Atomic Age... legit "age" or GA "sub-era"?

[precodekeith]

How do you guys feel, is the "Atomic Age" (Overstreet:1946-1956) really a legitimate "Age" or is it just the "winding down" stage of the GA?

[Mushroom]

I don't give any creedence to the Atomic Age. There was Gold and then came Siver. As it is the lines are blurred between when one ends and the other starts without trying to increase the confusion.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

[ghoulaid]

I think the Atomic Age is legit. There are noticable differences between books made in 1954 and books made in 1941. In a broad sense I have no trouble if people want the Golden Age to extend to 1956 (Showcase #4 or whatever). For me though, The Golden Age is 1938 - 1942. That was the "Big Bang" for comics. After 1942 it was like 'been there, done that'. Then changes happened again right around early-mid 1945 with new companies popping up and other genres becoming dominant. The crime and horror comics of the late 1940's led into the "super-nova" that was EC. The whole landscape of comics was an evolving thing. So, I can see "sub-ages" throughout the Golden Age, Silver Age (Marvel Age), etc.

[fiendish]

From a critical/historical perspective, there's good arguments to be made for an "Atomic Age."

 

But I don't want to haveta re-sort my collection!

[Timely]

The Atomic Age for me is the years of 1946-1955 when the comic industry and publishers seemed to be in a state of confusion. Superheros were slowly dying off and publishers were scrambling, looking to find the next big thing. This led to teen books, horror, sci-fi and Good girl taking center stage. When Wertham all but killed those books Showcase #4 came along and the comic business was again on its way helping kids be youthful and dream as they became their favorite superhero, much like their parents had done in the 40's.

 

So to me the Atomic Age is a state of confusion where for a brief moment the Superhero played 5th fiddle to all the others. Like every "age" there are some incredible cover sand wonderfully talented artist who made each book special and a piece of art.

 

Timely

[Zonker]

I've always considered the Atomic Age to be the brief period from 1950-51 to the imposition of the comics code. It corresponds to the waning of the super-heroes, most visibly with the end of the Justice Society when All-Star Comics becomes All-Star Western. It tracks the rise and fall of the ECs, the growing paranoia about juvenile deliquency, and reaches its end when Wertham gets his way.

 

I certainly agree there is a difference between WWII and post-War comics, but I just see those as subsets of the overall Golden Age.

[kryptonitecomics]

For me I look at it as a subset of the Golden Age. I didn't when I first got into collecting, but I'm not big on over segmentation of anything and to have the GA only extend from say 1938-1946 just doesn't cut it for me.

 

I think everyone has made solid points as to the differences between those Early GA books vs the 1950's type comics, but I am going to hold onto 1938- Showcase #4 a little while longer

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

Just to clarify a minor point, it is not the "Atomic" Age. It's always been listed in the Guide as the "Atom" Age. Not a big deal, but we don't say the Golden Age is the "Gold" Age, so I figured I might as well point it out.

 

Arnold

[Zonker]

Just to clarify a minor point, it is not the "Atomic" Age. It's always been listed in the Guide as the "Atom" Age. Not a big deal, but we don't say the Golden Age is the "Gold" Age, so I figured I might as well point it out.

 

Arnold

 

Sorry Arnold, but I really think it should be Atomic Age.

 

For my previous post, I wanted to include the Rebel Without a Cause quote that summed up for me the affinity between that particular label, the early 1950s, teen-age rebellion, adult paranoia about the same, and the pre-Code comics. IMDB didn't list it, but I found it just now via a google search for the complete movie -script on-line

 

JUDY'S FATHER

(continuing)

I don't know what to do. All of a

sudden she's a problem.

 

The mother stands behind his chair. She tips his head back

against her body and kneads his neck and shoulders.

 

JUDY'S MOTHER

She'll outgrow it, dear. It's just

the age.

 

BEAU

(in a sudden burst)

The atomic age!

 

The door slams.

 

JUDY'S MOTHER

(kissing her

husband's hair)

It's the age when nothing fits.

