The Golden Age of Comics is easily one of the most important eras in comic book history. Not only did it serve a much needed purpose during it’s time but it also gave birth to an industry which played a significant role in the shaping of western pop culture. It’s impact on society can be seen almost everywhere you look.
This era is responsible for the creation of the superhero genre and the comic book industry as a whole, which have gone on to become one of the most dominant forces in entertainment.
To put things into perspective, some of the most famous characters entertainment has to offer are golden age superheroes that debuted during these times. However, despite being such an important stage of comic book history many fans know very little about the Golden Age of Comics. It’s for this reason we compiled this article giving you a summary of the golden age of comics as well as series of other articles that go into further depth about each subject. Enjoy!
What is the Golden Age of Comics?
The Golden Age of Comics was a period from 1938 to 1956 characterized by the rise of superhero comic books and iconic characters such as Superman and Batman. It is considered by most to be the first comic book era.
This period gave birth to the comic book industry as a whole and the name it was given also paved the way for the naming convention that dubbed the comic book ages that followed. Although originally, the term was coined by someone reminiscing on this period and the warm memories it brought them of their childhood. Since then the phrase has taken on multiple meanings for a more in depth look on why it’s called the golden age of comics click here.
The periods that subsequently followed this were the Silver Age of Comics, Bronze Age of Comics and the Modern Age of Comics. There are also sub branches that came in between these eras but these are the main eras that are recognised by all comic historians.
Golden Age of Comics History
The first modern comic book didn’t come until the beginning of the golden age of comics, however there were events leading up to this that deserve their pace in history. These include events such as the debut of Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics (which many consider to be the first comic book) and the first appearance of The Phantom (the first fictional costumed crimefighter). Without events like these the golden age of comics may never have happened.
There are also many events that occurred in the throughout the Golden Age of Comics that deserve to be noticed too. The debut of Batman, Captain America, Wonder Woman and the comic book industry’s continued involvement with World War II just to name a few.
However, in this article, we’re just going to give you a brief lowdown of a few of the most important parts of the Golden Age of Comics timeline. For a more in-depth breakdown of the history of the Golden Age of Comics check out our Golden age of comics timeline.
When Did the Golden Age of Comics Begin?
As previously mentioned, there were multiple events that were instrumental in the creation of the comic book industry but there is only one true beginning.
The Golden Age of Comics began with the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1 (1938). Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the introduction of Superman was an event that would change entertainment forever.
Superman set the standard for what a superhero should be. At the time there had never been another character like him and as such he rose to immense popularity almost instantly. Born with him were the concepts of secret identities, super-powered costumed crimefighters, and many more tropes that would become integral to comic books and the superhero archetype.
This of course open the flood gates for a myriad of other superheroes to make their way into the world as many other publishers rushed to create their own heroes with their own unique backstories and superpowers.
The Golden Age of Comics & World War II
The Golden Age of Comics was massively influenced by Word War II and likewise comics also had an effect on the people of America during World War II. All throughout the war superheroes were seen to be joining in the conflict fighting the axis forces.
Pretty much every superhero around this time were shown to be aiding in the conflict. Superman, Batman, Flash (Jay Garrick), Wonder Woman and even Green Lantern were all depicted fighting the Axis forces on the side of the Allies.
However, none of these superheroes made the impact that Timely Comics’ (later Marvel) Captain America did. Like many other heroes created during this time he was created with the sole intention of featuring exclusively in stories that revolved around the ongoing war and in his debut, he was shown punching Hitler in the face.
As you can imagine, at the time this was just what the people wanted to see. The object of their frustrations getting exactly what he deserved at the hands of the ultimate American hero.
Comic Book Propaganda?
It’s no question that for many people comic books provided a much needed opportunity of escapism to an idealised reality where good triumphs over evil and super powered beings protect the righteous. But it wasn’t just children that indulged in them. People of all ages and all walks of life enjoyed reading these comics, especially soldiers.
They were the perfect morale booster for both the troops and those dealing with effects of war back home. However, the line between morale boosting and propaganda is a fine one that comics had no issues crossing time and time again.
One prime example of this is the parade of villains that were created as racist caricatures of countries from the Axis forces. Definitely not the sort of comic book characters that would fly now. One such Superman comic book featured a cover stating “Superman says you can slap a Jap with bonds and stamps”.
