You can find out values of action issues by clicking here. Top 200 most valuable comic books from the bronze age 1970s. This is the third article in our series, following from most valuable golden age comics and most valuable silver age comics here are the key issues to look for when youre at garage sales yes, they do turn up. A superhero also known as a super hero or superhero is a fictional character of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derringdo in the public interest. Mckays feature books were magazines that rotated several popular characters from comics strips through 1938. Some of the most important and rare comic books to be published in the golden age appeared as part of allamerican comics full article. As political caricatures and standalone illustrations became popular in early 18thcentury europe, artists sought new ways to satisfy demand. A brief history of black superheroes in comics books. After all, disney comics spawned whole countries industries around the world.
The first episode of bud counihans betty boop newspaper comic is published. Jan 16, 2021 created in 1934, mandrake is a strong contender for being the first costumed hero with powers, with his closest competition being the phantom who was also made by mandrake s creator, lee falk. Hoknes comics presents an in depth history looking at every single comic book published in usa since 1933 in order with details and history. Apr 16, 2018 after all, disney comics spawned whole countries industries around the world. Unlike its predecessor, it was intended from the start to be sold rather. Dc comics simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Dec 03, 2015 most newly published comic books are being routinely acquired through donation. This page lists prices for the first 100 issues of supermans appearances in his solo series, which began in 1939. Writing your own panel descriptions of published comics may help too. The 100 most influential pages in comic book history vulture.
This book was first printed with 24 color plates by w. He was the very first hero to get a comic book fully devoted to telling his adventures. The worlds most valuable childrens books do you have one. The following year the company published new funthe first comic book to. Thus was born the american comic book, which in its earliest days consisted of reprinted newspaper funnies. Here are the key issues to look for when youre at garage sales yes, they do turn up. In 1947, the allnegro comics singleissue comic book was published. These copies are hard to find and most now reside in personal collections around the world. The first comic book to feature tracy exclusively was the dick tracy feature book, published in may 1937 by david mckay publications. In need of cash, wheelernicholson partnered with magazine distributors harry donenfeld and jack liebowitz and founded detective comics, inc. Today the earliest known comic book is called the adventures of obadiah oldbuck. According to bob overstreets indespensable comic book price guide, johnnys own series began in march 1950 as part of dell publishings four color anthology. Phantom lady, published by quality comics all the way back in august of 1941, is largely credited with being the first successful superheroine in comics. As a test to see if the public would be willing to pay for comic books, dell published the singleissue famous funnies.
The most influential comic books in pop culture quality comix. Printed images and the comic book mediums unique presentation of. Top 200 most valuable comic books of the bronze age 19701980 top 200 1970s bronze age most valuable comic books. Second original comic book tarzan story with cover and interior art by jesse mace marsh. The colorful history of comic books and newspaper cartoon strips. A year later it was that version reprinted in new york on sept. The first comic book, famous funnies, was published in 1933. It set the standard of 68 pages, including covers, and sold for 10 cents. Soon after, dcs other ubiquitous superhero, batman, made his debut in detective comics. Top 200 most valuable comic books of the bronze age 19701980. That book was the yellow kid in mcfaddens flat, published in the uk in 1897, and the notable thing about it is that it actually acknowledged itself as a comic book. It is the first regularly published comic on newsstands and lasted for decades. It was published in july 1934 by eastern color printing.
The following year the company published new funthe first comic book t. Pulp writer malcolm wheelernicholson founded national allied publications in 1934. Comic book history the first earliest science fiction comic. Funnies on parade wasnt the firstever published comic book, but the title debuted. The colorful history of comic books and newspaper cartoon. Wanting to get rid of undistributed copies, the story goes, someone slapped a 10 cent tag on them and dropped them off at a few newsstands. Although the first comic books were themselves newspaperstrip reprints. In the summer of 1939, superman continued to show his success. The first female comic book superheroes in history. We are constructing a data set that indexes the development of the american comic book over its eightyyear history.
Since the debut of superman in 1928 by jerry siegel and joe shuster, stories of superheroes ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing yearslong sagas have dominated american comic books and crossed. Originally published in several languages in europe in 1837, among them an english version designed for britain in 1941. Oct 09, 2020 however, the first ever comic book was a simple collection of works previously published on a comic strip, marketed to kids due to its slapstick humor and short storylines. In early 1934, eastern color printing president george janosik formed a 5050 joint venture with dell president george delacorte to publish and market a comic book for retail sales. Gillis and mike saenzs digital comic shatter, the first commercially published alldigital comic book. The repackaged collections were popular, but the comic syndicates charged high fees for the rights to their strips. The sunday pages will be reproduced in their original color, alongside the daily blackandwhite strips. The swiss artist rodolphe topffer is credited with creating the first multipanel comic in 1827 and the first illustrated book, the adventures of obadiah oldbuck, a decade later.
Mad magazine american publisher, william gaines started mad magazine in 1952, a popular and satirical monthly comic book. Most comic publishing companies were established in the united states of america where comics became popular in the mid 1900s. The 10 oldest comic book superheroes who arent from dc. In really nice condition, any issue of this rare comic book series is worth good money. This project will select a random sample of comic books representing two per cent of all publications produced in the united states each year from 1934 to 2014. Famous funnies is an american comic strip anthology series published from 1934 to 1955. Some kibyoshi characters were even used in advertisements or as merchandise, just like the comic book heroes of today. Dc comics is one of the largest and oldest american comic book companies, which is best well known for making superhero comic books.
