Comic books. What comes to your mind when you hear that particular word? Well, some people say comic books are “childish” or “comic books are for kids.” These words may be true to some extent, but, there shouldn’t be a stigma. Think of all the times you hear some people on the outside judging you for reading comic books by saying “She is still reading comic books?”. You can literally hear the condescension in that person’s voice.
I was a kid, age 9, when I remember reading my first comic book. Some of my favourite comic books including Death Note, Slam Dunk and all Marvel comic book collections. These comics may be comic books meant for children or teens, but they are a good read for adults as well. I believe that comic books are fun and entertaining when you read them because the art and writing is so exciting.
Before going in depth, I am confident enough to say that not a lot of people know about the development of comic books throughout the history. Therefore, a history lesson will be presented by me, and it is about the history of comic books.
1. The Beginning of Comic Books
After the evolution and start of comic art, the World history of comic could be divided in many ages. These ages included the ‘Platinum Age’ from 1894 to 1938 where modern comics were introduced. It was in this age that the comics started to come in paper and book form. The stories of fictional or self made characters were made used in comics. The introduction of modern comics was being used for the purpose of entertainment.
One of the first fictional characters that were being used repeatedly in the single panel comic is The Yellow Kid, created and drawn by Richard F. Outcault in 1895. It is considered as the first commercially successful newspaper comic strip. This gave birth to further ideas whereas the characters of the comic books started to become more popular, it encourages the creation of more characters. Storytelling through drawn characters grew from single panels into a series to depict more complicated plots. (Richard, 1895)
Next, during the ‘Golden Age’ from 1938 to 1951, the superheroes and world war comic books were introduced. The Three Musketeers and Robin Hood are the examples of the classic literature that was created. These characters had colourful costumes, and the story's plot was about the war against crime and criminals. These were the patriotic days of the Second World War. In addition, a million copies of superhero comics were sold up every month during that time. ( Travis, 2016)
However, during the ‘Atom Age’ in 1952, it appeared to be one of the darkest moments of the comic books history. Fredric Wertham, an author of a book called ‘Seduction of Innocent’, blame the industry for all forms of misbehaving and criminal behaviour in children. The book written by him led to book burning gatherings which destroyed countless numbers of comic books. (Fredric, 1954). However, comic books survived this period and a censorship authority was established in 1954.
2. The Development of Comic Industry
From 1970 to 1985, the Bronze Age preserved most of those traditions of the prior eras, with the conventional identities of the superhero being the central part of the market. However, during this period, the revival of darker plot elements and more socially conscious plots of actual issues such as drug abuse, alcoholism and environmental pollution have begun to thrive.
Some of the renowned comics in the ‘Bronze Age’ are Green Lantern, Captain America, Thor and Batman. The end of the Bronze Age is being discussed, and some do not believe it has passed at all. Just like the beginning, the exact date is uncertain, and not every single comic book could be said to have left the Bronze Age on exactly the same date. However, one of the most commonly used endpoints for the Bronze Age is the time frames from 1985 to 1986. (Brian,2016)
In The Modern Age, which began in 1985 to now, comic book characters have progressively become darker and more complex psychologically. The creators became increasingly popular and functional in the transformation of the industry. The independent comics also thrived and larger publication houses became more mainstreamed. This time has somewhat being named as the Dark Age of Comic Books, following the success and artistic influence of dreary titles such as Batman: Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen Fantasy, horror, and "sophisticated suspense” is promoted through comics of the modern age. It was through these eras, the comic books contributed to economic development.
3. Comic books’ impact on the global economy and the movie industry.
Comic books began as quick and easy strips in the pages of newspapers, but rapidly expanded into full-length books, television shows and radio, as well as feature films. The impact of comics has grown over the decades to serve as entertainment, propaganda, and their impact only seems to grow as new generations become exposed.
According to Matt McAllister (2010), a professor at the Penn State Department of Film and Media Studies, comic books have unique features that qualify them to easily turn into hit movies, such as highly addictive scenes, simple storytelling, sequel possibilities and popular model characters. He also said that merchandise sales now play a major role in the film industry. He noted that “When it comes to making profits in Hollywood right now, DVD sales and merchandise like t-shirts and toys are more than box office sales." He adds, "That's why producers see comic books as valuable as properties. They're easily turned into money-making franchises."
For example, McAllister said that Batman made $250 million in box office tickets, while gain more from everything else amounted to $750 million. Producers don't just make movies anymore, they make branded licences instead. There are various Batman items, such as amusement park rides, follow-up animations, toys and foods. Today, the comic books bring a big impact to the economy as they are turns into valuable properties. (Eric,2010)
Comic books played a significant role in changing the paradigm of blockbuster films. A couple of centuries ago, the most famous films were those with more educational, romantic or dramatic appeals. The biggest box office hits have now shifted from the historic film to the comic book film like Spiderman. Technology has also driven this transformation. Professional movie critics and reviews used to be even more significant, and now because of their lavish graphics and artistic appeals, movies are well-reviewed. (Eric,2010) The comics franchise will be able to attribute its popularity to the film industry that set the mark for future movies to prosper and further developed the economy.
Today, the comic industry is as diverse as it has ever been. Readers and fans will find comics to suit all tastes, including western, horror, romance, crime, and even superheroes. Major bookstores are now selling comic books, and their offshoots are the "Graphic novel." Most notably, comics and comic characters are entering people's daily lives through the medium of big budget films, which gradually draw inspiration and subject matter from the four-color page. In just the past few years, we've witnessed multi-million dollar movies based on the characters of such big names as Spider-Man, Superman and The X-Men.
As I mentioned at the beginning of my speech, it wasn't that long ago that no middle-aged person or adult could be seen reading a comic book in public. Anyone seen was shown to be foolish and sluggish. Public ridicule was the price one often paid for indulging in these four-coloured imaginations. Now with movies, TV, and popular media making trendy comics, it's cool to be a geek. Comics have finally emerged in a new way, and comic’s fans are happier than ever before.
I really hope that this speech will give new knowledge for all of you to learn. Thank you.
-Armisya(QekSha)-