[precodekeith]

... we don't say the Golden Age is the "Gold" Age, so I figured I might as well point it out.Arnold

Arnold, you are correct that the Guide has always stated "Atom." However, most fans I know refer to it as "Atomic." Actually, by your theory that the term should be "atom," then by that logic the "correct" term for "Golden Age" SHOULD be "Gold Age." Still, it's all minutae.....

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

It is indeed just splitting hairs, I just wanted to state what the book says. And I agree - as an adjectival modifier, it should be "Atomic." But I just work here.

 

Arnold

[precodekeith]

I guess I have never stated my opinion on the subject yet, which I really ought to since I posed the question. Here's my 2 cents:

I think that the "Atomic/Atom" Age is legit, I just find it hard to believe that it could have lasted from 1946-1956. That's LONGER than the Golden Age, and that just doesn't seem proper to me. The end of the Atomic age should be the advent of the Comics Code... no way any Code-approved book should "qualify." The start of the age is open to debate, I think. Again, Overstreet lists '46 but I'm not buying it. I feel the earliest you can start it is late '48 with Adventures Into the Unknown #1 or maybe Moon Girl #5. A case can even be made that it didn't really "hit" until '50 with Crypt of Terror #17.

This is how I see it... if there is going to be an "Atomic/Atom" age, it should be similar to the bomb of the same name: exploding quickly, white hot for a brief time, and leaving after- effects for a looong time ( the Code ).

[PovertyRow]

I guess I have never stated my opinion on the subject yet, which I really ought to since I posed the question. Here's my 2 cents:

I think that the "Atomic/Atom" Age is legit, I just find it hard to believe that it could have lasted from 1946-1956. That's LONGER than the Golden Age, and that just doesn't seem proper to me. The end of the Atomic age should be the advent of the Comics Code... no way any Code-approved book should "qualify." The start of the age is open to debate, I think. Again, Overstreet lists '46 but I'm not buying it. I feel the earliest you can start it is late '48 with Adventures Into the Unknown #1 or maybe Moon Girl #5. A case can even be made that it didn't really "hit" until '50 with Crypt of Terror #17.

This is how I see it... if there is going to be an "Atomic/Atom" age, it should be similar to the bomb of the same name: exploding quickly, white hot for a brief time, and leaving after- effects for a looong time ( the Code ).

Keith - we share many ideas here. I, too feel the Atom age is definitely legit. What happened during that period? The decline of the Superhero. The ascent of horror, crime, sci-fi and romance comics. I too feel that '46 is too early. I continue to vacillate between Adventures into the Unknown #1 in 1948 and Avon's Eerie in 1947. And, to pack it all in, we had the comic code. I honestly do not believe that Wertham would have written Seduction Of the Innocent without the pre-code horror and crime books, or even if he had, the absence of the pre-code crime and horror (and here I mean books from either '47/48 through the publication of SOTI) would have made it a very different book and most likely the code would NOT have come up - or heck - maybe even the Senate Hearing would not have occurred. As far as "no way any Code-approved book should "qualify." " - Man this has been a long-term issue with me that I STILL cannot resolve. Especially if you look at the pre-hero Marvels and many of those Ditko "back stories" that dealt with - well - basically Russia and the "threat" perceived in those days. Indeed, many of these stories hearken MUCH more to the sense of "I need a bomb shelter" than anything Mister Mystery or Out Of the Night conjured up.Sometimes I feel a re-naming of that '47/48 - '55/start of code era is in order. While SOME books had to do with the Atom Bomb, atomic energy etc the majority did not. However, some comcis DO tend to peg this time period as being influenced by the cold war, the atom bomb threat etc. And not just in comic books - David J. Skal in his excellent film commentary THE MONSTER SHOW, also brought up many equations from the 50's horror films ot an age reflecting the atom and the atom bomb. So then I have a flip-flop where social perceptions and fears help shape a genre: where the genre need not specify "atom bomb" or "atomic energy" but more reflect the social changes and paranoia such a time produced.Regardless - bottom line? To me no way is AA the same as GA!

[PovertyRow]

From a critical/historical perspective, there's good arguments to be made for an "Atomic Age."

 

But I don't want to haveta re-sort my collection!

