Age Defining Charcters

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

Me too.

[Ogami]

You think Watchmen defines the CA more than Turtles?

[seanfingh]

You think Watchmen defines the CA more than Turtles?

 

The question is not about the work, but about the characters. The characters in Watchmen exemplify the age more than the characters in Turtles. The jaded, flawed, perverted, psychotic "heroes" of Watchmen are the essence of the Eighties.

[Jeffro.]

Well, that essence is part of the 80s but not all of it. The 80s started out with traditional superheroes not much (if any at all) different than what came before in the bronze age.

 

Yeah, some anti-hero elements were beginning to creep in but didn't go full force until Dark Knight.

 

imo

[miraclemet]

You guys agree with my BA and CA choices?

 

nope.

 

I dont think Wolverine was big until the Copper age (84-91) or maybe even later.

 

I think Bronze Age was Green Lantern. (or more appropriately the shift that occurred with Green Lantern/Green Arrow). GL (with Ollie) moved the era into a more social conscious, real world grounded version of superhero-dom.

 

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

You think Watchmen defines the CA more than Turtles?

 

The question is not about the work, but about the characters. The characters in Watchmen exemplify the age more than the characters in Turtles. The jaded, flawed, perverted, psychotic "heroes" of Watchmen are the essence of the Eighties.

 

The essence of the Eighties was also overindulgence. After Watchmen/Dark Knight the comic industry followed suit.

[miraclemet]

If the 90s era is an era unto itself, nothing personifies it more than:

 

[miraclemet]

You think Watchmen defines the CA more than Turtles?

 

I think Rorschach would be a good poster boy for the 80s growing interest in maturing comics, darkening comics, and the anti-hero

 

[miraclemet]

Here's my full list:

 

Golden Age: Superman

Superman - The birth of the mainstream, popular culture super-hero genre. Maybe there were earlier super-heroes but none captured the imagination like Superman. The barrel chested, faster than a speeding bullet version is what the golden age is all about. The only negative, was Superman's relatively light involvement in WWII (minus some good covers), Captain America embodies that better, but outside of the war effort, Superman outshines Cap by a mile.

 

Silver Age: Spider-Man

Spider-Man - Already said my peace about Spidey. But the creation of they hero who was just a kid, who had his own frailties, who was relate-able created a whole new world of superheroes over at Marvel, and became the template for decades of super-heroes. Also the fact that Spidey was also equally Peter Parker, was key, because we now had a hero who also had to do homework, deal with girls, bullies, and family issues. Throw in his real world placement in new york city (vs DC's past fictional environment) and we have heroes feeling more relate-able than ever.

 

Bronze Age: Green Lantern

Green Lantern - Denny & Neal added depth both to the social content and the artistic stylings in comics. Green Lanterns social awareness was leaps and bounds more real-world than any lip service given over at marvel in the previous decade, and showed creators that their heroes could take a position or even just mention the real world around them.

 

Copper Age: Rorschach

Rorschach - The copper age was a darkening of comics, a re-gearing towards older more mature readers, and an emphasis on the anti-hero. We saw more death, dismemberment and disillusionment (by our heroes) than we had in all the other decades combined. Rorschach (and the Watchmen) symbolizes this, and created the blueprint for the tone that was also being pushed by Miller's DKR.

 

Variant Age: Blue Superman

Blue Superman - I left comics during this period just after Superman died, but to me the 90s was about variant covers, events for the sake of marketing, and a willingness to toss aside the previous history and content of the comic book continuity. And nothing says that like killing the #1 super-hero in the world, and turning him into a blue spandex wearing lightning rod.

Alternative: Spawn. If you prefer to think of this age as the dawn of creator rights and artists as rock stars, Spawn by McFarlane is a good example. Maybe Im just to pessimistic about this era, but I can see the good that the creation of Image comics and what Lee/McFarlane and others did for creator rights that have helped the industry as a whole.

 

The IP Age/Digital Age: Rick Grimes

Rick Grimes - Since Rick is the main character of The Walking Dead, probably the biggest thing to happen in comics in the 2000s, he seemed like a good fit. The Walking Dead also captures the current interest that Hollywood (TV and Movies) has in plumbing Comic books for IP content. Walking Dead also is a good writer driven book, which has definately been a push in the last decade (as opposed to the more artist-centric 90s). There's nothing specific about Rick, but thats the point. Its more about the concept and the IP now more than a singular hero. Most of the hot books are that because of their concept, and their ability to translate to TV or Movies.

[Ogami]

You think Watchmen defines the CA more than Turtles?

 

The question is not about the work, but about the characters. The characters in Watchmen exemplify the age more than the characters in Turtles. The jaded, flawed, perverted, psychotic "heroes" of Watchmen are the essence of the Eighties.

 

I agree with that.

 

Let me flesh that out with:

 

Turtles had a much more immediate impact but was more flash in the pan.

 

Watchmen will reverberate for centuries, as we historically define the medium.

[Ogami]

If the 90s era is an era unto itself, nothing personifies it more than:

 

 

I find as decadal approach much more helpful than an "age" approach anyway.

 

We should do 40's now using that approach.

