Looking To Identify Important Bronze Covers & Stories

[Zonker]

This thread had me scurrying to check out my JLA back issues. I thought I remembered some "more socially conscious" covers in the early 70's. The two issues I scrounged up are JLA 86 (dealing with world hunger, at least ostensibly) and 90 (dealing with industrial waste dumping). Sorry for no scans.

 

--Sean.

 

3 examples of what Sean is talking about.

 

Mark, I'm assuming you have all the GL/GA 76-89 (the social-issue-of-the-month-run) already catalogued?

[esquirecomics]

Here is the reason why I've been collecting covers and stories. This lecture is to be delivered on Saturday, July 25, 2009, at the San Diego Comic-Con.

 

6:30 - 7:30 From Cave Art To Superheroes: Comic Books & Social Commentary. Join Mark S. Zaid, Esq., owner of EsquireComics.com, a co-founder of the Network of Disclosure and an Advisor to the Overstreet Comic Book Price and Grading Guides, for an educational and humorous interactive visual arts presentation tracing the historical creation and development of comic books and their characters, and particularly how comics addressed social issues of the day (including such topics as war, sex, civil rights, women's liberation, politics, censorship, violence, and terrorism). Room 10.

 

These boards are a great resource for information and I want to make sure I haven't missed anything important.

 

If you plan on attending the SD Con, please do try to put this program on your calendar. It offers a nice segway into the planned CGC forum dinner.

 

In fact, this educational program is being co-sponsored by CGC and the NOD. (thumbs u

[JTLarsen]

I don't have the issue numbers handy (178 to 204 or so), but the Wonder Woman run where she loses her powers is pretty remarkable. It was billed as a Women's Lib thing, but a lot of the covers put her in very submissive/suggestive poses (196 is pretty incredible). And the denouement of all this was that she had to undergo a long trial to rejoin the JLA, a trial in which she was judged, issue after issue, by men (though Black Canary might've gotten a shot, too)--this part was in the subsequent issues, like, 21x to 22x or so.

[bigfiver69]

Hey Mark,

 

I'd suggest Our Army at War #233... the lead story is entitled 'Head Count' is about a rogue member of Easy Company who initiates a massacre in a French town called Amalie, a close anagram to Mai Lai, the massacre of Vietnamse civilians during the Viet Nam war. Even though the story was set in WW2, it was definitely a statement on America's then-involvement in Vietnam. Sort of like how the movie M*A*S*H was set in Korea, but it was really about Vietnam.

 

Also, if you can find it, the New York Times magazine ran a story in the early 70s about the social relevance of comics at that time. They prominently featured OAAW #233 on the cover of that issue. I don't have a copy, but I have seen them come up from time to time. But any good reference library should have a copy.

 

Hope it helps.

Shep

 

 

[Doc Joe]

Thats one of my favorite Rock covers, I will post a scan of my copy of it when I get home. I did not know about the Ny Time story, I need to check again on the story, as I think it was more about a soldier who always though that he knew which ones were Germans, so the 'civilians' in the picture are infact soldiers.

 

Still, there is another great Rock issue where a Nzai, beats up a US GI who was a Black Boxing Champ, the guy just takes it becuase if he fights back he will get killed. Then they come under attack, the Nazis get shot, the mean boxing Nazi needs a blood transfusion and the Black soldier is the only one with his blood type "Your Blood is not Black !!!! Its red like mine" that sort of thing.

 

I will post a pic of that as well,

 

Joe

[Doc Joe]

looks like the first one is more Silver age

 

Joe

[Doc Joe]

Both of these stories were featured in the America at War book,

 

Joe

[otherworldsj33]

Hi Shep,

I remember reading that NY times article as a kid, could hardly belive comic books would garner a mention in the NY Times mag section. Made me go out and buy the comic. Still have it today.

Joe

[underthebigw]

Hey Mark, don't forget this gem. It's not only a hypothetical draft discussion, but has a nice pseudo-intellectual debate about the protesting "the establishment", non-violence vs violent protest. A clumsy attempt at "relevance", but fits your discussion nicely.

 

[Borgo-migration]

Pop music culture

Black Power

Sit-down protests

Campus riots

Air pollution

World Hunger

Illegal toxic waste dumping

Native American unrest

Population explosion

Drugs

Religious fanaticism

...it's all here. Take your pick.