When Did the Golden Age of Comics End?
Most agree that the true end to the Golden Age of Comics came as the Silver Age of Comics began with the first appearance of the Barry Allen version of the Flash in Showcase #4 (1956). However, there are some that would disagree and say it ended sooner.
Let’s take a look at the events that caused the beginning of the silver age and also explore the other ideas of when the Golden Age of Comics ended…
Atomic Age of Comics
After the war superhero comics began to decline. The axis forces were defeated and the need for the morale boost that made them popular during the war had ceased to be. Most of the superhero titles that previously thrived were cancelled during this period as the demand for these stories had almost completely disappeared.
Some of the power player titles continued to be published but outside of these titles it wasn’t a great time for sales in the superhero genre. This caused comic creators moved their focus to other genres such as crime, horror, and romance. Some consider this to be the end of the Golden Age and the beginning of the short period Atomic Age.
This period is said to have occurred from 1946-1956 ending at the beginning of the Silver Age of Comics. That being said, the majority of historians don’t recognise this period. They instead claim that this was still part of the Golden Age.
Comics Code Authority
Ironically, it was the switch in genre that led that would make superheroes synonymous with comic books forever. The graphic themes contained in these comic books attracted the attention of many disgruntled members of the public who feared comic books were polluting the minds of the youth. However, none were as influential as Dr Fredrich Wertham, an author who in 1954 published a book entitled Seduction of the Innocent.
The book blamed comics for juvenile delinquency stating that the sex, violence and gore found in these books was corrupting the minds of the youth. This caused mass hysteria and turned the majority of the public against comic books. There were book burnings, protests and of course a rapid decrease in sales.
To counteract this the Comics Magazine Association of America introduced a self-censorship comity known as the Comics Code Authority as an alternative to governmental regulations that would otherwise inevitably be introduced if the hysteria continued. All comics would now need to bare the Comics Code Authority seal of approval which meant that they followed the newly set regulations.
These regulations banned nearly all themes contained within the crime and horror (and even romance) comics that now dominated the comic book industry. So, to ensure their survival comic book companies had to double down on their only viable option, the once popular superhero comics.
The only problem was that the superhero genre had fallen out of favour for a reason and they would need to address this to successfully reinvent the genre and bring it back to its former status of popularity.
It was these changes that gave birth to the Silver Age of Comics. The first to lead way was DC Comics with Showcase #4 (1956) which is recognised by most as the point where the Golden Age of Comics truly ended.
Power Players of the Golden Age
Although power players of the golden age are probably not recognised by most for various reasons, they still deserve their place in history for they did for comic books. Sadly, many of these figures have been forgotten. Publishers have dissolved, superheroes have been forgotten and/or fallen into public domain and the men that created them are rarely given the recognition they deserve. Let’s take a look at them…
Notable Golden Age Publishers and Titles
Most Golden Age comic book publishers will be unrecognisable to fans these days. Most of the companies operating during this time became defunct during the fall of the golden age and only 3 of them have managed to survive until the present, and two of those were operating under different names!
The three that did survive have become some of the biggest companies in the world. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable Golden Age comic book publishers and what happened to them…
DC Comics | 1935-Present
During their early years, the official name of DC Comics was National Comics Publications. Weirdly they began unofficially branding themselves as Superman-DC in the 1940s and became known to most as DC Comics from then on but wouldn’t officially change their name until 1977.
DC Comics were an extremely dominant force during the Golden Age. They were among the few that survived the Golden Age and as we all know they’re one of the three that have made it all the way to the present.
Without DC Comics there wouldn’t be a Golden Age or a Silver Age. Notable staff during this time include Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (creators of Superman), Bill Finger and Bob Kane (creators of Batman), and Gardner Fox (creator of Flash, Doctor Fate, Hawkman, Hawkgirl and many more).
Marvel in the Golden Age of Comics (Timely Comics) | 1939-Present
Marvel wouldn’t become Marvel until 1961 (during the Silver Age). They first started out under the name Timely Comics in 1939 before rebranding as Atlas Comics in 1947. It wouldn’t be until the Silver Age they would truly find their feet, and become one of the two dominant forces in the industry competing with the likes of DC Comics.
