Misplaced Pages

#733266

54-503: The history of American comics started in 1842 with the U.S. publication of Rodolphe Töpffer 's work The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck , but the medium was initially developed through comic strips in daily newspapers . The seminal years of comic strips established its canonical features (e.g., speech balloons ) and initial genres (family strips, adventure tales). Comic-strip characters became national celebrities, and were subject to cross-media adaptation, while newspapers competed for

108-518: A Broadway play titled Darknights and Daydreams . Due to Uslan's prior work at DC Comics he became a hands-on producer during the filming of Swamp Thing and The Return of Swamp Thing . In 1979, Uslan teamed with long-time Hollywood producer Benjamin Melniker to purchase the film rights to DC's Batman. As of 2024, he continues to own the rights, now with Melniker's estate following his death in 2018. Starting with Tim Burton 's 1989 film ,

162-521: A corporate predecessor of DC Comics ) to 1956 (introduction of DC's second incarnation of The Flash ). The following period, the Silver Age , goes from 1956 to 1970. The Bronze Age follows and spans from 1970 to 1985. Finally the last period, from c. 1985 until today, is the Modern Age . This division is standard but not all the critics apply it, since some of them propose their own periods, and

216-554: A local newspaper reporter and complaining about the course. TV crews filmed the first five meetings of the course, by then called "The Comic Book in America ," including John Chancellor 's NBC News . Intending to invite different speakers each semester, Uslan found that Denny O'Neil was voted for by the class so often that he became the regular invitee. Uslan notes that Bob Rozakis was among those passed over in favor of O'Neil. Press coverage led to Uslan being invited to lecture at

270-471: A number of colleges and high schools, as well as participate in talk shows on radio and TV. His first television appearance was alongside writers Steve Englehart and Gerry Conway . It also led to phone calls from Stan Lee , and eventually to a job offer from DC Comics . Uslan wrote a textbook dealing with his course, The Comic Book in America (Indiana University, 1971). At Indiana University , Uslan

324-516: A one-hour credit experimental course on comic book history and art," while he (Uslan) was "having fun with an I.U. Free University course on 'The Comic Book Hero'." Stern and Uslan discovered they shared interests, and when Stern "couldn't stand teaching the course any longer," Uslan took it over and changed it into one that took "an academic approach to the comics, divided into its history, folklore, art, sociology, psychology, and literary/educational value. Looking at their stages of relevancy and fantasy,

378-575: A resurgence of interest in superheroes. Non-superhero sales declined and many publishers closed. [Marvel Comics and National Periodicals(DC)] introduced new and popular superheroes and thereby became the leading comics publisher in the Bronze Age of Comic Books (from 1970 to 1985). Unlike the Golden and Silver ages, the start of the Bronze Age is not marked by a single event. Although the Bronze Age

432-716: A sponsor in Henry Glassie , a professor in the Department of Folklore , who saw superheroes as the logical descendant to Norse , Egyptian and Greek mythology . The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences challenged the nature of Uslan's course, but gave his approval. Uslan's course, by then-titled "The Comic Book in Society," thus became "the first accredited course on the serious study of comic books." Uslan won fame for his comic book class by anonymously calling

486-515: A very young age, owning a collection that included the second issue of Batman and the first Superman comic , among others. He grew up in Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey , and graduated from Ocean Township High School in 1969, by which time his collection filled the garage of his home with 30,000 comic books. A fan of the darkness inherent in the Batman comics, he was dismayed by

540-432: Is a Professor of Practice. In 2014, Uslan began instructing as a Professor of Practice at Indiana University , and has been implementing experiential learning in media school courses to better prepare students for their potential careers in the film and television industry. The classes he instructs ( Live from L.A.: Pros Make Movies , and Business of Production Motion Pictures ) involve bringing people who have worked "in

594-578: Is on 31 January 1799, in Geneva , Léman , France . His father Wolfgang-Adam Töpffer was a painter and occasional caricaturist. His grandfather, Georg-Christoph, a master tailor, had come from Franconia and held a sock factory in Geneva. Töpffer was educated in Paris from 1819 to 1820, then returned to Geneva and became a school teacher. By 1823, he established his own boarding school for boys. In 1832, he

