Golden Age decline 1 1

[rjpb]

Golden Age decline

While there was great work being produced all through the Golden Age, and arguably the overall quality of art and perhaps even storytelling actually improved towards the later years, it's no secret that the superhero genre in particular struggled after the war years, and many titles and characters had a weak period, even if some managed to shine towards the end. I'd like to dedicate this thread to what boardies consider the high and low points of a character or title as represented by covers and/or stories. 

I'll start with a title that I've admittedly only read a few early issues of, but that cover wise seemed to illustrate perfectly the decline of a GA character. Not so much the title character, but his main foil for large sections of the run. These don't represent the first or last appearance of Iron Jaw in Boy comics, but the extremes of how serious he can be taken as a villain.

Scans are courtesy of GCD

[sacentaur]

That's a very good example of a decline.

To me, Action Comics (Superman) declined precipitously when the decision was made to move away from the dynamic early covers to the attempted humorous covers that turned out to be just ridiculous.

Same could be said of later Batman.

Edited May 29, 2017 by sacentaur

[rjpb]

5 minutes ago, sacentaur said:

That's a very good example of a decline.

To me, Action Comics (Superman) declined precipitously when the decision was made to move away from the dynamic early covers to the attempted humorous covers that turned out to be just ridiculous.

Same could be said of later Batman.

Superman and Batman related covers became quite silly in the mid 1940s, but their titles seemed to right themselves by 1948 or so. I'm particularly fond of Sprang era Batman from the late 40s/early 50s, and find the stories generally more entertaining than what came before. World's Finest was the repository for goofy Batman/Superman covers until the team-up era.

I'm guessing as the war was winding down, humor titles were outselling Superhero ones. MLJs switch from war themes to teen humor before the war ended seems to indicate this. Across the DC line, humor oriented covers are found on hero books from about 1945-47, with More Fun  actually returning to it's humor roots. Then it seems as if the powers that be realized that those who still bought superhero comics were more interested in adventure than laughs. 

[tabcom]

Flash Comics didn't get a chance to decline. 1949 was a great year for the title. Not sure why the cord was cut.

[rjpb]

30 minutes ago, tabcom said:

Flash Comics didn't get a chance to decline. 1949 was a great year for the title. Not sure why the cord was cut.

Even Flash had a period of sillier covers in 1946-47, when Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod became the focus on the Flash covers.

[MrBedrock]

16 minutes ago, rjpb said:

Even Flash had a period of sillier covers in 1946-47, when Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod became the focus on the Flash covers.

Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod were never silly! There was some deeply symbolic societal commentary going on there that obviously was too intellectual for some.

[rjpb]

25 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod were never silly! There was some deeply symbolic societal commentary going on there that obviously was too intellectual for some.

[MrBedrock]

3 minutes ago, rjpb said:

30 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

er silly! There was some deeply symbolic societal commentary going on there that obviously was too intellectual for some.

If it is any consolation, DC apparently got so many complaints from folks who didn't understand those covers that they stopped including the trio after #78, effectively dumbing down the title like they had done on most of their other books....the big exception being the continued use of Robin.

 

[catman76]

None of it is a decline to me, I like the silly, absurd , fun stuff.  It's what makes old comics so great to me. The decline to me is comics of the last 40 years that are way to serious and not fun at all.

[telerites]

After trying several superheroes, Heroic changed its focus to war and the Seven Soldiers went under wraps for funny animals.   

 

 

[sacentaur]

1 hour ago, MrBedrock said:

Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod were never silly! There was some deeply symbolic societal commentary going on there that obviously was too intellectual for some.

Sounds like a lecture opportunity for someone to mug for the camera in order to elucidate the unwashed masses.

[rjpb]

2 hours ago, MrBedrock said:

If it is any consolation, DC apparently got so many complaints from folks who didn't understand those covers that they stopped including the trio after #78, effectively dumbing down the title like they had done on most of their other books....the big exception being the continued use of Robin.

 

By the way, I enjoyed your paper, Percival Popp and the Banality of Post-war Nihilism in America. 