Nevertheless, they still held their own and managed to survive past the Golden Age and just long enough for Stan Lee to jump on board and pilot the rebrand in the Silver Age.
Notable Marvel staff during the Golden Age include Carl Bugos (creator of Golden Age Human Torch), Bill Everett (creator of Namor), and their founder Martin Goodman.
MLJ Comics (later Archie Comics) | 1939-Present
The third comic book publisher that has managed to survive up until the present is MLJ Comics who were founded in 1939. In 1946 they changed their name to Archie Comics taking the name of their most popular (and now longest running) publication.
EC Comics | 1944-1956
Originally known as Education Comics, this company was founded in 1944 and is one of the most important Golden Age Comics book companies as they were one of the main targets of Dr. Fredrich Wertham’s book seduction of the innocent.
Horror and crime had become the most popular genres near the end of the Golden Age and EC Comics and as a result of this had become one of the most dominant publishers. Of course this all ended when the themes contained in the popular horror comics published by EC Comics were all banned by the Comics Code Authority.
CEO, William Gaines, attempted to fight against the Comics Code Authority but was ultimately unsuccessful. EC Comics then switched their focus to EC’s Picto-Fiction titles but this ended up losing them money. Just like most of the Golden Age Comic Publishers, EC Comics was eventually sold and ultimately absorbed by DC Comics.
Fawcett Publications | 1939-1953
Fawcett Publications were one of the most successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age. Their flagship character Captain Marvel sold numbers that contended with and even often outsold the likes of Superman.
Sadly, it was this same character that would bring about their demise when National Publications (precursor to DC Comics) filed a lawsuit claiming that Captain Marvel had infringed on Superman on the grounds that certain Captain Marvel stories were copies of Superman stories.
Initially, this lawsuit was unsuccessful but after an appeal was granted National Comics were allowed to seek damages. In 1953 they ceased publication of their superhero titles and many of their characters and stories were sold to Charlton Comics.
Charlton Comics | 1945-1986
Charlton Comics were on of the few comic publishers to make it out of the Golden Age. They acquired the rights to many of the companies that became defunct during the Golden Age. Eventually, they went out of business in 1986 due to poor sales. Most of their “line of action” characters were purchased by DC Comics for the small sum of $5000 a character in 1983.
However, it was later revealed that due to a lack of proper copyright notice, a lot of these characters had aspects that fell into the public domain.
Harvey Comics | 1941-2001
Another Golden Age comics publisher to survive the decline was Harvey Comics. Founded in 1941 they eventually sold to HMH Communications in 1989. Now renamed Harvey Comic Entertainment (HCE) they published classic Harvey comics until 1994 when they ceased publishing. From here HMH Communications began to sell their Harvey Comics assets to various companies with the final Harvey properties and the Harvey name being sold to Classic Media in 2001.
Harvey Comics most well-known creations are Casper the Friendly Ghost and Richie Rich.
Key Characters of the Golden Age of Comics
Golden Age superheroes set the standard for the superhero archetype and what a superhero should be. The problem is that most of these were Superman knock offs. That’s not to say there weren’t also many original Golden Age of Comics characters but the immense popularity of Superman led many creators to feel like they had to have “their version of Superman”.
Here are some of the most important Golden Age Superheroes:
Superman – DC Comics
Recognised by comic historians as the first comic book superhero, Superman is one of the most influential pop-culture characters of all time. His first appearance came in Action Comics #1 (1938), the comic that started the Golden Age of Comics.
For those who don’t know the origin of Superman, Kal-L (later changed to Kal-El) arrived on Earth as an alien escaping the doomed planet Krypton. He found a nurturing home with the Kents, who named him Clark Kent and guided him to harness his extraordinary abilities for the greater good. As he matured, he embraced the persona of Superman, dedicated to battling crime and safeguarding the innocent.
Many aspects of his character have been added over the years (such as his ability to fly) but Superman was the perfect hero and set the blueprint for what a superhero should be. This would later lead to criticism by many fans for him not being “floored” or “human” enough but he was just what was needed at his time of creation.
Captain Marvel – Fawcett Publications
First appearing in Whiz Comics #2 (1940) published by Fawcett Comics, Captain Marvel was one of the biggest sellers of the Golden Age. Often outselling even the likes of the most popular Golden Age superhero, Superman.
