dub@pur-phy.UUCP (Dwight) (02/12/85)
In many of the articles discussing the current Crisis mini-series being published by DC reference is often made to the "Golden Age". Could someone please mention what this term means. D. Bartholomew
ciaraldi@rochester.UUCP (Mike Ciaraldi) (02/16/85)
> > In many of the articles discussing the current Crisis mini-series > being published by DC reference is often made to the "Golden Age". > Could someone please mention what this term means. > D. Bartholomew The "Golden Age" is usually defined as starting with the rise of comic books that featured all-new stories rather than reprints of newspaper comics strips. Thus, it could be considered to start around 1935 (which DC is considering its company's starting point) or maybe 1938, the first appearances of Superman and Batman. The Golden Age ended when comics began to retreat from their importance in popular culture, under the onslaught of television. Many experts say it ended when All-Star Comics, home of the JSA, became All-Star Western, with issue #58 (I Think), in 1949 (or maybe 1950 or 1951?). Anyway, after that time the only DC characters with their own magazines were Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. In 1956 the Silver Age began with the revival of old characters (often in modified form) and the introduction of new ones. The first was The Flash, quickly followed by Green Lantern, Hawkman, the JLA, etc. The Golden Age of Science Fiction is usually considered to be the 1920's. I think it was Isaac Asimov who said, "The Golden Age is whenever you were 13 years old." Seems about right to me. Mike Ciaraldi ciaraldi@rochester seismo!rochester!ciaraldi
mt528@uiucuxa.UUCP (02/18/85)
The "golden age" of comics is generally thought to extend from publication of Action #1 until publication of Showcase #4 (that being the start of the Silver Age), but that is more a time period than what you had in mind. When in reference to "Crisis", Golden Age is probably referring to what is usually known as "Earth-2". When the Silver Age reared its shiny head in the 60s, something had to explain why the new Flash was not the same as the "old" Flash. DC came up with the idea of "parallel universes" to explain this away, and ended up putting all the "old" heroes from the Golden Age into "Earth-2". Now that stories have been encompassing characters from Earth-2 (heck, some are only for Earth-2, like Infinity Inc. and All-Star Squadron), they are alternately called "Earth-2" characters or "Golden Age" characters, because of their origin. Hence the term "Golden Age".
jrb@wdl1.UUCP (02/19/85)
Actually the Golden Age of Science Fiction started with the advent of Astounding in 1939. I believe it ended just after the war. There was a resurgence with the introduction of paperbacks in the early 50's. John R Blaker UUCP: ...!fortune!wdl1!jrb ARPA: jrb@FORD-WDL1 and blaker@FORD-WDL2