The comic books that we know today are at least as old as movies. However, you have to consider that prehistoric cave paintings and woodblock prints.
The Start
Comic books started as visual narratives of social issues. Hence, the hieroglyphs and the cave paintings came into existence. However, with the improvement of writing techniques and the inclusion of letters, these stories became more informative and more entertaining to read. The improvement of press and the medium on which these stories were printed on gave rise to the comic books that we know.
Richard Fenton Oucalt created The Yellow Kid in 1896. He was the first to use conversation balloons in comic books. This innovation revolutionized the way stories were told. This set the standard for a new way to tell stories. However, it wasn't until a few decades of its life that comic books started to deviate from its traditional humoristic approach and delve into other genres.
The Themes
Comic books started as being humoristic. As it evolved, it delved into slightly deeper levels. It focused on the telling of the stories between children and their pets. From this part of history, the designations of family strips, kid strips, animal strips, boy-dog strips, boy-dog-boy strips, boy-family-dog strips, and anything else that could be derived from that genre. Such designations still exist today such as Calvin and Hobbes.
In 1929, the crack in the stock market proved to be the turning point of comic book history. Adventures of heroes became a popular trend for comic books. And from adventure came forth three genres: science fiction, jungle adventure, and detective stories. This part of history became known as the Golden Age of comic books. Around this time, the first costumed character was also created. The Phantom gave the world a new angle of the jungle adventure.
The Superhero
The costumed character gave birth to an American trademark: the superhero. The perfect archetype and a model for most characters to be molded on was formed when superman debuted. Even myths have been made because of superman. However, it wasn't just entertainment that the superhero generated. Money was also a big issue.
Around 400 superheroes were created between 1940 and 1945. These superheroes were modeled after superman. However, only a few of them survived the hype. Two of them are Batman and Captain Marvel.
Comics became a part of mass culture. And at the dawn of the superheroes, comics were also used to encourage active participation in the war effort. Captain America was borne of that ideology. In fact, the first villain Captain America fought was none other than Adolf Hitler.
The 50's
The 50's spawned the greatest inquisition of comics. People started saying that comic books were detrimental to the youth and that it was a very effective way of propagating negative ideals. A psychiatrist went so far as to write a book titled The Seduction of The Innocent. In it, he accused comic books of corrupting the youth. Also, he said violence would also be inevitable because of comic books. This gave birth to another milestone in comic history: The Comic Code.
The comic code was created to limit and control the content of comics. it went so far as to destroy all horror titles of EC comics save one: Mad.
The 50's also gave birth to the philosophic type of comic. This is because creators wanted to disprove the criticisms that were currently floating around.
The 60's
The sixties was all about the remake of the superhero archetype. The thing is, people started to get tired of invincible superheroes, so the remake featured a weaknesses in contrast to the characters powers. This was when Spiderman, Iron Man, Thor, X-men, The Incredible Hulk, and Fantastic Four were born. And thus, Marvel came into the spotlight.
This decade also saw a change in the comic book genre. The creation of adult comics proved that comics were not just for kids. This new genre featured moral issues, sex, violence, intellectual insight, and other content not suitable for kids.
The 70's
The seventies took the brunt of the consequences of the sixties. The breaking of the comic code began to take place. However, it also gave birth to a new kind of art. Even if the comic code was broken, a new degree of appreciation of comic books sprouted. And the comic book that we know finally shows itself.
Click here for a complete list of online hobby stores.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.
$$$ Click Here To Start Making An Easy $50 to $189 Each Day $$$
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
|
