"marking the beginning of the Golden Age was the 1938 debut of Superman in ""Action Comics"" #1, published by Detective Comics (predecessor of DC Comics). Superman's popularity helped make comic books a major arm of publishing, which led rival companies to create superheroes of their own to emulate Superman's success. Between 1939 and 1941 Detective Comics and its sister company, All-American Publications, introduced popular superheroes such as Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Doctor Fate, the Atom, Hawkman, Green Arrow and Aquaman. Timely Comics, the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics, had million-selling titles featuring the Human Torch,"
"More Fun Comics More Fun Comics, originally titled New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine a.k.a. New Fun Comics, was a 1935–1947 American comic book anthology that introduced several major superhero characters and was the first American comic-book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of newspaper comic strips. It was also the first publication of the company that would become DC Comics. In the fall of 1934, having seen the emergence of ""Famous Funnies"" and other oversize magazines reprinting comic strips, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications and published ""New Fun"" #1 (Feb. 1935). A tabloid-sized, 10-inch"
"of the character to whom younger readers could easily relate. Superboy first appeared in ""More Fun Comics"" #101 (1944, with a 1945 cover date). Though Joe Shuster supplied the art, the Superboy feature was published without the input or approval of Jerry Siegel, who was serving in World War II. This fact increased an already-growing rift between the publisher and Siegel and Shuster. In early 1946, Superboy moved to ""Adventure Comics"", where he debuted in issue #103 (April 1946) as the lead feature for the anthology comic, and he remained the headlining feature for over 200 issues. Stories in ""Adventure"
"female cartoonist Tarpé Mills on April 6, 1941; the Phantom Lady, introduced in Quality Comics ""Police Comics"" #1 (Aug. 1941); the Black Cat, introduced in Harvey Comics' ""Pocket Comics"" #1 (also Aug. 1941); and the Black Canary, introduced in ""Flash Comics"" #86 (Aug. 1947) as a supporting character. The most iconic comic book superheroine, who debuted during the Golden Age, is Wonder Woman. Modeled from the myth of the Amazons of Greek mythology, she was created by psychologist William Moulton Marston, with help and inspiration from his wife Elizabeth and their mutual lover Olive Byrne. Wonder Woman's first appearance was"
"Sept. 1947), which featured several Hoppy stories per issue, along with stories featuring his old co-stars from ""Fawcett's Funny Animals"". In 1942, Fawcett Comics, decided to add a funny animal comic book to accompany its line of superhero, movie, and adventure comics. Chad Grothkopf, an artist with experience at DC Comics and Timely Comics, was tapped to come up with concepts for Fawcett's ""Funny Animals"" comic; his creations included Willie the Worm, Shelock Monk and Chuck, and Hoppy, a rabbit who dreamed of being strong. For the latter character, Grothkopf added elements from Fawcett's popular Captain Marvel strips, and the"
"with part one of his origin reprinted, like the first part of the Sub-Mariner's, from ""Motion Picture Funnies Weekly"" #1; the private detective the Ferret; and writer-artist Steve Dahlman's robot hero Electro (appearing in every issue from #4–19, Feb. 1940 – May 1941). Issue #13 saw the first appearance of the Vision, the inspiration for the same-name Marvel Comics superhero created in 1968. The original Vision appeared in solo stories through ""Marvel Mystery Comics"" #48. In 1949, with the popularity of superheroes having waned, the book was converted into the horror anthology ""Marvel Tales"" from issue #93–159 (Aug. 1949 –"
"(and commercially published in 1938). In 1934 Mandrake debuted, and in 1936 the Phantom comic strip (The Phantom). Batman and the original Captain Marvel entered in 1939. Captain America and the originals of The Flash, Green Lantern and Daredevil made their debuts in 1940. Wonder Woman, Blackhawk and Green Arrow debuted in 1941, and in 1947 Black Canary entered the scene. Coyote wore a black (mostly illustrated as dark blue, also in the comics – and sometimes brown) Mexican, decorated charro costume. He had high black boots (mostly outside the trousers) and a decorated sombrero, a black shirt – neither"
