not sure which one) pitched the series while the other one was away in WW II, so there was some tension there. DC didn't want to make the Superboy series too obvious, so they didn't put him on the cover? I dunno, Google it I guess. Another quick point - Aquaman wasn't on the cover of a comic until B+B # 28!! The Siegel and Schuster thing sounds plausible. Atom Age was a fairly late coinage, wasn't it? I don't remember hearing it before the 1970s or maybe even later.
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(644 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Mar 6, 2011 03:39 PM
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About Superboy, Siegel says he proposed it before he was drafted (Schuster was 4F because of his failing eyesight) and DC rejected it. I think S&S had already split from DC when Superboy came out so I don't think it would have made any difference if they put him on the cover.
I thnk the atomic age term came around in the early eighties or maybe at the end of the seventies.
They still like to stretch the definition of golden age. Some say it ended with the last issue of All Star comics,
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(645 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Oct 2, 2011 08:52 AM
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What an incredible thread.
I'm a little surprised no one in all 645 posts (he read them all?!) used the word zeitgeist. Trying to divide the ages by only their content or only the industry is trying to separate the inseparable. Content and formats that sell are imitated and define the predominant content of the age. The industry follows successes. Golden and Silver are pretty well-defined by this idea and there's the zeitgeist for those two ages, based on the early successes within the respective era.
I'm tempted to write my own dissertation on the subject, but to avoid the use of "age" since there's really no re-defining it for fandom. Someday.
Great reading throughout this thread.
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(646 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Oct 2, 2011 12:14 PM
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Zeitgeist 'spirit of the ages'
By looking at comics that way,
Golden Age - WW II
Atom Age - end of WW!!
Silver Age - baby boomers become teenagers and have money to buy music and comics.
Bronze Age - Baby boomers head off to college, work or the draft and comic buying slacks off.
I haven't figured out anything beyond that yet.
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(647 of 648)
Re: The Comic Book Ages
Oct 2, 2011 05:40 PM
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The Baby Boomer years were 1946-1964 so sixties on were stll kids during it and late fifties kids during most of it.
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