I very much appreciate the way you often praise EC comics. They were brilliant and deserve the widest possible readership. Even some of the very short runs like "Psychoanalysis" are brilliant. They were so instantly and brilliantly responsive to anxieties in the 1950s. The response of EC Comics in the 1950s to Cold War anxieties during the 1950s was immensely sensitive and creative in a way it took other art forms till the end of the decade to catch up with. They were brilliant. Your whole talk was lots of fun.
Your enthusiasm for older superhero comics is bleeding into my purchasing decisions. Just picked up the Superman Golden Age omnibus vol 3. Superman punches out a lion, which was a highlight for me.
To some these stories are whimsical and innocent, to others they're naive and too unrealistic. I tend towards the former view because we need whimsy and innocence. Alan Moore does a great job delineating this contrast in approach in his Marvelman/Miracleman issues. You're right that the story style had to change as the child readers of the 1950s grew up into the young adults of the 1960s but the comics also reflected changes in society: trust in government became less universally accepted and the understanding shared by all of who "the enemy" was became less certain and all art forms including comics reflected these changes. EC comics were so far ahead of the rest of the industry: it took Marvel and DC until the early Bronze Age to tackle young people's drug abuse, EC was shocking its audience with the grim truth in the early 1950s. I wasn't aware of how detailed Dick Sprang's art is, thanks for highlighting it Michael. Despite how much Crisis On Infinite Earths changed the DC Universe, I still think it was ground-breaking and the only truly successful company-wide "event" story at DC. All the "nothing will be same again" events following it have been diluted versions of Crisis and their sheer number has rendered them (and Marvel's equivalents) essentially pointless.
You know while DC was publishing innocent superheroes they were publishing some rather gritty war comics. I generally think Stan Lee improved comics, but I do think it came at a cost. Just as I think Alan Moore and Frank Miller improved comics in the 80s but basically drove a stake through the heart of Silver Age idealism. Lee was also uneven (which is true of every writer to some extent and comics writers generally greatly.) I like his Spider-Man and Fantastic Four but I did not care for his Iron Man. I think in the first two he had good collaborators in Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. (I also think Kirby and Ditko were best with Lee) He did bring a certain level of characterization that had been lacking to comics.
Thanks for this video. Does the collection include WFC #178&180" the Has-Been Superman" & "Superman's Perfect Crime"?published in 1968.What do you think of Ross Andru and Neal Adams artwork?This video encourages me to appreciate Marvel comics, especially KULL, CONAN, DR.STRANGE.What other WFC editions reprint the 1968 issues? Thanks again.
This collection does not have WFC #178 and #180. It includes SUPERMAN #76 and WORLD’S FINEST #71-94. The trade paperback versions of WFC have not yet reached those late 1960s issues you mentioned.
I’m currently reading this Silver Age volume, and yes, I would call the stories gimmicky and oriented toward youngsters. But plenty of nostalgic fun. During the 1950s, a lot of DC’s line was child-oriented in the “funny animal” comics, such as _Fox and Crow, Real Screen Comics,_ and _The Three Mouseketeers._
Those trade paperbacks are nice, and an easy way to get these stories. I liked your comment about the superheroes of the time not having individual characters as much as would occur later. I've been reading these volunes of the silver age Justice League, and it is funny that, in some of the issues, there is just one personality among the group that just happens to speak out of different mouths in different panels.
Dick Sprang art looks so beautiful in retrospect. In the 90's he produced some stunning Batman lithographs; have a look at his "Secrets of the Batcave" print. World's Finest (World's Best) was originally a 96 page blockbuster comic whose main attraction was featuring DC's biggest stars. The reason they waited until # 71 to squeeze the two headliners into the same story is partially explained by the fact that #70 was the last 64 page issue and with #71 it became a 32 page comic.
Yeh, the Sgt Rock omnibus is all I want. Even just a peek at any Sgt Rock on....oh I dunno, like, like, like booktube - would be great 🤭🤭 Yeh it's coming I suppose.............
