Timeline of DC Comics (1930s)

Last updated

National Comics Publications and All-American Publications, two precursors to DC Comics, were formed publishing American comic books such as superhero comics starting in the 1930s. Primary Comic book anthology titles created by the company was More Fun Comics , Adventure Comics , Detective Comics , Action Comics , All-American Comics and Superman . Other companies like Quality Comics and Fawcett Comics would later be merged into DC. Quality started by introducing comic books like Feature Comics and Smash Comics .

Contents

During the period, National launched popular superhero / featured characters like Doctor Occult, Slam Bradley, Superman, Zatara, Tex Thompson, Crimson Avenger, Batman, Red Tornado and Sandman since their first appearance. Quality Comics also debuted Doll Man while Fox Feature Syndicate includes the introduction of the Blue Beetle in Mystery Men Comics .

Superman stories debuted major supporting characters of Superman, such as Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Jor-El and Lara, Jonathan and Martha Kent along with one of the earliest supervillains / Superman rogue, Ultra-Humanite. Also major fictional elements introduced in the Superman comics include the planet Krypton and the Kryptonian species, the city Metropolis and the newspaper tabloid, Daily Planet . Batman stories debuted major supporting characters of Batman such as James Gordon, Thomas and Martha Wayne along with Batman rogues like Joe Chill. Also major fictional elements introduced in the Batman comics include the fictional police department led by Gordon, the costume known as the Batsuit with weapons known as Batman's utility belt and the Batarang, an original version of two vehicles known as the Batmobile and the Batplane and the building called Wayne Manor.

The first media adaptions of DC were comic strips of Superman.

1934

1935

1936

1937

1938

1939

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gardner Fox</span> American comics writer

Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. He is estimated to have written more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC Comics. Fox was also a science fiction author and wrote many novels and short stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Shuster</span> Comic book artist, co-creator of Superman (1914–1992)

Joseph Shuster, was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in Action Comics #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvin Schwartz (comics)</span> American comic book writer

Alvin Stanley Schwartz was an American comic book writer best known for his Batman and Superman stories. He was also a novelist, poet, and essayist.

<i>Adventure Comics</i> Comic book series

Adventure Comics is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues, making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman. The series was revived in 2009 through a new "#1" issue by artist Clayton Henry and writer Geoff Johns. It returned to its original numbering with #516. The series ended again with #529 prior to a company-wide revision of DC's superhero comic book line, known as "The New 52".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Occult</span> Fictional character

Doctor Occult is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Doctor Occult is an occult detective, private investigator and magic user who specializes in cases involving the supernatural. Doctor Occult first appeared in 1935 during the Platinum Age of Comic Books. He was published by National Comics Publications and Centaur Publications within anthology titles. He is the earliest recurring, originally featured fictional character still used in the DC Universe. He is sometimes affiliated with the All-Star Squadron and has appeared in paranormal-related stories by DC and Vertigo Comics titles. Doctor Occult also has appeared in one DC-based video game set within DC's multiverse canon.

<i>Superman: The Wedding Album</i> 1996 comic book by DC Comics

Superman: The Wedding Album is an American comic book published in 1996 by DC Comics. It is notable for featuring the wedding of Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane in DC Comics continuity, an event that was nearly 60 years in the making.

Earth-One is a name given to two fictional universes that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. The first Earth-One was given its name in Justice League of America #21, after The Flash #123 explained how Golden Age (Earth-Two) versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Silver Age counterparts. This Earth-One continuity included the DC Silver Age heroes, including the Justice League of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slam Bradley</span> Fictional comic book character

Samuel Emerson "Slam" Bradley is a fictional character that has appeared in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is a private detective who exists in DC's main shared universe. The character concept was created by DC Comics founder Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson and developed by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who both later became more well known as the co-creators of Superman. As one of the first ever DC characters, the character first appears in the Golden Age of Comic Books in the anthology title Detective Comics, being introduced in the first issue. He later commonly was associated with Batman and other spinoff Batman characters when revived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmine Infantino</span> American comic book artist (1925–2013)