"Superman, in a new feature chronicling the adventures of the Man of Steel when he was a boy growing up in the rural Midwestern United States. With issue #108 (March 1946), all the superhero features were moved from ""More Fun"" into ""Adventure Comics"". ""More Fun"" became a humor title that spotlighted the children's fantasy feature ""Jimminy and the Magic Book"". The book was canceled with issue #127 (Nov.-Dec 1947). More Fun Comics More Fun Comics, originally titled New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine a.k.a. New Fun Comics, was a 1935–1947 American comic book anthology that introduced several major superhero characters"
"#33-52) and the Americommando (""Action Comics"" #53-74, reaching to cover-date July 1944). Baily also wrote and drew the pirate-adventure feature ""Buccaneer"" in National's ""More Fun Comics"" #32-51 (June 1938 - Jan. 1940). In ""More Fun Comics"" #52 (Feb. 1940), Baily and writer Jerry Siegel, Superman's co-creator, introduced DC's violent spirit of vengeance, the Spectre. The afterlife alter ego of murdered police detective Jim Corrigan, the character would become one of the longest-enduring comic-book creations, revived during the mid-1950s to 1960s Silver Age of Comic Books and continuing into the 21st century. One compilation of the top hundred American comics artists"
"(Oct. 1939). The Angel was the next-most-popular Timely character after the ""big three"" of the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner and Captain America, with more than 100 Golden Age appearances — starting in that initial Marvel title (which changed its name to ""Marvel Mystery Comics"" with issue #2), up through #79 (Dec. 1946); as the sole backup feature in ""Sub-Mariner Comics"" #1-21 (Spring 1941 - Fall 1946); and in occasional appearances in ""All Winners Comics"" (#1, Summer 1941), ""The Human Torch"" (#5[a], Summer 1941), ""Mystic Comics"" (vol. 2, #1-3, Oct.-Winter 1944), ""Daring Comics"" (#10, Winter 1944-45). A simulacrum of the Angel"
"""Giggle Comics"" in 1944, and by ""Giggle"" #9, he introduced the long-running character Superkatt. Superkatt is a funny animal jab at the “long-underwear” genre of superhero comics. The title character does not have any super powers at all, but is a normal (talking) house cat that dresses in a diaper, a baby’s bonnet, and a big blue bow to fight minor neighborhood injustices. In 1949 came ""Funny Films"", a funny animal anthology title that tried to convince the reader that its stories were the filmed exploits of famous Hollywood cartoon characters. Gordon’s ""Puss and Boots"" was a dog-and-cat version of"
"part of the 12-page story in ""Marvel Comics"" #1 (Oct. 1939), and reprinted as the original eight-page story in Marvel's ""The Invaders"" #20 (Sept. 1977). As historian Les Daniels writes, Another Timely character that debuted in ""Motion Picture Funnies Weekly"" was writer-artist Paul J. Lauretta's aviator hero the American Ace, whose origin eventually appeared in two six-page stories in ""Marvel Mystery Comics"" #2–3 (Dec. 1939 – Jan. 1940), following the renaming of ""Marvel Comics"" after issue #1. Additional features in ""Motion Picture Funnies Weekly"" #1 were ""Spy Ring"", starring a masked, non-constumed crimefighter, the Wasp, drawn and likely written by"
"carried the Commercial Signs label, but switched to labeling them as Bell Features in 1942. In April 1942, the company picked up Adrian Dingle from his own Hillborough Studios. He brought with him most of the Hillborough staff, as well as his popular Nelvana of the Northern Lights, one of the earliest female superheroes in North America, who was inspired by Inuit legends. Canada's second superhero, Leo Bachle's Johnny Canuck, appeared in ""Dime Comics"" #1 in February 1942. Bachle had been spotted by Ezrin in late 1941, when he was 16. Ezrin asked for Bachle's opinion on the Bell comics"