SECTION 10

#1732787511734

648-692: The Yellow Kid magazine consisting of sheets previously appeared in newspapers and it was the first magazine of its kind. From 1903 to 1905, Gustave Verbeek wrote his comic series "The Upside-Downs of Old Man Muffaroo and Little Lady Lovekins" between 1903 and 1905. These comics were made in such a way that one could read the 6-panel comic, flip the book and keep reading. He made 64 such comics in total. The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype

702-623: The Comics Code Authority prohibited most of what had appeared prior to 1954. The website Copper Age Comics proposes that the Copper Age began in 1984 with Marvel's Secret Wars limited series and ended in 1991 with Jim Lee 's X-Men series. In 1992, a group of Marvel artists (including Jim Lee) defected to form the creator-owned Image Comics ; the site marks this as the beginning of the Modern Age, which continues to

756-554: The New York World , fueling the greed of Hearst. Fierce competition between Hearst and Pulitzer in 1896 led to enticing away of Outcault by Hearst to work in the New York Journal . A bitter legal battle allowed Pulitzer to keep publishing Hogan's Alley (which he entrusted to Georges B. Luks ) and Hearst to publish the series under another name. Richard Outcault chose the title The Yellow Kid . Published in 1897,

810-615: The Salem Witch Trials ; the children's geography -teaching Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? game show ; and the subsequent Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? animated series. Uslan created, co-produced, and wrote a few episodes of the 1980s cartoon Dinosaucers . Uslan and Melniker were also producers on the Keanu Reeves -fronted Constantine and associate producers on Disney's National Treasure . He

864-458: The feature film . With only some brief (foreword) writing and editing stints in between, Uslan scripted the 2009 six-part story, Archie Marries Veronica . 2011 saw the publication of his autobiography, The Boy Who Loved Batman . Uslan then wrote the foreword to the 2012 Wiley & Sons book Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight , by Dr. Travis Langley. In 2021, it was announced that The Boy Who Loved Batman would be adapted into

918-401: The U.S. This edition (a newspaper supplement titled Brother Jonathan Extra No. IX, September 14, 1842) was an unlicensed copy of the original work as it was done without Töpffer's authorization. This first publication was followed by other works of this author, always under types of unlicensed editions. Töpffer comics were reprinted regularly until the late 1870s, which gave American artists

972-535: The United States in 1842 as The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck ). Each page of the book had one to six captioned cartoon panels, much like modern comics. Töpffer published several more of these books, and wrote theoretical essays on the form. Töpffer was born on 12 pluviôse of the seventh year of the French Republican calendar at ten hours after noon (« dix heures après midi »), that

1026-593: The animated Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths trilogy. In addition to the Swamp Thing films, Uslan and Melniker were also credited as executive producers on the '90s live-action Swamp Thing TV series and Swamp Thing animated series, and 2008's The Spirit film, among others. Additional credits include Three Sovereigns for Sarah (1985), part of the American Playhouse series on PBS , starring Vanessa Redgrave and dealing with

1080-464: The broader counterculture of the 1960s . The Bronze Age of Comic Books is an informal name for a period in the history of American superhero comic books usually said to run from 1970 to 1985. It follows the Silver Age of Comic Books and is followed by the Modern Age of Comic Books . The Bronze Age retained many of the conventions of the Silver Age, with traditional superhero titles remaining

1134-539: The campy portrayal of the character in the '60s television series , which was at the height of its popularity during Uslan's teen years. While still an undergraduate and a graduate at the same time at Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington , attempting to break into the film industry by sending off over 300 résumés, Uslan "developed a course idea for the Experimental Curriculum program at IU". Uslan recalls that Roger Stern "has been teaching

SECTION 20

#1732787511734

1188-588: The dates selected may vary depending on the authors. The first recorded use of the term "Golden Age" pertaining to comics was by Richard A. Lupoff in an article, "Re-Birth", published in issue one of the fanzine Comic Art in April 1960. The first use of the terms "Golden Age" and "Silver Age" together as comic periodization was in a letter from a reader published in Justice League of America #42 (February 1966) that stated: "If you guys keep bringing back

