Professor Zucman's Art 110-02
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Golden & Silver Age Comics Gallery
Curated by:
Ruben Chacon, Lucas Chiara, Lewis Phun, & Kathy Tran
Gallery Description
The Golden Age (1938- 1956)
After the Great Depression of the 1930s, the new medium of comic books emerged as a major industry and with it the development of the superhero. Within the comics, the foes of America were fought by infallible costumed ultra-men, providing inspiration and hope to a generation of young readers. Comic strips had existed since the 19th century, but the modern conception of comics was a synthesis of the characters from pulp novels like Doc Savage, The Shadow, John Carter of Mars, and Tarzan of the Apes, literary figures like Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes, classic silent films like Metropolis (1927), as well as the Universal monster films such as Frankenstein (1931), and owing to the great science fiction literary tradition of a whole host of writers such as Mary Shelley, H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, Robert Louis Stevenson, H. P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Heralded by such iconic creations as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, in the pages of Action Comics, Detective Comics, and Sensation Comics, as well as Captain America in Captain America Comics for the Timely Comics Group, the medium saw its Golden Age (1938- 1956).
Gallery Description
The Silver Age (1956-1970)
The popularity of superheroes dwindled in the 1950s, replaced by horror comics, romance comics, science fiction comics, and others. The reimagining of the Flash by DC in 1956 brought superheroes back into popularity. This led to a reemergence of superheroes, with a reimagining of the Green Lantern and the creation of the Justice League. In response to these successes, the Marvel Comics Group developed the Fantastic Four to compete with DC. Throughout the 1960s, Marvel Comics redefined the genre by creating a type of hero that was fallible, imperfect, and therefore more human. This was entirely different from the all-too-perfect heroes that came before. This shift toward more human heroes set the standard for modern superhero stories, changing the trajectory of comic books and making them what they are today. This approach produced many legendary characters such as Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men, to name but a few. The comics from this period were inspired by the countless science fiction and monster films of the 1950s, such as The Thing From Another World (1951), Godzilla (1954), Forbidden Planet (1956), and Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1956). In turn the comics of this time tended to have a science fiction aspect to them. This resurgence of imagination in the medium is referred to as the Silver Age (1956-1970).
The Artists
Will Eisner, creator of one of the most imaginative and beloved comic series’ of all time, the Spirit, and considered the Father of Comics and credited with developing the graphic novel as we know it.
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Joe Shuster, co-creator of the very first superhero, Superman, along with writer Jerry Siegel, heralding the Golden Age of Comics.
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Bob Kane, co-creator of arguably the greatest superhero character of all time in Batman, along with writer Bill Finger.
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Jack Kirby, considered the King of Comics, who co-created Captain America with writer Joe Simon, and Fantastic Four, Hulk, Thor, Avengers, X-Men, Black Panther, and many others with writer Stan Lee.
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Harry G Peter, co-creator of one of the most iconic heroes of all time in Wonder Woman, with writer William Moulton Marston.
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Carmine Infantino, who drew the second incarnation of the Flash in the mid 1950s with writer John Broome, which is credited as the title that gave the start to the Silver Age of Comics.