Golden Age / Atomic Age

[HeyMoe]

Is the Atomic Age the Golden Age?

 

If I collect Atom Age horror/sci-fi/crime/war, am I really a Golden Age collector?

 

 

[adamstrange]

Most people, most of the time lump Atomic Age into GA. For example, most websites and auctions don't a have separate Atomic Age category. I like the term Atomic Age because I think it's comics are distinct from classic, superhero focused GA and I happen to enjoy collecting from that era.

[HeyMoe]

Exactly!

 

I may not be as knowledgable as many, but I always thought the Golden Age ended at the end of WW2. (or there abouts.)

 

 

Most people, most of the time lump Atomic Age into GA. For example, most websites and auctions don't a have separate Atomic Age category. I like the term Atomic Age because I think it's comics are distinct from classic, superhero focused GA and I happen to enjoy collecting from that era.

[Scrooge]

I always describe myself as an Atom(ic) Age collector, not a Golden Age collector.

 

If you compare my collection to that of, say, CentaurMan or MrBedrock, you'll notice the difference quite quickly (aside from the fact they have nothing but sweet books and I have drek). The focus is completely different and we cannot be said to be the same type of collectors.

[G.A.tor]

I think the atomic age is a subset of the "general" golden age era...

 

most folks, lump golden age into 1937ish to 1955ish (with silver age starting in 1956 or so)...

 

however, clearly there is a stylistic and content difference in books within that 20 years or so...

 

so, many "atomic" age collectors do try to distinquish themselves from the generic SH golden age collector...

 

I personally don't, but I have no problem with folks that do (Thumbs u

[Doohickamabob]

The difference between Atomic Age and Golden Age comic-book collecting is that with one category you're sure to go broke, and with the other category you're really sure to go broke.

[G.A.tor]

The difference between Atomic Age and Golden Age comic-book collecting is that with one category you're sure to go broke, and with the other category you're really sure to go broke.

so, anyway you slice it, we are going to be broke

[Scrooge]

I personally don't, but I have no problem with folks that do (Thumbs u

 

Glad to hear it!

 

I think you hit it on the head in that I collect GA but, yet, I have few, very few, if any, Super-Hero books in my collection. By mentioning Atom Age collector I believe people right away get that distinction.

[Timely]

For me, I like to break it down by decade...it's easier that way & pretty accurate by most collectors definitions.

 

Golden Age 1930's-1940's

Atomic Age 1950's

Silver Age 1960's

Bronze Age 1970's

Modern Age 1980's-current

 

West

[ciorac]

For me, I like to break it down by decade...it's easier that way & pretty accurate by most collectors definitions.

 

Golden Age 1930's-1940's

Atomic Age 1950's

Silver Age 1960's

Bronze Age 1970's

Modern Age 1980's-current

 

West

 

I'm pretty much in alignment with West on this. I'll "hedge my bets" on a really early 1950's book and call it GA though if it has the same feel as it's earlier cousins

[Mac Man]

For me, I like to break it down by decade...it's easier that way & pretty accurate by most collectors definitions.

 

Golden Age 1930's-1940's

Atomic Age 1950's

Silver Age 1960's

Bronze Age 1970's

Modern Age 1980's-current

 

West

 

I'm pretty much in alignment with West on this. I'll "hedge my bets" on a really early 1950's book and call it GA though if it has the same feel as it's earlier cousins

 

I like this distinction because I find the appeal in GA books really stops after WWII where the style change became much more pronounced than the earlier stuff. Makes sense to me.

 

(Though I would say Copper Age 1980s, and Modern 1990s-current... but that's a debate for another branch of the forums )

[Scrooge]

I like this distinction because I find the appeal in GA books really stops after WWII

 

I don't believe we can be friends

[Point Five]

I like this distinction because I find the appeal in GA books really stops after WWII

 

I don't believe we can be friends

I'm guessing that Forrest means "the appeal in GA superhero books really stops after WWII", since that's his niche right now.

 

(And if not... take a good look through those Gerbers again!)

[Mac Man]

I like this distinction because I find the appeal in GA books really stops after WWII

 

I don't believe we can be friends

I'm guessing that Forrest means "the appeal in GA superhero books really stops after WWII", since that's his niche right now.

 

(And if not... take a good look through those Gerbers again!)

 

Sorry, I should have included the qualifier for me in relation to the Bats / Supes / Actions / Tecs at the end of that sentence.

 

My bad.

