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).


Publishing of comic books became a major industry. Some date the start to earlier events in the 1930s: The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide's regular publication The Golden Age Quarterly lists comic books from 1933 onwards (1933 saw the publication of the first comic book in the size that would subsequently define the format); some historians, including Roger Sabin (in Comics, Comix and Graphic Novels: a History of Comic Art), date it to the publication of the first comic books featuring entirely original stories rather than re-prints of comic strips from newspapers (1935), by the company that would become DC Comics. Although DC and Timely (which evolved to become Marvel Comics) characters are more famous today, circulation figures suggest that the best-selling superhero title of the era may have been Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel, whose approximately 1.4 million copies per issue made it "the most widely circulated comic book in America." Amazing Fantasy #15 (Spider-Man's First Appearance), Tales of Suspense #39 (Iron Man's First Appearance), Incredible Hulk #181 (Wolverine's First Appearance), Albert Frederick Arthur George (Earth-616), Bill Carter (Football Player) (Earth-616), https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Golden-Age_Characters?oldid=5627719. Pro-American characters were popular, particularly Captain America, a superhero whose entire creation was based on aiding the country’s war effort. Fandom may earn an affiliate commission on sales made from links on this page. None of the teens or any of their relative has yet been seen in the modern age. The following in a list of the characters and teams that first appeared in Marvel Comics' Golden Age (under both of Marvel's previous names, Atlas Comics & Timely Comics). former member of the Liberty Legion, Invaders, All-Winners Squad, Former member of the Invaders and All-Winners Squad, Deceased; former member of the Monster Hunters and Avengers. of Captain Marvel. Over the years, Bill has created many memorable podcasts devoted to the unique and groundbreaking characters featured in the Golden Age of Comic books, generally from the … First appearing in 1940 these three non-powered adventurers fought against spies and is yet to appear in the modern age.

A comic strip featuring a red-head named Archibald "Archie" Andrews debuted in 1941, becoming so popular the company that created it changed its name to Archie Comics in 1946. Captain Marvel proved to be one of the most popular superhero comics of the Golden Age, regularly outselling the adventures of Superman during the 1940s. former member of the Department, Project: Wide-awake and Freedom Force. The era itself, though, left an indelible mark on comic books with many of the characters remaining popular almost 70 years later. American comic book companies showcased their heroes battling the Axis Powers: covers featuring superheroes punching Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, such as Captain America #1 by Timely comics in 1941, or fighting buck-toothed caricatures of Japanese soldiers have become relics of the age. As with World War II, the ushering in of the era following the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945 colored the content and subject matter of comic books in the mid-to-late 1940s. Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, https://goldenagecomics.fandom.com/wiki/Golden_Age_of_Comic_Books?oldid=4457. One event cited for the beginning of the Golden Age was the 1938 debut of Superman in Action Comics #1, published by a predecessor of modern-day DC Comics. Golden Age Comics Wiki is a FANDOM Comics Community.

Debuting in 1942, the Tough Kid Squad was a group of teenage adventurers lead by the Danger brothers. Superheroes with nuclear-derived powers began to emerge, such as the Atomic Thunderbolt and Atoman. However, Superman, the first comic book superhero, was so popular that superheroes soon dominated the pages of comic books, which characterized the Golden Age.

Marvel Database is a FANDOM Comics Community. Some date the start to earlier events in the 1930s: The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide's regular publication The Golden Age Quarterly lists comic books from 1933 onwards (1933 saw the publication of the first co… Captain Marvel's sales soundly trounced Superman's self-titled series and Action Comics alike, and the comic at one point was issued biweekly to capitalize upon that popular interest.

The Steranko History of Comics 2 notes that it was the non-superhero characters of Dell Comics — most notably the licensed Walt Disney animated character comics — that outsold all the supermen of the day. The tales very much reflected the events and values of the time. It featured many new characters and set pre-Fantastic Four #1. All rights reserved. The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought as lasting from the 1930s until the mid-1950s during which comic books enjoyed a surge of popularity, the archetype of the superhero was created and defined, and many of the most famous superheroes debuted.. One blunt example is the educational comic book Dagwood Splits the Atom, using characters from the comic strip Blondie. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat.
former member of the Invaders; currently leader of the Avengers. Gained genius-level intellect through an early version of the Super Soldier serum. One event cited for the beginning of the Golden Age was the 1938 debut of Superman in Action Comics #1, published by a predecessor of modern-day DC Comics. As World War II ended the popularity of the superhero comics diminished, and in an effort to retain readers comic publishers began diversifying more than ever into war, Western, science fiction, romance, crime and horror 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. Cover to Whiz Comics #2 (Feb. 1940). Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, Plastic Man, Green Lantern and Flash were amongst those who followed. Dell Comics, featuring such licensed movie and literary properties as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Roy Rogers, and Tarzan, boasted circulations of over two million copies a month, and Donald Duck writer-artist Carl Barks is considered one of the era's major talents. In 2000, Marvel released a comic book miniseries which counted down backwards from #12. Appearing in 1940, the Victory Boys were a group of German orphans lead by American boy Victor fighting against Nazi in Germany during the War. Comics have been in existence since the end of the 19th century, but it was after the depression that the popularity of newspaper cartoons expanded into a major industry. Animal and jungle themed comics were led by Walt Disney, featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Tarzan.

formerly of the All-Winners Squad and the Invaders; currently in the Invaders. Between 1939 and 1941, DC and sister company All-American Publications introduced such popular superheroes as Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, the Atom, Hawkman, and Aquaman, while Timely Comics, the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics, had million-selling titles that featured the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner, and Captain America. The following in a list of the characters and teams that first appeared in Marvel Comics' Golden Age (under both of Marvel's previous names, Atlas Comics & Timely Comics). The teen genre was also gaining interest. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. In the movie serial Atom Man vs. Superman, the titular hero fought a villain named Atom Man, while Superman's weakness to kryptonite recalled the dangers of atomic radiation.

The period also saw the emergence of the comic book as a mainstream art form, and the defining of the medium's artistic vocabulary and creative conventions by its first generation of writers, artists, and editors.

They were still active after the war but only Bucky and Toro have been seen in the modern age. Superman's creation made comic books into a major industry. Gained super strength through an early version of the Super Soldier serum. These characters all appeared after Marvel was well established as Marvel Comics but were set in the Golden Age, many being allies of Captain America or part of the Invaders. Cover of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Golden Age 2004. Find out more about cartoons and the creation of our best loved super heroes. The precise era of the Golden Age is disputed, though most agree that it was born with the launch of Superman in 1938. The Golden Age Of Comics Comics have been in existence since the end of the 19th century, but it was after the depression that the popularity of newspaper cartoons expanded into a major industry. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman is possibly the most recognizable comic book character to this day. Though the superhero comics were the top sellers, other genres emerged during the Golden Age. Horror and crime were popular, notably The Spirit, a masked detective who captured villains and dispensed justice. Founded in 1941, the Young Allies were a group of teen boys who sometimes helped Captain America (Rogers). Support Your Local PBS Station: Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | © 2003 - 2014 Oregon Public Broadcasting. Perhaps one of the most important impacts of the Golden Age was the cementation of the comic as a mainstream artform, with its own defined language and creative conventions. Comic books, particularly superhero comics, gained immense popularity during the war as cheap, portable, easily read tales of good triumphing over evil. Although the creation of the superhero was the Golden Age's most significant contribution to pop culture, many genres appeared on the newsstands, including humor, Western, romance, and jungle stories.