"several additions to Donald's supporting cast. Bolivar, Donald's pet St. Bernard first appeared in the strip on March 17, 1938, following his animated appearances in ""Alpine Climbers"" (July 25, 1936) and ""More Kittens"" (December 19, 1936). Donald's cousin Gus Goose made his first appearance on May 9, 1938, in a series of strips that promoted his upcoming debut short ""Donald's Cousin Gus"" (1939). Daisy Duck first appeared in the strip on November 4, 1940, following her first proper animated appearance in ""Mr. Duck Steps Out"", first released on June 7, 1940. Donald's paternal grandmother, usually just called Grandma Duck, first"
"always ended up back in the pet shop window because of his escapades. From issue #18 (September 1941) a new strip, ""Wilbur"", replaced the ""Scarlet Avenger"". Published four months before MLJ's most successful character, ""Archie Andrews"", Wilbur was also a teen humor strip that outlasted his home title, graduating to his own long-running series in 1944 after appearing for the rest of the ""Zip Comics"" run. He was soon joined by two other costumed heroes, ""Black Jack"" (#20–35) who replaced Red Reagan, and, replacing ""Nevada Jones"", ""The Web"" (#27–38) who was also the subject of text stories in most issues"
"The idea was turned down by Detective Comics, Inc., and the publisher again rejected a second pitch by Siegel two years later. After the appeal of kid superheroes had been demonstrated by the success of Robin, the Boy Wonder and similar characters, Detective Comics reversed itself in late 1944 and started publishing a Superboy feature, in an effort to expand the Superman franchise by presenting a version of the character to whom younger readers could easily relate. Superboy first appeared in ""More Fun Comics"" #101 (January/February 1945, published in late 1944). Though Joe Shuster supplied the art, the Superboy feature"
"companies began introducing some of the first significant female superheroes since Wonder Woman in 1941. These new female leads would include Timely's Blonde Phantom, Golden Girl, Namora, Sun Girl, and Venus, and its teen-humor star Millie the Model; Fox Comics' revival of Quality Comics' Phantom Lady; and DC's Black Canary. Quality Comics had featured an unrelated character called Miss America in ""Military Comics"" in 1941 and 1942. In 1943, Timely Comics published ""Marvel Mystery Comics"" #49, featuring a new character by the name ""Miss America"". Following two appearances in ""Marvel Mystery"", Timely's Miss America received her own book, ""Miss America"
"The Black Hood first appeared in MLJ's ""Top-Notch Comics"" #9 (cover-dated Oct. 1940). He was created by Harry Shorten. The Black Hood became a popular character and was given his own title, Black Hood Comics, a pulp magazine in 1943. It lasted for 11 issues before being retitled Laugh Comics and becoming an all-humor title. A second series debuted as part of the original Red Circle Comics imprint. It lasted for three issues from June to October 1983. This Black Hood was known as Thomas ""Kip"" Burland, the nephew of the original Black Hood. In 1991, a third series was"
"was published without the input or approval of Jerry Siegel, who was serving in World War II. This fact increased an already-growing rift between the publisher and Siegel and Shuster. After just seven issues of ""More Fun Comics"", the Superboy feature moved to ""Adventure Comics"", where he debuted in issue #103 (1946) as the cover and lead feature for the anthology comic. In a period when the popularity of superheroes was generally in decline, the adventures of Superboy became increasingly popular. Three years after the move to ""Adventure Comics"", Superboy became only the sixth DC superhero to receive his own"
"of the title beginning with issue #35 (Jan. 1940). Issue #38 (April 1940) introduced Batman's sidekick Robin, billed as ""The Sensational Character Find of 1940"" on the cover and the first of several characters that would make up the ""Batman Family"". Robin's appearance and the subsequent increase in sales of the book soon led to the trend of superheroes and young sidekicks that characterize the era fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Several of Batman's best known villains debuted in the pages of ""Detective Comics"" during this era including the Penguin in issue #58, Two-Face in"