Carmine Infantino was an American comics artist and editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creations are the Black Canary and the Silver Age version of DC superhero the Flash with writer Robert Kanigher, the stretching Elongated Man with John Broome, Barbara Gordon the second Batgirl with writer Gardner Fox, Deadman with writer Arnold Drake, and Christopher Chance, the second iteration of the Human Target with Len Wein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boy Commandos</span> Fictional organization of young boys fighting Nazis in DC comics

Boy Commandos is a fictional organization from DC Comics first appearing in Detective Comics #64 by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. They are a combination of "kid gang" characters, an international cast of young boys fighting Nazis — or in their own parlance, "the Ratzies".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Boring</span> American comic book artist

Wayne Boring was an American comic book artist best known for his work on Superman from the late 1940s to 1950s. He occasionally used the pseudonym Jack Harmon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon Mayer</span> American comic creator

Sheldon Mayer was an American comics artist, writer, and editor. One of the earliest employees of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications, Mayer produced almost all of his comics work for the company that would become known as DC Comics.

<i>Star Spangled Comics</i> American comic book anthology series

Star Spangled Comics is a comics anthology published by DC Comics which ran for 130 issues from October 1941 to July 1952. It was then retitled Star Spangled War Stories and lasted until issue #204.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon Moldoff</span> American cartoonist

Sheldon "Shelly" Moldoff was an American comics artist best known for his early work on the DC Comics characters Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" on the superhero Batman. He co-created the Batman supervillains Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, the second Clayface, and Bat-Mite, as well as the original heroes Bat-Girl, Batwoman, and Ace the Bat-Hound. Moldoff is the sole creator of the Black Pirate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Win Mortimer</span> Artist

James Winslow "Win" Mortimer was a Canadian comic book and comic strip artist best known as one of the major illustrators of the DC Comics superhero Superman. He additionally drew for Marvel Comics, Gold Key Comics, and other publishers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitney Ellsworth</span> American writer (1908–1980)

Frederick Whitney Ellsworth was an American comic book editor and sometime writer and artist for DC Comics during the period known to historians and fans as the Golden Age of Comic Books. He was also DC's "movie studio contact", becoming both a producer and story editor on the TV series The Adventures of Superman.

<i>DC Special</i> Comic book anthology series

DC Special was a comic book anthology series published by DC Comics originally from 1968 to 1971; it resumed publication from 1975 to 1977. For the most part, DC Special was a theme-based reprint title, mostly focusing on stories from DC's Golden Age; at the end of its run it published a few original stories.

Donald Clough Cameron was an American writer of detective novels and comic books. He is credited with creating several supporting characters and villains in DC Comics' line of Batman comic books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of DC Comics (1940s)</span>

The 1940s were an essential time for DC Comics. Both National Comics Publications and All-American Publications would introduce many new featured superheroes in American comic books in superhero comics anthology tales like More Fun Comics, Adventure Comics, Detective Comics, Action Comics, All-American Comics, Superman, Flash Comics, Batman, All Star Comics, World's Finest Comics, All-Flash, Star Spangled Comics, Green Lantern, Leading Comics, Sensation Comics, Wonder Woman, Comic Cavalcade and Superboy that would be a staple for the comic book company. Examples of the superheroes include the Flash, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Johnny Thunder and Thunderbolt, Spectre, Hourman, Robin, Doctor Fate, Congo Bill, Green Lantern, Atom, Manhunter, Doctor Mid-Nite, Sargon the Sorcerer, Starman, Johnny Quick, the Shining Knight, the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy, Tarantula, Vigilante, Green Arrow and Speedy, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Sandy, the Golden Boy, Mister Terrific, Wildcat, Air Wave, Guardian, Robotman, TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite, Liberty Belle, Superboy and Black Canary. These characters would later crossover in superhero team titles in the 1940s such as the Justice Society of America and the Seven Soldiers of Victory helping pave a way to a shared universe of the publication company. Other used featured characters outside of superheroes included kid titular heroes like the Newsboy Legion and the Boy Commandos. Later Western heroes would be used such as Johnny Thunder, Nighthawk and Pow Wow Smith.

