{"id":1306,"date":"2010-02-19T10:32:26","date_gmt":"2010-02-19T15:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goldenagecomics.org\/wordpress\/?p=1306"},"modified":"2010-02-19T10:32:26","modified_gmt":"2010-02-19T15:32:26","slug":"75-years-of-dc-comics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/goldenagecomics.org\/wordpress\/2010\/02\/19\/75-years-of-dc-comics\/","title":{"rendered":"75 Years of DC Comics!"},"content":{"rendered":"

DC Comics is 75 years old this month! \u00a0Without DC there would be no Superman, Batman or many other superheroes that have become so ingrained in popular culture. \u00a0Following is my tribute to 75 years of DC Comics as written for the 2010 Vintage DC Comics Calendar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

New Fun: Big Comic Magazine #1 (The first DC comic book)<\/p><\/div>\n

In February 1935, Major Malcom Wheeler-Nicholson created National Allied Publications to publish a new comic book title, \u201cNew Fun: The Big Comics Magazine\u201d.\u00a0 This was the very first comic book to feature all original material as opposed to reprints of newspaper strips seen in earlier efforts by other publishers.\u00a0 This 36 page tabloid sized magazine was a big hit, and many more issues followed.\u00a0 Little did Wheeler-Nicholson know that this comic book would be the first of millions of comics published by what would become DC Comics.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

New Comics #1<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cNew Fun Comics\u201d changed to \u201cMore Fun Comics\u201d after 6 issues and was one of DC\u2019s main titles in the period between 1935 and 1938.\u00a0 At the same time, DC had hits with \u201cAdventure Comics\u201d (previously known as \u201cNew Comics\u201d and \u201cNew Adventure Comics\u201d) and \u201cDetective Comics\u201d.\u00a0 While \u201cNew Fun Comics\u201d focused more on humorous stories, \u201cAdventure Comics\u201d and \u201cDetective Comics\u201d ultimately gave the reader more serious and action packed tales.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Detective Comics#1<\/p><\/div>\n

As the popularity of this four color medium grew, DC introduced a new title that would forever change the company and the entire comic book industry.\u00a0 In June 1938 DC Comics published its first issue of \u201cAction Comics\u201d and introduced Superman to the world in what has become known as the birth of the Golden Age of comic books.\u00a0 Superman\u2019s meteoric rise to fame served as the catalyst for DC to reshape its earlier titles.\u00a0 A year later, Batman was introduced in the pages of \u201cDetective Comics\u201d #27 (May 1939), The Sandman was introduced in \u201cAdventure Comics\u201d\u00a0 #40 (July 1939) and the mysterious Spectre was debuted in \u201cMore Fun Comics\u201d #52 (February 1940).\u00a0 DC introduced other heroes in these titles in the early 1940\u2019s, such as Hour-Man, Starman, Dr. Fate, Aquaman, Johnny Quick, The Green Arrow and many others.\u00a0 Later, when DC merged with All-American Comics, such great heroes as Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkman and others joined DC\u2019s ranks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Action Comics #1<\/p><\/div>\n

With the plethora of DC superheroes in the 1940\u2019s and 1950\u2019s, DC formed superhero teams in the pages of \u201cAll-Star Comics\u201d (The Justice Society of America),\u00a0 \u201cWorld\u2019s Finest Comics\u201d (Superman and Batman), and in \u201cLeading Comics\u201d (The Seven Soldiers of Victory).\u00a0 Even with these popular team-ups, the public was slowly losing interest in the superheroes and by the early 1950\u2019s, DC turned to other genres such as westerns, war, mystery and science fiction.\u00a0 By 1951, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were the only DC superheroes whose titles were being continuously published.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

World's Best Comics #1<\/p><\/div>\n

Just as the introduction of Superman in 1938 was a watershed moment in the history of DC Comics, so was the introduction of a new Flash in the pages of Showcase #4 (October 1956).\u00a0 The introduction of this new Flash signaled the start of the Silver Age of Comic Books and many new superheroes and superhero teams were heralded into the DC Universe.\u00a0 While Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were still on the scene, many heroes were reinvented or reintroduced such as Green Lantern, Hawkman, The Spectre, Dr. Fate, Green Arrow and others.\u00a0 Many of these superheroes joined forces as the Justice League of America.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the Silver Age heroes teamed up with the Golden Age heroes (DC provided an explanation that these heroes co-existed on two parallel earths) and the Silver Age readers were treated to combined adventures of the JSA and the JLA \u2013 the best the Golden Age and Silver Age had to offer.\u00a0\u00a0 From there, DC never looked back as it blazed a trail from the Silver Age of comic books into the present.\u00a0 Seventy Five years later, DC Comics is still going strong!<\/p>\n