"to relinquish his mission to destroy all evil. The Spectre is soon awarded charter membership in the first-ever superhero team, the Justice Society of America in ""All Star Comics"". Jim Corrigan is resurrected in ""More Fun"" #75 (Jan. 1942), after which the Spectre's ghostly form enters and emerges from Jim Corrigan functioning independently of him. During the mid-1940s, the popularity of superhero comics began to decline and the Spectre was reduced to playing the role of guardian angel to a bumbling character called ""Percival Popp, the Super Cop"", who first appeared in ""More Fun"" #74 (Dec. 1941). When Corrigan enlisted"
"The first four issues were edited by future Funnies, Inc. founder Lloyd Jacquet, the fifth by Wheeler-Nicholson himself. Issue #6 (Oct. 1935) brought the comic-book debuts of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the future creators of Superman, who began their careers with the musketeer swashbuckler ""Henri Duval"" (doing the first two installments before turning it over to others) and, under the pseudonyms ""Leger and Reuths"", the supernatural-crimefighter adventure Doctor Occult. They would remain on the latter title through issue #32 (June 1938), following the magazine's retitling as ""More Fun"" (issues #7–8, Jan.-Feb. 1936), and ""More Fun Comics"" (#9-on). Wheeler-Nicholson added"
"Invisible Hood The Invisible Hood is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He was originally owned by Quality Comics, but was later acquired by DC Comics, along with other Quality characters. He first appeared in ""Smash Comics"" #1 (August 1939), and was created by Art Pinajian, Pinajian illustrated the story under the pseudonym ""Art Gordon"". The character first appeared in ""Smash Comics"" #1 in 1939, as published by Quality Comics in a story titled ""Hooded Justice"". Years after the character was acquired by DC Comics, a retroactive fictional history was developed (see notes below in Character History). Little"
"featured in six issues (#2–7). The ""Impy"" 1-page strip was the only reprint during the ""Top-Notch Comics"" run. No single character lasted for the whole run of ""Top-Notch Comics""/""Top-Notch Laugh Comics"", although the costumed hero the Wizard – subtitled ""The Man With the Super-Brain"", which began in issue #1, ran until #27 (May 1942). A number of other costumed heroes accompanied The Wizard with long runs in ""Top-Notch Comics"", ""Bob Phantom – The Scourge of the Underworld"" (#3 -25), initially by Irv Novick but later written by editor Harry Shorten and drawn by Bernie Klein, had made two appearances in"
"character included X-ray vision in issue #18 (November 1939) and telescopic vision and super-breath in issue #20 (January 1940). Luthor, a villain who would later become Superman's archenemy, was introduced in issue #23 (April 1940). The original Toyman was created by writer Don Cameron and artist Ed Dobrotka in issue #64 (September 1943). By 1942, artist Wayne Boring, who had previously been one of Shuster's assistants, had become a major artist on Superman. Under editor Mort Weisinger, the ""Action Comics"" title saw a further expansion of the Superman mythology. Writer Jerry Coleman and Wayne Boring created the Fortress of Solitude"
"punching Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. As comic books grew in popularity, publishers began launching titles that expanded into a variety of genres. Dell Comics' non-superhero characters (particularly the licensed Walt Disney animated-character comics) outsold the superhero comics of the day. The publisher featured licensed movie and literary characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Roy Rogers and Tarzan. It was during this era that noted Donald Duck writer-artist Carl Barks rose to prominence. Additionally, MLJ's introduction of Archie Andrews in ""Pep Comics"" #22 (December 1941) gave rise to teen humor comics, with the Archie Andrews character remaining in print well"
