The onslaught
of comic book genres that fill the shelves in our homes and at book stores are
too numerous to count. Who knew then how
they would evolve and how their value would sky rocket as time moved into this
techno age.
One can only imagine how easy it was to accumulate
boxes of comic books with companies like Wild Storm, Image, Vertigo, Dark
Horse, Top Cow, and last but not least the Grand Daddies of them all “DC comics
and Marvel Inc.” supplying our weekly habit of super heroes and villains fueling
our imaginations. When did the world of
comic books enthrall and compel us? At one time or another in our life we have
picked up a comic book. What was it about that collection of colorful images
that drew us in captivating us? Was it the unbelievable feasts of our heroes or
was it the diabolical plots of those villains who sometimes invaded our dreams
as children. Who were these villains
where did they come from what was their psychosis and plot for world
domination…or destruction of the universe itself. For as long as anyone can remember there has
always been some petty tyrant threatening mankind. So our comic book industry has taken advantage
of these psychotic individuals with delusions of grandeur as far back as the
First and Second World War with Hitler and his infamous Third Reich, or America’s
ugly history of segregation that created a dark backdrop with images of white
robed tormentors burning crosses and how African descended people and people of
color in general were depicted during that time. Can you imagine how long the comic book
industry has existed? Let us turn back
the pages of time.
Originally located in Manhattan, NY 432 Fourth Ave
later relocating to 575 Lexington Ave in 1934 National Allied Publications was
one of the most successful companies operating in the market for American
comics they were the publishing unit of DC entertainment a company of Warner
Bros owned by Time Warner. They were the producers of well known characters
such as Superman, and others. Later with
the advent of Dick Tracy and Batman National Allied Publications transformed to
Detective Comics hence the initials D.C. later they were to morph into Direct
Comics, but still maintaining the DC logo
In 1939 in NY Timely Publications was founded
another American company that published comic books and other related media as
the segregation era continued raging in the south.
By the early 1950s Timely Publications had become
Atlas Comics, and the birthing of the Civil Rights era was underway with Rosa
Parks and Martin Luther King. In 1955
Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white person hence fueling the
inequality and injustices of the treatment of people of color in this
country. Her defiance inspired the
Montgomery Alabama boycott which Dr. Martin Luther King and others was a driving
force.
In 1961 at
the height of the Civil Rights era Atlas Comics became Marvel Comics launching
the Fantastic four and other super heroes created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby,
Steve Ditko, and others creating the marvel universe with such characters as
the Avengers, Dr. Doom, X men, The Hulk and many others.
As the Civil Rights era gained momentum influencing
the nation to adopt a stand for the elimination of injustice and inequality
attracting worldwide attention the first black super hero was created in a
mainstream comic book publication Marvel comic Inc. T`Challa the king of a fictional advanced
African nation referred to as WaKanda located in central Africa; made his
appearance as the “Black Panther” in 1966 in the Fantastic 4 issue #52 created
by writer / editor Stan Lee and penciled
by Jack Kirby.
The Black Panther’s name predates 1966. The original
Black Panther title was birthed from the segregated African American WW2 tank
Battalion who liberated France. In the sixties others soldiers would pick up
the mantle of fighting for justice ushering in the next generation of civil
rights; Huey Newton, Bobby Seals, Stokely Carmichael, creating the Black
Panther Party. The Black Panther has
always had a history of fighting inequality, injustice and protecting those who
could not protect themselves. Could this concept of the Black Panther been
adopted from the African American experience in this country by Marvel comics? Later on in the sixties The Falcon, and Luke
Cage were penciled to life with DC comics following suit creating such
characters as Tyroc, Black lightning, and John Steward / Green lantern. However there were predecessors to these black
characters.
In 1947 All Negro Comics Inc. was founded with
artist / writer John Terrell and George J Evens; who created black characters
such as detective Ace Harlem. Another
popular comic series was Ezekiel’s manhunt an action adventure and there was
Lion Man an educated black man sent by the United Nations on a mission to find
Uranium on Africa’s Gold Coast. These characters predated our heroes we know
today; blazing a trail for positive images much needed for the revolutionary
era to begin Civil Rights and Equality for all.
In 2008 Walt Disney acquired Marvel Worldwide
commonly referred to as Marvel comics formally Marvel publishing Inc. and
Marvel Comics Group for $4.24 billion. Walt Disney grosses 36 billion annually.
There is no doubt the African American experience
has dramatically influenced the Marvel and DC universes. Such a rich and diverse history accompanied
by a culture older then the colonization of this country has left its mark upon
the comic book industry.
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