St Rock yes. But didn't Joe Kubert also do Tarzan and Turok, son of Stone. I still remember images from those and I'm 65! Would love those collections to come out too.😮😮😮
Totally agree with your comments, comics clearly had to change and those 50s World's Finest are pretty enjoyable, you could never have a diet of just those sort of comics. Comics need to be all kinds of things. I don't think Stan Lee ruined it, he just produced comics that were very popular, DC could have easily have continued to produce those sort of comics but clearly the audience would have drifted away, at least we still have the opportunity to read them. I think the comics code didn't help, certainly with the total wipe out of EC comics (though I always wonder would they have been able to keep that level of amazing quality up for the next 10 or 20 years to reach Weird Science issue 200 or 300 and still be as stunning ?? Thanks for pointing out that book, I didn't buy the omni either nor that one, I have just picked up a copy of the b&w showcase volume 1 (been buying a few of those of late) instead. Excellent video as ever
An awful lot of fun, or a fun lot of awful? 🤔😊 But I suppose if the 60s Batman show in some ways reflects the silver age tone - if not as intentionally campy - I can appreciate enjoying it. In small doses!
I think the Code is when the Silver Age started. When several books and companies folded because of the code, I'd say that marks the end of the Golden Age.
I very much appreciate the way you often praise EC comics. They were brilliant and deserve the widest possible readership. Even some of the very short runs like "Psychoanalysis" are brilliant. They were so instantly and brilliantly responsive to anxieties in the 1950s. The response of EC Comics in the 1950s to Cold War anxieties during the 1950s was immensely sensitive and creative in a way it took other art forms till the end of the decade to catch up with. They were brilliant. Your whole talk was lots of fun.
Thanks!
Your enthusiasm for older superhero comics is bleeding into my purchasing decisions. Just picked up the Superman Golden Age omnibus vol 3. Superman punches out a lion, which was a highlight for me.
Some of the Silver Age goofyness is a pleasure to read, Three Super Musketeers put a smile on my face, so daft I love it.
OMG, the Three Super-Musketeers 😂. You see, the CCA was indeed responsible for some true works of genius.
In a way, that’s true.
To some these stories are whimsical and innocent, to others they're naive and too unrealistic. I tend towards the former view because we need whimsy and innocence. Alan Moore does a great job delineating this contrast in approach in his Marvelman/Miracleman issues.
You're right that the story style had to change as the child readers of the 1950s grew up into the young adults of the 1960s but the comics also reflected changes in society: trust in government became less universally accepted and the understanding shared by all of who "the enemy" was became less certain and all art forms including comics reflected these changes.
EC comics were so far ahead of the rest of the industry: it took Marvel and DC until the early Bronze Age to tackle young people's drug abuse, EC was shocking its audience with the grim truth in the early 1950s.
I wasn't aware of how detailed Dick Sprang's art is, thanks for highlighting it Michael.
Despite how much Crisis On Infinite Earths changed the DC Universe, I still think it was ground-breaking and the only truly successful company-wide "event" story at DC. All the "nothing will be same again" events following it have been diluted versions of Crisis and their sheer number has rendered them (and Marvel's equivalents) essentially pointless.
thanks
That period is sometimes called the Atomic Age.
Excellent title for that time.
You look so young today, Micheal 😍
It helps that I’m sitting next to Roger.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 You're something else ❤😂 love ya
Superman and Batman had been teaming up on the radio before they ever met in the comics.
That’s true! That makes it even stranger that it took so long in the comics.
I bought that collection on Kindle for very little money. I'm happy I did buy it. Those stories are so goofy and fun to read.
You know while DC was publishing innocent superheroes they were publishing some rather gritty war comics.
I generally think Stan Lee improved comics, but I do think it came at a cost. Just as I think Alan Moore and Frank Miller improved comics in the 80s but basically drove a stake through the heart of Silver Age idealism. Lee was also uneven (which is true of every writer to some extent and comics writers generally greatly.) I like his Spider-Man and Fantastic Four but I did not care for his Iron Man. I think in the first two he had good collaborators in Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. (I also think Kirby and Ditko were best with Lee) He did bring a certain level of characterization that had been lacking to comics.