 

 

[rjpb]

I think the atomic age is a subset of the "general" golden age era...

 

most folks, lump golden age into 1937ish to 1955ish (with silver age starting in 1956 or so)...

 

however, clearly there is a stylistic and content difference in books within that 20 years or so...

 

so, many "atomic" age collectors do try to distinquish themselves from the generic SH golden age collector...

 

I personally don't, but I have no problem with folks that do (Thumbs u

 

The broader definition of GA (roughly before the CCA) is generally how dealers, auction houses and ebay organize themselves, so it is here to stay. I would say for those who think of themselves as Atom(ic) Age collectors there is overlap into the later half of the 1950s - especially with books that don't really have a SA "feel" to them - a prime example being post-code/pre-implosion Atlas books.

 

As the "metal" ages were originally embraced by Superhero book collectors, the term Atomic Age was meant to distinguish the output of non-superhero books published after WW2, so it is unusual to see Superhero titles from the GA that continued into the late 1940s or into the 1950s refered to as Atom Age books (an exception being oddities like the horror themed issues of Quality titles like PlasticMan and Dollman). I'd say the real distinction between Golden Age and Atom Age is as much one of content than era.

[seank]

I also consider Atom Age to be a subset of the Golden Age. For me:

 

Golden Age: 1938-1956 (with Atom Age being 1948/9 to 1956)

Silver Age: 1956 to 1970 (with Conan/Green Lantern-Green Arrow being the starting points)

Bronze Age: 1970-1981ish

Copper Age: 1981-1990ish (starting with Miller Daredevil, ending with Death of Superman)

Age: 1990ish to 2002

Modern Age: 2002 to today (starting with the Hush storyline in Batman because that's when I came back to comics again. Sure it's personal, but it's my timeline.)

 

I distinguish the Gold-Atom transition as being when comics started getting smaller and formats truly began changing toward horror/crime/romance. A 1947 book is still big and thick whereas by 1949 they were getting thinner and smaller.

[DrJerkberg-migration]

My take on this is also that the Atom Age started in the 40's when the crime/horror books really got moving. However, I've always kind of felt that there's a tough distinction transitioning from Atom to Silver. Using the commencement of the comics code is usually the cut-off that I use personally. Bronze, in my opinion, starts with the 15c covers.

 

But hey, obviously there's a lot of gray shades in people's opinions as to where things start and stop. I think perhaps that most people would agree that the Atomic Age deserves it's own category.

[G.A.tor]

For me, I like to break it down by decade...it's easier that way & pretty accurate by most collectors definitions.

 

Golden Age 1930's-1940's

Atomic Age 1950's

Silver Age 1960's

Bronze Age 1970's

Modern Age 1980's-current

 

West

my only problem with this is that all the 1950's WF and DC SHeros I collect, to me are golden age...not atomic age...

 

and, about 1/2 of the 1950's is generally accepted as "silver age" beginnings, right... so, i am sorry to say west, you are WRONG

[adamstrange]

I think the atomic age is a subset of the "general" golden age era...

 

most folks, lump golden age into 1937ish to 1955ish (with silver age starting in 1956 or so)...

 

however, clearly there is a stylistic and content difference in books within that 20 years or so...

 

so, many "atomic" age collectors do try to distinquish themselves from the generic SH golden age collector...

 

I personally don't, but I have no problem with folks that do (Thumbs u

 

Lumper

 

I like the Atomic Age as a concept because I think there was a very different dynamic going on than in the GA. The chart below is from the Gerber Guides and shows how dominant super heros were, making up 50% of the titles and influencing non-super hero titles like funny animals (e.g. Mighty Mouse). There was then a marked decline and you saw the rise of the various genres such that from 1951 on the supers were no longer dominant and every genre's share was under 20%. Romance, Crime, Sci Fi and especially horror arose during this time such that whatever your interest, it was available in graphic form. Additionally, the amount of sophisticated story telling increased dramatically as the creators grew more experienced and built on the innovations of the early days. Comics went from being a story-telling medium for children to one for adults during the Atomic Age, only to all back to being one for slightly older kids in the SA. As I said earlier, I like concept and the comics.

 

[MrBedrock]

If you compare my collection to that of, say, CentaurMan or MrBedrock, you'll notice the difference quite quickly (aside from the fact they have nothing but sweet books and I have drek). The focus is completely different and we cannot be said to be the same type of collectors.

You would be surprised, Scrooge.

I have a bunch of fifties stuff I have never posted...