History of Comic Books

There are a great number of people who collect comic books. It is very interesting to look into the history of comic books to see how this became such a worldwide phenomenon. Not all of the details are known, but the ones that are, are fascinating.

The comic book that started it all is called “The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck.” This was written in the early 1800′s in Europe. While we’re used to seeing graphics with text bubbles in modern comics, this version had descriptions of the action under each picture.

Historians are certain that there were many comic books printed after Obadiah Oldbuck, but there are no known copies that exist. The next known book surfaced in the late 1800′s and was titled “The Yellow Kid.” This comic was based off of the popular hit “Hogan’s Alley.”

We actually didn’t have the phrase “comic book” until “The Yellow Kid” debuted. The history of comic books shows that the words were printed on the cover, and then became commonly used.

There wasn’t really any standard to creating comic books back then. They came in all shapes and sizes. In 1901 the comic called “The Blackberries” came out in color. Finally people saw the potential for comic books.

Also in the early 1900′s, the standard size for comic books became 17x 11 inches. One of the most popular comics was “Buster Brown.” You probably recognize the name from the popular shoe brand. They were created because of the success of the comic! This was a major milestone for the history of comics.

In 1922, monthly subscriptions started for certain comics. These comics were a bit smaller, but people scooped them up because they loved following their favorite characters. Some popular subscription comics include “Barney Google” and “Toots and Casper.”

Of course, the most popular comic during this time period, and still today, was “Little Orphan Annie.” Walt Disney created another one that has stood the test of time. This was called “The Mickey Mouse Book.”

Unfortunately the great depression hit soon after. This was a low period in the history of comic books. Publishers met the need by releasing free comic books. These comics actually served as an advertisement for companies in disguise.

In 1936, the whole comic book industry started to transform. The Popular Comics Company released such hits as “Dick Tracey” and “Mutt and Jeff.” This made Dell comics very popular and catapulted them toward becoming on of the biggest comic suppliers.

King Comics was another contender and included characters like The Lone Ranger and Flash Gordon. DC comics also surfaced in the 1950′s. DC comics is known as the creator of the most popular comic hero ever named Superman.

The history of comic books spans many ups and downs throughout the years. Throughout it all, great characters have been added to popular culture. The love of comics and all of their fans will continue on.

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