Sunday, May 4, 2014

Discovering Early Science Fiction Comic Book Authors

By Tracie Knight


The Fantasy and Science Fiction genre is one which has a rather dramatic following. Conventions are held annually in many parts of the world where fans dress and act as favorite characters. A. D. Condo and his initial comic strip Mr. Skygack from Mars, is often considered the earliest publication in this genre. Without his work, the world may never have known the likes of Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon or Superman.

Some of the most favorable and recognizable science fiction characters were developed in the 1930s and 1940s. These early science fiction comic book authors created Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Brick Bradford and Dan Dare. Superman, while also created early on, later became considered a subset of the genre. Many accolades of the genre suggest this is because the character has now taken on a more realistic aspect, especially in film and television.

In the 1960s, Frederick Wertham decided that books in this genre and others, may have a negative effect on children and young adults. He published a book called "Seduction of the Innocent" to relay this point to parents. Many of which then disallowed continued reading of fantasy and science fiction oriented material.

It was not long before the industry rebounded with new books and characters aimed at teens and young adults. During this period, another wave of new material hit the market. Among these new releases were comic books, music and posters related to free love, hippies and music.

Early Japanese comics featuring elements of fantasy and science fiction were published in the 1950s. The earliest publishers of these books known as manga were Astro Boy, by Osamu Tezuka, others have since followed with the genre becoming more present in current culture, mostly in film and television.

Dan Dare was the earliest character developed by authors in the UK. It was not until the mid to late 1960s that the genre became popular after the release of the The Trojan Empire. A series that included comics published in Look and Learn, a book devoted to teaching art as well as entertaining children.

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.

Many people who had comic books taken away as children and young adults now have the chance to enjoy them once again. Others who have never read older editions can also explore new and old characters and learn how these genres have grown. After which, many may very well become authors and graphic artists.




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