 

Oh come on! Re-sort that collection. It IS half the fun, no? The other half is filling your want list and the other other half is reading your new acquistions!

[Timely]

You should take a look at all the combat titles from Atlas, there's a hell-of-a-lot of them and they all have to do with the "Red's" with Atomic Battlefields and with Commies!

 

Timely

[PovertyRow]

You should take a look at all the combat titles from Atlas, there's a hell-of-a-lot of them and they all have to do with the "Red's" with Atomic Battlefields and with Commies!

 

Timely

 

Yes, I used to collect the Atlas war books. Some of them were pretty garish, too! My feeling, though, is that as they ARE War books they would tend to reflect the times. The real issue I feel in naming the age is in the impact of the cold war years and atom bomb paranoia years on the output that is NOT war-specific, while considering the social reasons for such an outpouring of - well - basicaly paranoia. Even the romance books were pretty darned paranoid!

[rjpb]

When it comes to buying, storing, and discussing my collection in the most general terms, the Atom Age is a subset of the Golden Age.

 

When I am being more specific about the history of comics, both as a medium that reflects and influences popular culture, and as the chronology of various titles, their creators and the publishing houses that produced them, then the Atom Age is a determined era of comic books independent of, but in many ways overlapping the Golden Age.

 

Just as the Golden Age is generally defined by the rise and fall of the costumed heroes in their first incarnation, the Atom Age is defined by the rise and fall of the non-superhero comic, as represented by many genres, seemingly disparate, but often sharing the commonality that they were often aimed at an older audience than the superhero books.

 

It's main appeal as a descriptor, is that it's easier to say "I collect Atom Age" than to say "I collect pre-code crime and horror, as well as other esoteric late 40s and early 50s comics like atom bomb covers and the oddball romance and war book." - or somesuch variation.

[PovertyRow]

It's main appeal as a descriptor, is that it's easier to say "I collect Atom Age" than to say "I collect pre-code crime and horror, as well as other esoteric late 40s and early 50s comics like atom bomb covers and the oddball romance and war book." - or somesuch variation.

 

I really do feel that you description of the descriptor actually makes the case for AA being a seperate age. Now I tend to say for a generalization "I collect GA" but I honestly do not feel comfortable about it. I collect pre-code horror and some of the crime and other "adventure" type books of the AA. If I say "I collect Atom Age" then there is no need for me to say "I collect pre-code crime and horror, as well as other esoteric late 40s and early 50s comics like atom bomb covers and the oddball romance and war book." - or somesuch variation. If I say "I collect Atom Age" then I have said all that in four words rather than 28!

[precodekeith]

One reason I started this thread is that many people I intially meet (dealers included) firstly refer to collecting "Golden Age" material; and it is only once said people realize they are conversing with a knowledgable individual that they begin to site "Atomic Age." It is almost like "Golden Age" is a generic term for all pre-code comics. Plus, all the other "ages" are named after precious metals with the exception of "modern"; thus giving the "atomic age" sort of a [!@#%^&^] pedigree in comparison.

[PovertyRow]

One reason I started this thread is that many people I intially meet (dealers included) firstly refer to collecting "Golden Age" material; and it is only once said people realize they are conversing with a knowledgable individual that they begin to site "Atomic Age." It is almost like "Golden Age" is a generic term for all pre-code comics. Plus, all the other "ages" are named after precious metals with the exception of "modern"; thus giving the "atomic age" sort of a [!@#%^&^] pedigree in comparison.

 

Great to see you back, Keith. I sent you a PM and will ask the important part here - do you have any back issues of Horror Comics Review? I still have the 1st 2 and am ordering the 3rd (2 copies) but the first two are getting a bit "read" and would like to keep a nice set of them as they come out.

 

Now as far as GA vs AA goes - personally I just want a term to differentiate them from GA. The Atom Age was certainly A golden age for comics, but certainly not the same as THE GOLDEN AGE. And it lasted about as long, too.

 

Am definitely interested in your opinion of my opinion of the starting point being either Eerie 1-shot '47 or Adventures Into the Unknown 1 ('48). Definitely agree that whatever the age is called, it should end with the code!