[Scrooge]

7 hours ago, rjpb said:

<snip> cover wise seemed to illustrate perfectly the decline of a GA character. Not so much the title character, but his main foil for large sections of the run. These don't represent the first or last appearance of Iron Jaw in Boy comics, but the extremes of how serious he can be taken as a villain.

Scans are courtesy of GCD

I wouldn't use that as an example. Yes, the covers have switched from heavy symbolism to a gag but old Iron Jaw was not less menacing in the interior. In fact, I find the early Boy issues interiors quite inferior to those of the later period you showcase. Iron Jaw as a character kept his bite. Here are some pages from issue # 75 (a few issues after your example) and Iron Jaw is determined to end Crimebuster, no doubt about it. As necessary though it ends up that Iron Jaw is the one put through the grinder (quite literally in fact) - Note: Please ignore the monkey.

 

Edited May 30, 2017 by Scrooge

[tabcom]

11 hours ago, rjpb said:

Even Flash had a period of sillier covers in 1946-47, when Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod became the focus on the Flash covers.

Yes, indeed.

Also, Martin Naydel was a cartoonist, not a superhero artist. His work was featured during 1946-47.

Please allow me to clarify. Although Flash Comics experienced a decline in quality, it did recover and finished at the top of its game. 

The last issue (#104) was guided by some of the industries legends.

Hawkman -- Broome, Kubert

Flash -- Kanigher, Infantino, Giacoia

Ghost Patrol -- Infantino, Sachs

Atom -- Reinman

Black Canary -- Kanigher, Infantino, Sachs

1949 issues foreshadowed the standard that would become the Silver Age .

After Flash Comics cancellation, Kanigher, Fox, Broome, Hasen, Infantino, and Kubert contributed to All-American Westerns in 1949.

[Mr. Lady Luck]

15 hours ago, rjpb said:

Golden Age decline

While there was great work being produced all through the Golden Age, and arguably the overall quality of art and perhaps even storytelling actually improved towards the later years, it's no secret that the superhero genre in particular struggled after the war years, and many titles and characters had a weak period, even if some managed to shine towards the end. I'd like to dedicate this thread to what boardies consider the high and low points of a character or title as represented by covers and/or stories. 

I'll start with a title that I've admittedly only read a few early issues of, but that cover wise seemed to illustrate perfectly the decline of a GA character. Not so much the title character, but his main foil for large sections of the run. These don't represent the first or last appearance of Iron Jaw in Boy comics, but the extremes of how serious he can be taken as a villain.

Scans are courtesy of GCD

Quality titles had a noticeable decline cover-wise...

Images courtesy of mycomicshop.com

[tth2]

is that the first face palm in comics?

[sacentaur]

1 hour ago, tth2 said:

is that the first face palm (cover) in comics?

An earlier issue had a text story that mentioned a palm tree and also had someone's hand on the cover, so I guess that's gotta be it!

Edited May 30, 2017 by sacentaur

[rjpb]

I don't want it to seem I am beating up on Gleason, but in general their titles shifted from having dramatic and often moody action on the covers in the early 1940s to text heavy and not particularly compelling by the 1950s. Even CDNP succumbs to this. Here is another title that declined dramatically, at least judging by covers and collector interest.  Daredevil not only lost the cover to his eponymous title to his comedic sidekicks, but eventually was pushed out all together. 

 

[Ken Aldred]

I've always preferred the darker tone of early Dr Fate and Spectre in More Fun Comics to the increasingly lighter or comedic stories that you get in the later issues.

Edited May 30, 2017 by Ken Aldred

[rjpb]

1 minute ago, Ken Aldred said:

I've always preferred the darker tone of early Dr Fate and Spectre in More Fun Comics than the increasingly lighter, comedic  stories that you see in the later issues.

No love for Percival Popp, who went from comic sidekick, to starring character with a mere spectre of the Spectre tagging along?  At least Dr. Fate was only reduced to a generic wise-cracking crime fighter by the end of his run.