Introduction of the Bronze Age?

[Sal]

there's an entire forum for this topic. in fact, this topic has been hashed out there a number of times. could make for good reading if one was so inclined to glean an answer.

 

 

dig the Pre-Raphaelites, though, that is a new one for the boards i think. how about some Maxfield Parrish next

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

This is much misunderstood. The introduction and conclusion of the Bronze Age has nothing to do with comic books, and this is why causal factors are not agreed upon and rather, only correlations and delayed reactions to more defining influences are observed. These defining influences and causal factors are now universally attributed to another publication, Playboy Magazine; which offered braille editions of its publication between 1970 and 1985.

 

I don't see it.

 

Try using your finger tips.

[Comicopolis]

This is much misunderstood. The introduction and conclusion of the Bronze Age has nothing to do with comic books, and this is why causal factors are not agreed upon and rather, only correlations and delayed reactions to more defining influences are observed. These defining influences and causal factors are now universally attributed to another publication, Playboy Magazine; which offered braille editions of its publication between 1970 and 1985.

 

I don't see it.

 

Try using your finger tips.

 

I keep them for special occasions.

[Larryw7]

I would like your opinion on 3 particular issues for the importance of the beginning for bronze age. ( If you consider a different comic please share your opinion )

Thanks!

 

 

2) Conan #1 ( Reemerge of an art deco ... )

 

Pre-Raphaelite Conan

 

 

 

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

This is much misunderstood. The introduction and conclusion of the Bronze Age has nothing to do with comic books, and this is why causal factors are not agreed upon and rather, only correlations and delayed reactions to more defining influences are observed. These defining influences and causal factors are now universally attributed to another publication, Playboy Magazine; which offered braille editions of its publication between 1970 and 1985.

 

I don't see it.

 

Try using your finger tips.

 

I keep them for special occasions.

 

Careful, you'll go blind doing that.

[DiceX]

I kind of like Iron Man #1 as a start.

 

I believe it should be April 1968 when all the Marvel series morphed. It was a monumental event that changed the comic industry.

 

 

[Davenport]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Age_of_Comic_Books

(thumbs u

Thses two sentences nails it:

 

"There is no one single event that can be said to herald the beginning of the Bronze Age. Instead a number of events at the beginning of the 1970s, taken together, can be seen as a shift away from the tone of comics in the previous decade."

 

Individual issues will be debated forever.

[Speedy-D]

I no longer buy any comics later than the Silver Age. I also no longer buy comics with 20c cover price or greater. So obviously, the BA started whenever comics went to 20 cents.

[Davenport]

I no longer buy any comics later than the Silver Age. I also no longer buy comics with 20c cover price or greater. So obviously, the BA started whenever comics went to 20 cents.

No Art Deco exceptions?

 

 

[Speedy-D]

I just did a Google image search for art deco superhero ... it's a lot of Constructivist stuff. :shrug:

 

There's a couple cool X-Men ones...

 

 

 

 

[valiantman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Age_of_Comic_Books

(thumbs u

Thses two sentences nails it:

 

"There is no one single event that can be said to herald the beginning of the Bronze Age. Instead a number of events at the beginning of the 1970s, taken together, can be seen as a shift away from the tone of comics in the previous decade."

 

Individual issues will be debated forever.

 

In other words, if you collect comics from the 1970s, say, "I collect comics from the 1970s."

 

Forget the Olympic medals and decreasingly-valued metals.

[Speedy-D]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Age_of_Comic_Books

(thumbs u

Thses two sentences nails it:

 

"There is no one single event that can be said to herald the beginning of the Bronze Age. Instead a number of events at the beginning of the 1970s, taken together, can be seen as a shift away from the tone of comics in the previous decade."

 

Individual issues will be debated forever.

 

In other words, if you collect comics from the 1970s, say, "I collect comics from the 1970s."

 

Forget the Olympic medals and decreasingly-valued metals.

If you collect comics from the '70s, say "I collect Hulk 181!!"

[valiantman]

If you collect comics from the '70s, say "I collect Hulk 181!!"

ASM 129 is jealous.

[KirbyJack]

Giant-Size X-Men #1 is the Showcase #4 of the Bronze Age.

 

There; I've lost several of you already. Now, for anyone open to a voice of dissent, let's go this direction... If we're going to assign ages to comics, let's be consistant about it.

 

In the pre-gold days, we had comics. Then a major super-hero event occurred (Action Comics #1) that changed things up, and we had our Golgen Age. After a good run, that wave crested, and comics started trying other genres like crime, romance. western, etc. The GA didn't screech to a halt, it kind of faded away.

 

In the pre-silver days, we had comics. Then a major super-hero event occurred (Showcase #4) that changed things up, and we had our Silver Age. After a good run, that wave crested and comics started trying other genres like monsters, sword and sorcery, etc. The SA didn't screech to a halt, it kind of faded away.

 

That's consistant, right? So let's finish the thought.

 

In the pre-bronze age, we need a major super-hero event that changes things up to a degree to cause a rennaisance in the super-hero genre. Giant-Size X-Men #1 fits the bill superbly. That's how it went in the previous "metallic" ages, so why should it change? I think it makes the most sense if we keep the metallic ages to the super-heroes.

 

For those who are positive that all the comics of the 1970s are bronze, (and I'm not saying you're wrong, BTW), then the best answer to the question "What is the Introduction of the Bronze Age?" is New Year's Day, 1970.

 

Just my

[Ken Aldred]

For horror comics, it's often argued that the transition to BA started a little earlier, in the late 60s (mid-1968, more accurately), with Joe Orlando's new direction on House of Mystery and House of Secrets.

 

[Davenport]

For horror comics, it's often argued that the transition to BA started a little earlier, in the late 60s (mid-1968, more accurately), with Joe Orlando's new direction on House of Mystery and House of Secrets.

I've always thought Bronze Age beginnings were tied to push back and revisions to the Comics Code. More so than specific books.

But this one might qualify as "the first shot" of a larger gun battle: House of Secrets #83

 

"In late 1969, when House of Secrets #83 came out, you were not allowed by the Comics Code to mention werewolves or wolfmen in comic books.

 

So Gerry Conway decided to ask, “Even if that is the fellow’s name?” In that case, they said, it would be allowed. (Marv Wolfman)

 

So that gave us House of Secrets #83."

[Ken Aldred]

I agree.  That's why I said 'start of the transition'.  The next part of their evolution involved taking advantage of a more permissive Comics Code.

[thehumantorch]

Art Deco Conan?

 

When not slaying dragons and wizards Conan is an interior decorator............

[Davenport]

I agree.  That's why I said 'start of the transition'.  The next part of their evolution involved taking advantage of a more permissive Comics Code.

(thumbs u "Evolution" sums it up nicely. More process than event.

 

It makes Bronze Age debates like finger-pointing at a battlefield, arguing which early shots were more relevant, important, or representative of the changes the battle slowly brought about.

 

Something endlessly debatable.

 

[sterlingcomics]

For horror comics, it's often argued that the transition to BA started a little earlier, in the late 60s (mid-1968, more accurately), with Joe Orlando's new direction on House of Mystery and House of Secrets.

 

That's my perspective on the little world of comics that I live in--for those titles anyway.