His alter ego, Billy Batson, was a homeless orphan taking refuge in a train station when an ancient god bestowed upon him the combined powers of gods Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. Whenever he spoke the acronym of these gods in that order (SHAZAM) he would be transformed into a full-grown man – in a superhero costume – possessing all of their powers.
The character’s popularity attracted the attention of DC Comics who filed a lawsuit claiming he was a copy of Superman. Ultimately, Fawcett Comics agreed to cease publishing and the character – coincidentally – ended up as property of DC Comics sometime during the Silver Age. At this point Marvel had trademarked the name “Captain Marvel” so that name was dropped and the character was just named Shazam!
Captain America – Timely Comics (later Marvel)
Debuting in Captain America Comics #1 (1941), the story of Steve Rogers is that of a man initially deemed unfit for WWII service due to health issues that is so determined to fight for his country that he enters an experimental government program that transforms him into the ultimate soldier.
Project: Rebirth (which later canonically became retconned as a part of the wider Weapon Plus Program), using the Super Soldier Serum, imbued Steve Rogers with peak human strength, speed, agility, and outfitted him with an indestructible shield.
After the war Timely Comics/Marvel struggled to find a place for the character and inconsistencies eventually led to a retcon which stated Captain America has been frozen in suspended animation since the final days of the war and various replacements had been operating as Captain America in his place.
Surprisingly, this evolved to become a central element of his character and added greatly to his mystique as “a man out of time”.
Batman – DC Comics
If it was Superman that created the blueprint of what a superhero should be, then Batman was one of the first characters to break it. While Superman was a beacon of light, Batman was a product of the darkness. Everything from his backstory to his approach to fighting crime was a lot darker.
Debuting in Detective Comics #27 (1939), Bruce Wayne was an orphan who dedicated his life to fighting criminals after his parents were killed in front of him. This wasn’t anything that had been seen in superhero comics up to this point.
Golden Age Batman didn’t pull any punches either. His “no kill rule” didn’t become part of his character until Batman #15 (1943). Up until this point Batman habitually snapped the necks of his enemies and even used guns!
Namor – Timely Comics
Widely regarded to be the first anti-hero in comic books, Namor had no love lost for humans. A member of the Atlantean Royal Family who just like the other Atlanteans were tired of humans disturbing the sea.
Namor technically first appeared in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 (1939) a planned free giveaway comic that was never actually released. However, his first public appearance was in Marvel Comics #1 (1939).
Just like most characters from the era his backstory has evolved and changed a lot since his first appearance. In the modern age, Namor is now considered a mutant. Making him the first mutant to appear narratively in a Marvel comic.
Wonder Woman – DC Comics
In a time where sexism was still rife in western society, seeing a female character like Wonder Woman who was stronger than the men featured in her stories was quite a statement. She was a symbol of feminism in an otherwise male dominated landscape and whilst she wasn’t the first female comic book superhero, she was easily the most influential of the Golden Age.
Her first appearance in All Star Comics #8 (1942) and at the time her origin was that she was created from a lump of clay and brought to life by the Olympian Gods. The perfect Amazonian, born of no man.
A valued member of DC’s Trinity (alongside Batman & Superman), Wonder Woman was one of the most well-known superheroes in the world and still is.
The Flash – DC Comics
The Flash was the first speedster featured in comic books. Superman’s super speed (much like many of his powers) didn’t become part of his character until later on, so when Jay Garrick first appeared he was a pretty ground-breaking character.
His first appearance came in Flash Comics #1 (1940) where his origin was detailed as a college student exposed to hard water vapours that gave him his superhuman speed.
Much like most Golden Age superheroes, the Flash was popular until the war ended at which point his appeal began to fade. His title was cancelled in 1949 and his character was later replaced as the main Flash by Barry Allen when the character kicked off the Silver Age of Comics with Showcase #4 (1956).
Jay Garrick would eventually reappear again after being retconned as the Flash of the alternative universe Earth-Two.
Public Domain
Due to the fact that so few Golden Age publishers survived past the golden age there’s a very large amount of Golden Age Superheroes that fell into what’s called the public domain. What this means is that these public domain superheroes can be used by anyone as their rights are now public domain and don’t belong to anyone.