Published by eastern color printing, famous funnies is considered by popular culture historians as the first true american comic book, following semi. It is the comics publishing branch of dc entertainment, inc. The first comic book, famous funnies, was published in. Top 200 1970s bronze age most valuable comic books. With so many great books published over the years, it is hard to keep the list short. Perhaps the first black hero in comic strips was the invulnerable, crimefighting servant lothar, from the series mandrake the magician created by lee falk in 1934. Superhero, superhero, a fictional herowidely popularized in comic books and comic strips, television and film, and popular culture and video gameswhose extraordinary or superhuman powers are often displayed in a fight against crime and assorted villains, who in turn often display superhuman abilities. A brief history of black superheroes in comics books dw. The series ended with multiple earths being erased and.
A reprint of all of al williamsons flash gordon comic books in black and white was printed by flesk in 2009. This is the third article in our series, following from most valuable golden age comics and most valuable silver age comics. The oldest comic publishing company on this list is the nowdefunct book publishing company, david mckay publications that was founded in 1882 and published comics from 1935 to 1950. Shortly after the monthly began, eastern cut gaines out of the deal and kept the comic book for itself. Originally intended to be an ongoing series in a larger format, gil kanes future barbarian epic blackmark broke with tradition and became the first nonhumornonreprint creatorcontrolled comic book going straight to book form and published by a major book publisher rather than a comics publisher. The first american comic book with solely original material rather than c.
It had a strong influence on art spiegelman who wrote about it for the. The 1840s hardcover illustrated collection of adventures of obadiah oldbuck from switzerland has a fair claim to being the original incarnation of the comic book or graphic novel. Famous funnies, without the subtitle, became a monthly publication with the price printed right on it. Dc comics is a comic book publishing house founded in 1934. The true comic book, published independently of a newspaper, appeared in 1934. Comic book history the first earliest science fiction.
The first female comic book superheroes in history screenrant. Early american comic books were often collections of reprints of newspaper comic strips. First published in 1934, right in the middle of the great depression, mandrakes comics were quite a significant departure from the kind of comic. Schwartz and fox had solid backgrounds in science fiction, and the atoms. Jews built the comic book industry from the ground up, and the influence of. Far from the fullcolor glossy comic books of today, this book featured black and white reprints of popular newspaper comic strips. This is the first dc comic published, notable for its use of original material. Jewish history jewish culture holocaust israel great jewish books quizzes. While some of the famous comics material first appeared as the following list shows in funnies on parade, carnival of comics, century of comics and famous funnies, series 1, the reprints of famous comics track the famous funnies series. Sep 25, 2017 history of comic book day while obadiah oldbuck was considered to be the first comic, in 1933 the publication known as famous funnies is considered to be the first actual comic book. Brenda starr on june 19, 1940, brenda starr the first cartoon strip written by a woman was published in chicago.
In 1938, dc comics published the man of steels first adventure in the pages of. The first comics the yellow kid of 1897 was the first contained reprints of newspaper comic strips and almost all comics continued to do so into the mid1930s. Published in 1897, the yellow kid in mcfaddens flats is considered to be the first comic book, insomuch that it bore the phrase comic book on its back cover. For anyone who had a dime in the depression year of 1934. Comic books began to take on a following and in some cases were popular enough to be published and marketed solo in a magazine form that was all their own.
Comic books in the united states collection development. The modern american comic book is an invention of the early 20th century. Up until this point, all comic books had a variety of characters and stories in them. The atom american comic strip superhero dc comics britannica. They sold out in a flash and so, in 1934, the comics industry was born. Published by eastern color printing, famous funnies is considered by popular culture historians as the first true american comic book, following seminal precursors. Dc penned one of the first major comic book crossovers that incorporated almost every dc title and character ever published by the company. The significance of this is to note just how closely early comic book production was tied. The second volume covers the comics published by king comics, the third covers the comics published by charlton. The first regularly published comic book in the standard format was famous. Comic book value guide how to value your comics in 3 easy steps. Most comic fans know that superman actually began life in action comics. The following year the company published new funthe first comic book to feature entirely new material rather than reprints of newspaper strips. Rare copy of precursor to the first american comic book added to.
The comic turned a profit within six months and by 1946 was selling half a million copies per issue. Romes trajans column, dedicated in 110 ad, is an early surviving example of a narrative told through sequential pictures, while egyptian hieroglyphs, greek friezes, medieval tapestries such as the bayeux tapestry and illustrated manuscripts also combine sequential images and words to tell a story. Now lets consider the basic components and terminology of comic books. It is the publishing unit of dc entertainment, a subsidiary of warner bros. It had a strong influence on art spiegelman who wrote about it. Oct 06, 2016 many consider wonder woman to be the first true heroine of comic books but, in reality, diana prince wasnt the first superpowered female hero on newsstands. Huramachis book was the first of many kibyoshi, comics that made fun of the government and society in that day and age. This contribution has not yet been formally edited by britannica.
At first comics pages were filled with reprints of syndicated comic strips from the newspapers. The following year the company published new fun the first comic book to feature entirely new material rather than reprints of newspaper strips. An example of an early precursor to print comics is trajans column. The 100 most influential pages in comic book history. In 2010, dark horse comics began an archive reprint series in hardback, starting with the original comics published by dell.
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