1242-511: The father or at least an important precursor to the modern art form of comics . He is also considered to be an influence on younger comics artists such as Wilhelm Busch (15 April 1832 – 9 January 1908), creator of Max and Moritz . Töpffer wrote two chapters on child art and child creativity in his book Reflections et menus propos d'un peintre genevois (1848), which was published after his death. He wrote that children often displayed greater creativity than trained artists, whose creativity

1296-650: The first 15 years of this period, many comic book characters were redesigned, creators gained prominence in the industry, independent comics flourished, and larger publishing houses became more commercialized. An alternative name for this period is the Dark Age of Comic Books , due to the popularity and artistic influence of titles with serious content, such as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen . Rodolphe T%C3%B6pffer Rodolphe Töpffer ( / ˈ t ɒ p f ər / TOP -fər , French: [ʁɔdɔlf tœpfɛʁ] ; 31 January 1799 – 8 June 1846)

1350-563: The first American comic book and, according to several Robert Beerbohm articles published in Comic Art and the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide , the inspiration for an entire U.S. genre of nineteenth-century graphic novel . The University Press of Mississippi published an English translation of his full-length stories as well as previously unpublished works in 2007. Töpffer is considered alternatively

1404-442: The first appearance of Miles Morales , and continuing to the present). Comics creator Tom Pinchuk proposed the name Diamond Age (2000–present) for the period starting with the appearance of Marvel's Ultimate line. Comics in the United States originated in the early European works. In 1842, the work Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois by Rodolphe Töpffer was published under the title The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck in

1458-439: The first color strip, designed by Walt McDougall , showing that the technique already enabled this kind of publications. Authors began to create recurring characters. Thus, in 1894 and still in the New York World , Richard F. Outcault presented Hogan's Alley , created shortly before in the magazine Truth Magazine . In this series of full-page large drawings teeming with humorous details, he staged street urchins, one of whom

1512-480: The first drawings of humanized animals in the series Little Bears and Tykes . Nevertheless, drawings published in the press were rather a series of humorous independent cartoons occupying a full page. The purpose of the cartoon itself, as expressed through narrative sequence expressed through images which follow one another, was only imposed slowly. In 1894, Joseph Pulitzer published in the New York World

1566-650: The general history of comics has led Geppi to add two periods before the Golden Age: the Victorian Age (from 1828 to 1882) and the Platinum Age (the period of comic strips). Alternative definitions of these periods exist, as comics historian William W. Savage sets the ending of the Atom Age (the period in which there was a prevalence of atomic-bomb narratives and horror stories ) in 1954, the year that

1620-683: The heroes from the Golden Age, people 20 years from now will be calling this decade the Silver Sixties!" Comics historian/movie producer Michael Uslan says this natural hierarchy of gold–silver–bronze, akin to Olympic medals, soon took hold in common parlance: "Fans immediately glommed onto this, refining it more directly into a Silver Age version of the Golden Age. Very soon, it was in our vernacular, replacing such expressions as ... 'Second Heroic Age of Comics' or 'The Modern Age' of comics. It wasn't long before dealers were ... specifying it

1674-587: The idea to produce similar works. In 1849, Journey to the Gold Diggins by Jeremiah Saddlebags by James A. and Donald F. Read was the first American comic. Domestic production remained limited until the emergence of satirical magazines that, on the model of British Punch , published drawings and humorous short stories, but also stories in pictures and silent comics. The three main titles were Puck , Judge and Life . Authors such as Arthur Burdett Frost created stories as innovative as those produced in

History of American comics - Misplaced Pages Continue

1728-771: The late 19th century (the so-called "Platinum Age") was characterized by a gradual introduction of the key elements of the American mass comics. Then, the funnies were found in the humor pages of newspapers: they were published in the Sunday edition to retain readership. Indeed, it was not the information given that distinguished the newspapers but the editorials and the pages which were not informative, whose illustrations were an important component. These pages were then called comic supplement. In 1892, William Randolph Hearst published cartoons in his first newspaper, The San Francisco Examiner . James Swinnerton created on this occasion

