jeudi 8 mai 2014

Important Early Science Fiction Comic Book Authors

By Tracie Knight


Comic books have been popular since the early 1920s. One of the first and most famous of these great writers is A. D. Condo, the author of Mr. Skygack from Mars. A gag group strip found in U. S. Newspapers in the 1930s and early 1940s. The United States along with Japan remain the two largest publishers of science fiction comic books. The UK runs a close second with authors who began developing fantastical themes into various publications in the 1950s.

Buck Rogers based on the series American Stories came onto the scene along with Flash Gordon, Brick Bradford, and the British character Dan Dare in the early 1960s. Representations of the first block buster, Superman, can still be found in a number of formats. While Superman owes most of his fame to these early science fiction Comic book authors, he is now considered part of a subset of genre.

The genre was challenged in the 1960s by Frederick Wertham. He was an activist who decided that material in these books contained adult themes which children and young adults should not be reading at an early age. Many parents bought into his theory and soon removed any comic books featuring science fiction characters from the home.

The industry rebounded with themes aimed directly at children and young adults in the late 1960s. At which time, underground books, music and posters became more popular. Then, another new wave of material found its way into the mainstream which focused on hippies and the free love movement.

Early Japanese comics featuring elements of fantasy and science fiction were published in the 1950s. The earliest publishers of these books known as manga were Astro Boy, by Osamu Tezuka, others have since followed with the genre becoming more present in current culture, mostly in film and television.

In the UK, while Dan Dare was the earliest, not until the mid-sixties did the genre become popular with the The Trigan Empire. The series included strips published in a series called Look and Learn, drawn by Don Lawrence. UK publishers went on to put a science fiction slant into popular themes. Nostalgia, It Ain't What It Used To Be, is a great example of early work in the United Kingdom.

The internet now allows a venue for new and well seasoned writers to explore fantasy and science fiction. One of the most popular of the earliest web comics is that of Polymer City Chronicles. Both this and Starship Crisis were quite popular shortly after the activation of the world wide web. Posting historic editions of older comic strips, science fiction and others later became quite popular among both new and emerging graphic artists.

Whether reading these great science fiction strips in a traditional booklet or online, the authors did a great job creating this genre. Comic book trading, especially with relation to fantasy and science fiction has not only become popular but a hobby for enthusiasts. So much so that fans can be found dressed as favorite characters at regional and national conventions. Whereas, comic book stores are now presented as themes in many television series, movies and theater productions.




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