There is a period in the history of American comic books called the “Golden Age of Comic Books” which lasted from the late 1930s until the early 1950s. Modern comic books were published during these times and enjoyed a high level of popularity. During the golden age, the archetype of the modern-day superhero was born and defined. Superman, Captain America, Batman, Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman were also introduced. The comic book was finally categorized as a mainstream form of art and has established creative conventions and artistic vocabulary by the first generation artists, editors and writers.
The golden age of comic books was able to merge pulp action with fantasy, sci-fi, crime fighting and even ancient sagas to create new characters and introduce individuals with peculiar abilities and special powers to use against evil. The first generation of superheroes was typically rip-offs of Superman. Wonder Man, Dynamic Man, Flash Lighting and many other characters with similar features proliferated very fast. Fox Production was sued by the creators of Superman for copyright infringement and the former lost the case.
The most popular character during the Golden Age was Fawcett Comic’s Captain Marvel. This comic book sold around 1.3 million copies per month. After some time, many specialized heroes started to appear on comic books. Doll Man has the ability to reduce his size to just a height of six inches while The Flash possessed the capability to run very fast. Human Torch has the ability to transform himself into a living flame. The superhero characters usually wore finned cowl masks, buccaneer boots and cap-sleeved leotards.
The period also saw the rise of the lead characters’ sidekicks. Robin was to Batman while Human Torch had Toro. Sandman’s partner was Sandy and Bulletman had Bulletgirl. Superheroes were also designed to fight the cronies of the Axis Powers even before the United States became involved in the Second World War. In fact, Patriotic Fervor became almost universal. The people were longing for stories of good defeating evil and at the same time, the propaganda on war was in full blast. The opponents were portrayed as evil and ugly creatures that must be annihilated.
People who are aware of the Silver Age of Comic Books are sometimes shocked to know that the comics during the Golden age were less moralistic, less hilarious and less childish. No one knows when the Golden Age ended because after World War II, the popularity of super hero comics had already dramatically declined.