1782-435: The mainstay of the industry. However, a return of darker plot elements and storylines more related to relevant social issues, such as racism, began to flourish during the period, prefiguring the later Modern Age of Comic Books. The Modern Age of Comic Books is a period in the history of American superhero comic books which is generally considered to have begun in 1985 and continues through the present day. During approximately

1836-419: The many aspects of censorship, their effects on other media, penciling and inking styles, their psychological implications, current and future trends, and the role of comics in school systems." Uslan intended that his course on comics gives students the full three hours of college credit, on a par with "history, physics, or chemistry." In order to be eligible to teach the course as an undergraduate, Uslan found

1890-501: The medium's potential. The industry, however, soon experienced a series of financial shocks and crises that threatened its viability, and from which it took years to recover. American comics historians generally divide 20th-century American comics history chronologically into ages. The first period, called Golden Age , extends from c. 1938 (first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1 by National Allied Publications ,

1944-501: The more common engraving process. The comedic story was not originally intended for publication, but Töpffer continued to create others in his spare time to entertain his acquaintances. Notable among them was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who in 1831 persuaded Töpffer to publish his stories. Seven of them were eventually published in newspaper form across Europe, but Goethe would not live to see them. All seven are considered satirical views of 19th century society and proved popular at

1998-497: The most popular artists. The first American-style true comic book , published independently of a newspaper ( Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics ), appeared in 1933. Although the first comic books were themselves newspaper-strip reprints, comics soon featured original material, and the first appearance of Superman in 1938 launched the Golden Age of Comic Books . During World War II , superheroes and talking animals were

2052-476: The most popular genres, but new genres were also developed (i.e., western, romance, and science fiction) and increased readership. Comic book sales began to decline in the early 1950s, and comics were socially condemned for their alleged harmful effects on children; to protect the reputation of comic books, the Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed, but this eliminated the publication of crime and horror genres. The Silver Age of Comic Books began in 1956 with

2106-408: The pair are credited as producers or executive producers on all Warner Bros. Batman and related films, including various direct-to-video feature-length animated films based on Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman , up to 2019's Batman: Hush . Uslan continues to be credited as executive producer on following films, the latest being 2022's The Batman , 2024's Joker: Folie à Deux , and

2160-496: The present. An alternative name for the period after the mid-1980s is the Dark Age of Comic Books . Pop culture writer Matthew J. Theriault proposed the Dark Age (c. 1985 to 2004), the Modern Age (beginning c. 2004 with the publication of Marvel's " Avengers Disassembled " and DC Comics' " Infinite Crisis ", and ending c. 2011), and the Postmodern Age (beginning c. 2011 with the publication of Ultimate Fallout #4,

2214-467: The same period by Europeans. However, these magazines only reached an audience educated and rich enough to afford them. The arrival of new printing techniques, along with other technologies, allowed easy and cheap reproduction of images for the American comic to take off. Some media moguls like William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer engaged in a fierce competition, publishing cartoons in their newspapers in an attempt to attract readers. The period of

History of American comics - Misplaced Pages Continue

2268-486: The time. In 1842, Töpffer published Essais d'autographie . On 14 September 1842, the Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois was first introduced to a United States audience as The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck . It was published in comic book form as a supplement to that day's edition of Brother Jonathan , a New York City newspaper edited by author John Neal (25 August 1793 – 20 June 1876). It has come to be considered

2322-675: The trenches everyday in Hollywood" to speak to students on the realities of the film industry. Uslan attempted his first comics writing in 1975 at DC Comics ' version of The Shadow and publishing competitor Charlton Comics ' Charlton Bullseye . He also wrote a comic-book adaptation of Beowulf for DC Comics in 1975. He wrote some Batman comics before moving on to motion pictures. He initiated Stan Lee 's Just Imagine... and contributed short stories with renowned artists like John Severin , Gene Colan and Richard Corben to it. He wrote some The Spirit comics, before producing