Thanks for this video. Does the collection include WFC #178&180" the Has-Been Superman" & "Superman's Perfect Crime"?published in 1968.What do you think of Ross Andru and Neal Adams artwork?This video encourages me to appreciate Marvel comics, especially KULL, CONAN, DR.STRANGE.What other WFC editions reprint the 1968 issues? Thanks again.
This collection does not have WFC #178 and #180. It includes SUPERMAN #76 and WORLD’S FINEST #71-94. The trade paperback versions of WFC have not yet reached those late 1960s issues you mentioned.
Thanks Sonic Man!
Your tie is on point as always.
Ha! Thanks!
Sorry, I must revert to my 12-year-old self and say: Dick Sprang is an awesome name!
It is 😅!
DC = Directed at Children.....
Can't wait to hear your's and Roger's book tag poetry. 😊
Ha! I shudder to make the attempt.
I’m currently reading this Silver Age volume, and yes, I would call the stories gimmicky and oriented toward youngsters. But plenty of nostalgic fun. During the 1950s, a lot of DC’s line was child-oriented in the “funny animal” comics, such as _Fox and Crow, Real Screen Comics,_ and _The Three Mouseketeers._
Those trade paperbacks are nice, and an easy way to get these stories. I liked your comment about the superheroes of the time not having individual characters as much as would occur later. I've been reading these volunes of the silver age Justice League, and it is funny that, in some of the issues, there is just one personality among the group that just happens to speak out of different mouths in different panels.
Yes, exactly!
Dick Sprang art looks so beautiful in retrospect. In the 90's he produced some stunning Batman lithographs; have a look at his "Secrets of the Batcave" print.
World's Finest (World's Best) was originally a 96 page blockbuster comic whose main attraction was featuring DC's biggest stars. The reason they waited until # 71 to squeeze the two headliners into the same story is partially explained by the fact that #70 was the last 64 page issue and with #71 it became a 32 page comic.
Interesting. I didn’t know that.
Yeh, the Sgt Rock omnibus is all I want. Even just a peek at any Sgt Rock on....oh I dunno, like, like, like booktube - would be great 🤭🤭 Yeh it's coming I suppose.............
That looks loaded with fun!
It really is.
A World's Finest Double Shot... why not !? 👍 ☺
(Dick Sprang...wow 🤪 )
St Rock yes. But didn't Joe Kubert also do Tarzan and Turok, son of Stone. I still remember images from those and I'm 65! Would love those collections to come out too.😮😮😮
The Tarzan volume at least was published in paperback. I have the complete edition published by Dark Horse.
If you want the contents of the volume one omnibus, you need to have bought both volume one and two of the trade paperback versions.
I have the second one coming. Thanks.
Totally agree with your comments, comics clearly had to change and those 50s World's Finest are pretty enjoyable, you could never have a diet of just those sort of comics. Comics need to be all kinds of things. I don't think Stan Lee ruined it, he just produced comics that were very popular, DC could have easily have continued to produce those sort of comics but clearly the audience would have drifted away, at least we still have the opportunity to read them. I think the comics code didn't help, certainly with the total wipe out of EC comics (though I always wonder would they have been able to keep that level of amazing quality up for the next 10 or 20 years to reach Weird Science issue 200 or 300 and still be as stunning ??
Thanks for pointing out that book, I didn't buy the omni either nor that one, I have just picked up a copy of the b&w showcase volume 1 (been buying a few of those of late) instead.
Excellent video as ever
Thanks! I missed out on the Showcase volume also.
An awful lot of fun, or a fun lot of awful? 🤔😊 But I suppose if the 60s Batman show in some ways reflects the silver age tone - if not as intentionally campy - I can appreciate enjoying it. In small doses!
I think the Code is when the Silver Age started. When several books and companies folded because of the code, I'd say that marks the end of the Golden Age.
The comics code may not totally signal the start of the Silver Age, but it was definitely the end of the Golden Age.