[Ogami]

Here's my full list:

 

Golden Age: Superman

Superman - The birth of the mainstream, popular culture super-hero genre. Maybe there were earlier super-heroes but none captured the imagination like Superman. The barrel chested, faster than a speeding bullet version is what the golden age is all about. The only negative, was Superman's relatively light involvement in WWII (minus some good covers), Captain America embodies that better, but outside of the war effort, Superman outshines Cap by a mile.

 

Silver Age: Spider-Man

Spider-Man - Already said my peace about Spidey. But the creation of they hero who was just a kid, who had his own frailties, who was relate-able created a whole new world of superheroes over at Marvel, and became the template for decades of super-heroes. Also the fact that Spidey was also equally Peter Parker, was key, because we now had a hero who also had to do homework, deal with girls, bullies, and family issues. Throw in his real world placement in new york city (vs DC's past fictional environment) and we have heroes feeling more relate-able than ever.

 

Bronze Age: Green Lantern

Green Lantern - Denny & Neal added depth both to the social content and the artistic stylings in comics. Green Lanterns social awareness was leaps and bounds more real-world than any lip service given over at marvel in the previous decade, and showed creators that their heroes could take a position or even just mention the real world around them.

 

Copper Age: Rorschach

Rorschach - The copper age was a darkening of comics, a re-gearing towards older more mature readers, and an emphasis on the anti-hero. We saw more death, dismemberment and disillusionment (by our heroes) than we had in all the other decades combined. Rorschach (and the Watchmen) symbolizes this, and created the blueprint for the tone that was also being pushed by Miller's DKR.

 

Variant Age: Blue Superman

Blue Superman - I left comics during this period just after Superman died, but to me the 90s was about variant covers, events for the sake of marketing, and a willingness to toss aside the previous history and content of the comic book continuity. And nothing says that like killing the #1 super-hero in the world, and turning him into a blue spandex wearing lightning rod.

Alternative: Spawn. If you prefer to think of this age as the dawn of creator rights and artists as rock stars, Spawn by McFarlane is a good example. Maybe Im just to pessimistic about this era, but I can see the good that the creation of Image comics and what Lee/McFarlane and others did for creator rights that have helped the industry as a whole.

 

The IP Age/Digital Age: Rick Grimes

Rick Grimes - Since Rick is the main character of The Walking Dead, probably the biggest thing to happen in comics in the 2000s, he seemed like a good fit. The Walking Dead also captures the current interest that Hollywood (TV and Movies) has in plumbing Comic books for IP content. Walking Dead also is a good writer driven book, which has definately been a push in the last decade (as opposed to the more artist-centric 90s). There's nothing specific about Rick, but thats the point. Its more about the concept and the IP now more than a singular hero. Most of the hot books are that because of their concept, and their ability to translate to TV or Movies.

 

I like this list.

[Ogami]

Add a character for the fifties (Archie or Uncle Scrooge?) and I think that's a great sociological list.

[miraclemet]

Add a character for the fifties (Archie or Uncle Scrooge?) and I think that's a great sociological list.

 

 

hmm I have to think about what really represented comics in the 50s... hmmm...

[Ogami]

Add a character for the fifties (Archie or Uncle Scrooge?) and I think that's a great sociological list.

 

 

hmm I have to think about what really represented comics in the 50s... hmmm...

 

Archie or Uncle Scrooge

[miraclemet]

Add a character for the fifties (Archie or Uncle Scrooge?) and I think that's a great sociological list.

 

 

hmm I have to think about what really represented comics in the 50s... hmmm...

 

Archie or Uncle Scrooge

 

My first thought was....

 

The Crypt-Keeper. 1st appearing Jan of 1950 The Crypt Keeper acted as MC for many of EC's scary titles, and by 1955 he met his demise at the hands of Fredric Wertham and then the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. His demise also forced/encouraged companies like DC to start looking into reintroducing their squeeky clean hero models like The Flash (in 1956) and Green Lantern (in 1959).

 

I could almost see making the 50s the Flash's decade, but his (and others) appearance and emphasis was more a reaction to the first half of the decade, and the application of the Comics Code Authority, that to not represent that monumental shift via the presence of EC seems to miss on a big part of our comics (and cultural) history.

 

By the 50s Archie was already a decade old, but he certainly did present the squeeky clean side of the coin vs what EC was printing. But it was somewhat ignorant of the rest of comicbookdom.

 

Scrooge McDuck is interesting... He definitely made the main stage in 1950, and soon was being drawn/written by the Amazingly talented Carl Barks. Trying to understand his role in the general comic books topography is difficult, since so many Disney properties lived in "a bubble" of sorts (unaffected by cultural shifts).

[AGGIEZ]

Golden: Superman

Silver: Spider-Man

Bronze: Wolverine

Copper: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Deadpool

Chromium: Spawn / Hellboy

Modern: Rick Grimes

[miraclemet]

Golden: Superman

Silver: Spider-Man

Bronze: Wolverine

Copper: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Deadpool

Chromium: Spawn / Hellboy

Modern: Rick Grimes

 

Interesting. Would love to hear your reasoning behind Wolverine to represent the bronze age (1970-83). Likewise what about the TMNT defined the copper age (84-91). Deadpool's first appearance was in the waning moments of the copper age, but again, if he represents it I'd be all ears.

[AGGIEZ]

When I think of the Copper Age, I think TMNT. When I think of Bronze the first character to comes to mind is Wolverine.