2376-868: Was a Golden Age comic for sale or a Silver Age comic for sale." In A Complete History of American Comic Books , Shirrel Rhoades cites Steve Geppi (the publisher of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide and founder of Diamond Comic Distributors , the direct market distribution monopoly between 1997 and 2020) who, taking into account comic strips, divides the history of comics in ages: Victorian ( Victorian Age , from 1828 to 1882), of platinum ( Platinum Age , from 1882 to 1938), of gold ( Golden Age , from 1938 to 1945), atomic ( Atom Age , from 1946 to 1956), of silver ( Silver Age , from 1956 to 1971), of bronze ( Bronze Age , from 1971 to 1985), of copper ( Copper Age , from 1986 to 1992), of chrome ( Chrome Age , from 1992 to 1999), and modern ( Modern Age , 2000 to present). According to Rhoades, consideration of comic strips in

2430-524: Was a Swiss teacher, author, painter, cartoonist, and caricaturist. He is best known for his illustrated books ( littérature en estampes , " graphic literature "), which are possibly the earliest European comics . He is known as the father of comic strips and has been credited as the "first comics artist in history." Paris-educated, Töpffer worked as a schoolteacher at a boarding school, where he entertained students with his caricatures. In 1837, he published Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois (published in

2484-460: Was a dominating force during the Silver Age. The Code restricted many topics from being covered in stories: this prevented certain genres, such as crime and horror comics, from being sold at most comic book shops, and also helped superheroes stay popular and culturally relevant. The underground comix movement began at the end of the Silver Age in response to the restrictions of the Code, and was part of

2538-532: Was appointed Professor of Literature at the University of Geneva . Relatively successful in his profession, Töpffer gained fame from activities he pursued in his spare time. He painted local landscapes in a style considered influenced by contemporary Romanticism . He wrote short stories and entertained his students by drawing caricatures. He collected these caricatures in books; the first of them, Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois ( The Story of Mr. Wooden Head ),

2592-424: Was completed by 1827 but not published until 1837. It was 30 pages, each containing one to six captioned panels. It was translated and republished in the United States in 1842 as The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck . The stories were reproduced by autography , a variation of lithography that allowed him to draw on specially prepared paper with a pen. The process allowed for a loose line, and was quicker and freer than

2646-559: Was created and many well-known characters were introduced, including Superman , Batman , Captain Marvel , Captain America , and Wonder Woman . The Silver Age of Comic Books began with the publication of DC Comics' Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956), which introduced the modern version of the Flash . At the time, only three superheroes— Superman , Batman , and Wonder Woman —were still published under their own titles. The Comics Code

2700-431: Was dominated by the superhero genres, underground comics appeared for the first time, which addressed new aesthetic themes and followed a new distribution model. Following the Bronze Age, the Modern Age initially seemed to be a new golden age. Writers and artists redefined classic characters and launched new series that brought readership to levels not seen in decades, and landmark publications such as Maus redefined

2754-477: Was hired to advise Genius Brands on the use of Stan Lee Universe IP in July 2020. In 2005, Uslan donated his 30,000 comic book collection to Indiana University's Lilly Library (rare books and manuscripts library), a collection which (according to his wife Nancy) "filled three rooms of their house." Uslan was the honorary speaker at the 2006 Indiana University commencement ceremonies, held on May 6, 2006. Uslan

SECTION 50

#1732787511734

2808-490: Was often overshadowed by their technical skill. Michael Uslan Michael E. Uslan ( / ˈ j uː s l ən / ; born June 2, 1951) is an American lawyer and film producer . Uslan has also dabbled in writing and teaching, he is known for being the first instructor to teach an accredited course on comic book folklore at any university. Uslan was born in Bayonne, New Jersey , and was an avid comic book collector from

2862-778: Was the honorary speaker at the 2012 Westfield State University commencement ceremonies, held on May 19, 2012. With his co-executive producers, Uslan won a 1995 Daytime Emmy for Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? , and he was also awarded an Independent Spirit Award at the 2005 Garden State Film Festival . In 2011, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Peace River Film Festival. On October 10, 2012 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. That same year, he

2916-496: Was wearing a blue nightgown (which turned yellow in 1895). Soon, the little character became the darling of readers who called him Yellow Kid . On October 25, 1896, the Yellow Kid pronounced his first words in a speech balloon (they were previously written on his shirt). Outcault had already used this method but this date is often considered as the birth of comics in the United States. Yellow Kid' s success boosted sales of

#733266