Timeline of DC Comics (1930s)

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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.

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1939

See also

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<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.

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 April 15, 2012. 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.