Sunday, May 11, 2014

Discovering Early Science Fiction Comic Book Authors

By Tracie Knight


Comic books have been popular since the early 1920s. One of the first and most famous of these great writers is A. D. Condo, the author of Mr. Skygack from Mars. A gag group strip found in U. S. Newspapers in the 1930s and early 1940s. The United States along with Japan remain the two largest publishers of science fiction comic books. The UK runs a close second with authors who began developing fantastical themes into various publications in the 1950s.

Buck Rogers was birthed in the 1960s along with Brick Bradford, Flash Gordon and Dan Dare. Superman followed a short time later. Science fiction comic book authors are responsible for the birthing and growth of this great genre, especially A. D. Condo. Without Mr. Skygack from Mars, the entire genre may have never been realized.

A new wave of morality brought about by those believing these books were bad for children in the mid-60s, created a strong emotional response in parents. Many of which disallowed their children to read such material. Regardless of this opposition and a book called Seduction of the Innocent, by Frederick Wertham, the genre still remains popular.

The industry rebounded with themes aimed directly at children and young adults in the late 1960s. At which time, underground books, music and posters became more popular. Then, another new wave of material found its way into the mainstream which focused on hippies and the free love movement.

Japanese comics featuring fantasy, science fiction and other themes were first published in the 1950s. The earliest of which were books known as manga. One of the most popular in this series was Astro Boy created by Osamu Tezuka. Many others have since released additional manga with a variety of different characters and themes. Some of which can be found in a number of games, films and television shows in Japan, the United States and other countries.

Dan Dare was the earliest well known character to come alive in the UK. The Trigan Empire released in the 1960s is often considered the most popular of all the series. It is believed this success is due to the series being included in a book called Look and Learn. The goal of the book being to teach children about art and entertainment.

Other authors have become more well known all over the world since the establishment of the internet. Web strips have since also become extremely popular. The most well known of these are most likely two of the earliest, Polymer City Chronicles and Starship Crisis. The internet has allowed a venue for artists and authors all over the world to connect and interact while sharing various forms of art, including comics and graphic novels.

Whether reading these great science fiction strips in a traditional booklet or online, the authors did a great job creating this genre. Comic book trading, especially with relation to fantasy and science fiction has not only become popular but a hobby for enthusiasts. So much so that fans can be found dressed as favorite characters at regional and national conventions. Whereas, comic book stores are now presented as themes in many television series, movies and theater productions.




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