"non-humor strips in the title; although Kardak only lasted until issue #30 (Nov. 1942). This change of emphasis to humor strips had been presaged in ""Top-Notch Comics"" #25 (March 1942) when ""Snoopy McGook, the Soapy Sleuth"" joined the roster. From issue #28 he was joined by ""Pokey Oakey"", ""Senor Siesta"", the boxing humor strip ""Canvas Back Corkle"", ""Percy The Three Monkey-teers"" and, from issue #29 (Sept. 1942), ""Gloomy Gus – the Homeless Ghost"". One of these new humor strips, ""Dotty and Ditto"" by Bill Woggon (best known for his ""Katy Keene"" comic) was unusual as it featured a continuing storyline"
"(James Scully) briefly used the alias ""Blazing Skull."" The Blazing Skull debuted in ""The Story of Mark Todd"", a nine-page tale in the 1941 comic that also introduced cover character the Black Marvel and fellow superhero the Terror. He continued to appear in ""Mystic Comics"" through issue #9 (May 1941), with at least one story (""The Thing"", in #8) confirmed to have been penciled by Golden Age great Syd Shores. A simulacrum of the Blazing Skull briefly appeared, along with simulacra of the Patriot, the Fin, and the Golden Age Angel and Vision, to aid the superhero team the Avengers"
"issues. ""Lee Sampson, Midshipman"" ended in #16 (June 1941); and Madam Satan was introduced in the same issue. Madam Satan, a dead villainess with a green face and the kiss of death, ""the scourge of man, ready to go forth and leave a trail of misery and suffering in her wake"" actually first appeared on the cover of the previous issue #15 (May 1941). She was written by Abner Sundell and initially drawn by Harry Lucey, although Joe Blair wrote her later adventures. Next a superhero died for the first time in comics history, issue #17 (July 1941). ""The Comet"""
"1942) had ""Sergeant Boyle"" visiting the MLJ offices after he had failed to send them details of his latest exploits for them to publish, while #34 (Nov. 1942) contained a one-page text piece, 'Meet the Editor', about Harry Shorten. Artist Gil Kane's first work was on the ""Bentley of Scotland Yard"" story "" 'The Case of the Laughing Corpse' "" in ""Pep Comics"" #38 (April 1943) A new emphasis on humor grew from issue #40 (July 1943), just after ""Pep Comics"" went to 10 issues a year. ""Sergeant Boyle"" ended in #39 (June 1943), as did ""Danny in Wonderland"". They"
"E. C. Stoner and later Gardner Fox), both premiering in ""Detective Comics"" #1; ""Bradley Boys"", premiering in ""More Fun"" #13; ""Hanko the Cowhand"", premiering in ""More Fun"" #25 (Oct. 1937); ""Buzz Brown"", premiering in ""More Fun"" #30 (March 1938); and at least drew and possibly wrote ""Red Coat Patrol"" also known as ""Sgt. O'Malley"", premiering in ""More Fun"" #39 (Jan. 1939). As writer-artist, Flessel created the DC character the Shining Knight, in ""Adventure Comics"" #66 (Sept. 1941). Flessel, who drew many early adventures of the Golden Age Sandman and is closely associated with that character, has sometimes been credited as"
"Marvel Comics, included such characters as Mighty Mouse, the crows Heckle and Jeckle, Dinky Duck, Gandy Goose, and Little Roquefort. The first such St. John comic was ""Mighty Mouse"" #5 (Aug. 1947), its numbering taken over from the Timely run. The company expanded into licensed characters from another animation company, the joint Paramount Pictures-Famous Studios, which included the future Harvey Comics characters Casper the Friendly Ghost (unnamed in his theatrical animated shorts to that time, and given his familiar designation in his eponymous comic-book's September 1949 premiere), Baby Huey (who premiered in that ""Casper the Friendly Ghost"" #1 before his"
"was the suave tuxedo-clad masked detective ""The Penguin"", a Canadian superhero distinct from the well-known nemesis of Batman. To avoid conflicts with Batman's publishers, this character was renamed The Blue Raven to allow efforts to reach an American audience. The Penguin premiered in 1943. Other characters include ""Nils Grant, Private Investigator"". At the end of the 1940s the comics industry in Canada became untenable and Dingle returned to painting. Dingle was, in fact, a prolific painter who was widely respected as an illustrator, teacher, and landscape artist. One of his works, illustrated here, is representative of his impressionistic style. This"