The 1950s was the birth of many relevant characters and marked a resolution between DC Comics and Fawcett comics. This led to DC Comics adopting multiple Fawcett Comics characters, like Hopalong Cassidy.

References

  1. Benton, Mike (1989). The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History. Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing. pp. 17–18. ISBN   9780878336593.
  2. Newbold, Jamie (2018). The Forensic Comicologist: Insights from a Life in Comics. McFarland & Company. p. 127. ISBN   978-1476672670.
  3. Wolk, Douglas (5 July 2010). "75 Years of the First Comic Book Superhero (It's Not Who You Think)". Time . Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 Wallace, Daniel (2010). "1930s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 13. ISBN   978-0-7566-6742-9. With New Fun already out on the newsstands, [Malcolm] Wheeler-Nicholson didn't waste any time in adding a second title to his line. New Comics appeared in a smaller format than New Fun, one that was similar in size to what are now considered standard comic book dimensions.
  5. Briefer, Dick; Kirby, Jack A.; Ditko, Steve (2012). Comics about Cartoonists: Stories about the World's Oddest Profession. IDW Publishing. ISBN   9781613773468.
  6. Wallace, Daniel; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1930s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 17. ISBN   978-0-7566-6742-9. The launch of Detective Comics defined [Malcolm] Wheeler-Nicholson's young comics company and set it on an ascendant path within the industry...His smart business decision to partner with businessmen Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz on Detective Comics guaranteed that his company's third title would at least be solvent.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Steranko, Jim (1972). The Steranko History of Comics 2. Reading, PA: Supergraphics. p. 92.
  8. Jones, Gerard (2004). Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book . New York: Basic Books. ISBN   9780465036561.
  9. 1 2 Muir, John Kenneth (July 2008). The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television. McFarland & Co. p. 539. ISBN   978-0-7864-3755-9 . Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  10. Wallace, Daniel (2013). Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 126. ISBN   978-1465408754.
  11. Wallace, Daniel; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1930s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 21. ISBN   978-0-7566-6742-9. Action Comics #6 (November 1938) The Man of Steels's future pal Jimmy Olsen made his first appearance within this issue of Action Comics, although he was identified only as an "inquisitive office-boy.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. Wallace, Daniel; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1930s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 24. ISBN   978-0-7566-6742-9. Edited by Sheldon Mayer, the title contained newspaper reprints and puzzle pages alongside original material such as Mayer's own 'Scribbly'...The features 'Hop Harrigan' and 'Red, White, and Blue' also debuted in this issue.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. The Sandman at Don Markstein's Toonopedia: "Adventure Comics #40 wasn't quite the character's first appearance, though. The 1939 issue of New York World's Fair Comics, an extra-big anthology DC put out to capitalize on the eponymous event, contained a Sandman story, and probably hit the stands a week or two before his first Adventure story (though the one in Adventure is believed to have been written and drawn earlier)." Archived from the original December 5, 2011.
  14. 1 2 Desris, Joe (1994). "Cops, Crooks, and Creeps". The Golden Age of Batman The Greatest Covers of Detective Comics From the '30s to the '50s. New York, New York: Artabras. p. 11. ISBN   0896600467. Gotham City's most famous detective ultimately usurped the coveted cover position with issue 35.
  15. Daniels, Les. Batman: The Complete History. Chronicle Books, 1999. ISBN   0-8118-4232-0, pg. 29
  16. "The Blue Beetle (1939)". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  17. Greenberger, Robert (2008), "Freedom Fighters", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 131, ISBN   978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC   213309017
  18. "Thrill Comics [ashcan] #1". Grand Comics Database.