In some cases these characters were repurposed by different publishers so the aspects of these characters that are public domain are sometimes murky. Some are completely public domain, some have only certain parts of them that are public domain and with some it’s only certain versions of them that are free to use.
Here are some of the prime examples:
Blue Beetle (Dan Garret)
The Dan Garret version of the Blue Beetle was originally created by Fox Comics with his first appearance occurring in Mystery Men Comics #1 (1939). After the Golden Age, Fox Comics went under and according to Charlton Comics the character was sold to them. But much like most of their characters a proper proof of copyright could not be produced.
That didn’t stop Charlton from trying to relaunch the character (3 times!). However, none of these attempts ended in success and many aspects of the character fell into public domain.
It’s unclear what exactly those aspects are but it is known that Dan Garret is public domain and the name “Blue Beetle” is now licensed by DC Comics. They finally made the character into the success nobody else seemed to be able to make him.
Plastic Man
First published by Quality Comics in Police Comics #1 (1941), Plastic Man (“Eel” O’Brian) is another one of the public domain superheroes who were licensed by DC Comics with certain aspects remaining public domain.
Fantomah
Fantomah was the first female superhero to feature in a comic book. She was first seen in Jungle Comics #2 (1940) published by Fiction House.
Throughout her appearances her character was subjected to many retcons and changes but one detail always stayed constant. Whenever she used her powers, her beautiful face was replaced with a blue skull.
She fell into the public domain when Fiction House went bankrupt in 1955.
What Size are Golden Age Comics?
Golden Age comics did vary in size and length. However, the average Golden Age Comic was 64 pages long and the average size was 7¾” in width x 10½” in height.
To put this into perspective modern comic books are 67/8” in width x 101/2” in height and on average 32 pages long. So, there’s quite a big difference. Comic books have gotten much smaller size and shorter in duration.
Artistic and Storytelling Techniques During the Golden Age
The art and storytelling techniques used were very much an accurate reflection of both where the comic book industry and the public were at the time.
Limitations
Comics during the golden age were very different to what they would become in years to come. They weren’t yet taken very seriously as an entertainment medium and nobody knew how lucrative they would become. Hence why there wasn’t much money invested in them by their creators.
As well as there not being enough money in the industry there was also a many printed limitations placed by the lack of adequate printing technology. This meant that as well as there not being enough money in the industry there were also a many limitations placed by the lack of adequate printing technology.
Simpler Times
This is why the art style during the Golden Age of Comics was a far throw from the art we would see in the years that followed. Their art style remained closely aligned with the conventions of earlier newspaper illustrations. Visuals were presented in a very basic storyboard format, characterized by a simplicity that often lacked any intricate details. It wouldn’t be until the Silver Age that comic books would capture the interest of the passionate artists who would go on to shape their true identity.
The fact that detailed and expressive art was harder to achieve also led comic book artists and writers to use a lot more dialogue to tell stories. This resulted in a lot more speech bubbles and editorial comments being present on the pages.
Clear-cut Heroes Fighting Against Evil Villains
Storylines during this era often followed a formulaic structure, featuring clear-cut heroes battling against evil villains. The protagonists were typically depicted as virtuous individuals with exceptional abilities or gadgets that they used to combat injustice. These heroes served as symbols of hope and inspiration for readers, showcasing bravery, courage, and determination in their fight for justice.
Golden Age vs Silver Age Comics
As mentioned before the Comics Code Authority was in full effect and the themes contained within the horror and crime stories that had become popular after superheroes fell out of favor in the post-war period were all banned.
Comic book creators had no choice but to reinvent the superhero genre. To do this they had to notice all the reasons people lost interest and bring them up to date. The war was no longer the subject dominating everyone’s minds.
It was now the atomic era and the civil rights movement that dominated the shared social conversation. New superheroes were created to reflect the publics new found obsession with science. Instead of being born from magic and godly origins their origins were now science based.
Comic book characters were also made much more relatable as character development and story depth became a priority.
It was DC Comics that kicked the silver age of reinventing their mid-tier superheroes to reflect the themes that were currently popular. The first being Flash in Showcase #4 (1956) which is recognised as the comic that officially started the Silver Age Of Comics.The Jay Garrick version of the character was scrapped and the Flash was now Barry Allen, a forensic scientist who gained his speedster powers from chemicals that were struck by lightning.
