Today let’s take a brief stroll to pay homage to the period of graphic art known as The Golden Age of Comics.
In industry parlance, the Golden Age of Comics refers to the period in history (American, mainly) when comic books were first published and appealed to the readership. During this period, the hero archetype (fiercely independent, possessing supernatural powers, defender of the weak, enemy of evil, et cetera) was created and defined. This was the debut of notable personages that endure as cultural icons today: Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. This was also the height of popularity for the two Captains: America and Marvel.
Although there are dissenting opinions, the Golden Age was generally estimated to have begun in the early 1930s and lasted until the early 1950s. In 1933, the comic book that would eventually define the size as we know it today went on the newsstands and convenience store counters (right next to the soda fountain). In 1938, America encountered their first superhero from the planet Krypton.
The history of Superman is so well-known today that trivia about his life are stuff for metaphors. For example, you might overhear someone say, “Your love is my kryptonite.” It could mean that the person is held powerless by another being’s affections. This alludes to Superman’s weakness when he is presented with a kryptonite, a stone taken from his planet of origin. Or perhaps someone describes a coworker as a “typical Clark Kent”, and it could be that the person has a personality that is hard to fathom. This is another allusion to Superman’s alter-ego, the mild-mannered newspaper man Clark Kent (who has a penchant for changing identities in telephone boxes).
However, Superman was not actually a popular character during the Golden Age. That distinction belonged to Captain Marvel, a brainchild of Fawcett Publications. Captain Marvel was the superpowers-wielding alter ego of young orphan Billy Batson who was led by a mysterious stranger to a place where he was given the power of six gods. His trademark expression was “SHAZAM!” The word is an acronym of the origin of his superpowers, i.e., Solomon (wisdom); Hercules (strength); Atlas (stamina); Zeus (might); Achilles (courage); and Mercury (speed). When Billy wanted to summon his powers, he shouts the word. Then, lightning would streak down from the sky and transform him into a caped superhuman adult. The cape had a totally sweet design, by the way. Continued publication of Captain Marvel’s adventures was unfortunately halted by a legal battle between Fawcett Publications and DC Comics.
Another notable comic book during the Golden Age that is still in publication today is the Archie Digest. But we’ll talk about Archie and the Gang in another post.