Atlas Comics (rebranded as Marvel in 1961) found success with the X-Men, a group of mutants who’s daily struggles at the hands of racist humans acted as a metaphor for the civil rights movement and Spider-Man, an average nerdy teen who tussled with the everyday struggles every other teen would. It was these real world themes that would go on to define Silver Age Comics and ultimately save the industry.
For a more in-depth breakdown on what changed from the Golden Age going into the Silver Age check out our article on Golden Age vs Silver Age Comics.
Are Golden Age Comics Still Worth Reading?
It depends on your taste. The Golden Age of Comics was an era of experimentation. Stories were simpler and the character development was nowhere near the depths that would manifest in years to come. The genre still had a lot of evolving to do and as mentioned before creators had yet to find out just how lucrative and influential the medium would become.
During this time comics were literally treated as throw away forms of entertainment. This is partially why golden age comics are so rare. That being said, it’s still interesting to read these stories and see where it all started. Not only that but there’s nothing wrong with a little light hearted fun is there?
If you’re not sure where to start you can check out our list on the most popular golden age comics to give you an idea of what titles to look out for.
How Much are Golden Age Comics Worth?
Golden Age Comics vary in price depending on their rarity and how in demand they are. On the more expensive side they are extremely expensive and on the cheaper side they’re still pretty expensive compared to the price of a modern comic. Overall they can range from a few hundred dollars to a few million dollars.
Just in case you wondered what the most expensive Golden Age comics ever sold were we’ve already got a list for that so feel free to check that out.
Where Can You Buy Golden Age Comics?
Despite being rare, most Golden Age Comics can still be located pretty easily thanks to the internet. This is of course a double-edged sword because the competition can also find them just at easy. Most site that sell these rare artifacts are antique auctions but there are also website that sell them at a flat fee.
For your convenience here’s a list of some of the sites that sell Golden Age Comics and also whether they sell them by auction or flat fees.
Heritage Auctions – US Based – Auction
Heritage Auctions is a US based company that sells many different antiques and collectibles via auction.
Superworld Comics – US BASED – Flat Fees w/ Offers
Superworld Comics is a company based in the US that sell rare comics from the Golden Age and many other eras at flat fees. Not only this, but they also allow buyers to make offers too.
Dale Roberts Comics – US Based – Flat Fees
Dale Roberts Comics is a US based company that sells Golden Age Comics and also accepts offers.
World Wide Comics – US Based – Flat Fees
World Wide Comics is a US based company that sells rare comics at flat fees.
Dave & Adams Card World – US Based – Flat Fees
Dave & Adams Card World is a US based company with a small range of Golden Age comic books that they sell at flat fees.
Incognito Comics – UK Based – Flat Fees
Incognito Comics is a UK based company that offers rare and sort after comics at flat fees. They offer many different titles from different ages, including Golden Age Comics.
FAQs
What Was the Most Popular Comic in the Golden Age?
Although there is not enough accurate sales data from the Golden Age of Comics to give an unequivocal answer of which one comic book was the most popular, we do know enough to create a list of all the most popular Golden Age Comics.
Why Did Old Comics Have Dots?
This was a commercial printing technique used in the 1950s and 1960s to inexpensively create the effect of shading and secondary colours in comic books.
What is the Rarest Comic in History?
The rarest comic in history is a near impossible question to accurately answer as it’s impossible to know how many copies of every comic exist. However, the most expensive comic ever known to be sold was a CGC 9.8 copy of Superman #1 (1939) that sold privately for $5.3 million in April 2022.
Who was the 1st Superhero?
The 1st fictional superhero was Hugo Hercules who debuted in a newspaper comic strip featured in Chicago Tribune September, 1902. The titular character was a man with superhuman strength who made his way round town helping those in need.
Who was the first Marvel Hero?
The first hero to appear in a Marvel comic was Human Torch (Jim Hammond) who appeared in Marvel Comics #1 (1939). The Angel, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Masked Raider and Ka-Zar also appeared in the same comic but Human Torch (Jim Hammond) was the first to appear narratively.
