Jayman Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Ok. Sold. Arch, thank you very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25CentComic Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 Awesome to have a section where I know what the hell everyone is talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aces Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 I can agree with you on the starting year, just not the choice of a final year. I still think comics ages are falling into 14 year cycles.. Gold 1939-1953 Atomic 1953-1956 (the exception) Silver 1956-1970 Bronze 1970-1984 Copper 1984 - 1998 ?? 1998-2012. 1998-up is clearly the Plastic Age. That's about when the slabbing began right? I wasn't there at the conception... Well if its in plastic then there is no conception! Thats the idea isnt it? 84% of the time anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valiantman Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 1998-up is clearly the Plastic Age. That's about when the slabbing began right? According to CGC, they "opened their doors" on January 1, 2000. So, if CGC is a significant event for "Age-related considerations", it looks like Dec 31st, 1999 is the end of the pre-slab era. This is looking more and more like a case for making "ages" equate to decades. Silver is essentially the 1960s, Bronze is the 1970s, we should toss out the "metals" altogether and just call them the 1980s... after all, there's no Copper Medal in the olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabertooth Posted October 10, 2004 Share Posted October 10, 2004 I can see a Copper Age forum becoming an infinite debate about what books are actually Copper Age and if there actually is a Copper Age. Kinda like this thread. I think it would get old really fast. I'd say the Copper Age began with the advent of direct sales comics (1979ish) and ended around the time of Youngblood #1 or the Death of Superman, give or take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickdogg Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Wow. I have been out of the loop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the blob Posted August 29, 2005 Share Posted August 29, 2005 no way, at the latest "modern" started with X-Force/X-Men/Spider-Man 1, which was a bit before Death of Supes, Youngblood and Spawn 1, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50 Cent #II (1st) Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 (edited) I'm new here, so late to this thread, but wanted to add my .02. How about Copper age starting around June 1982 with the first Marvel Limited Series "Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions". It was the first of it's type with a limited series that had nearly all of the Marvel Universe. This went on to bring about Secret Wars and Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series and now the almost annual limited series. And the copper era could end around the time Valient did their Unity series that caused so much grief, which was the end or 1992. That's an 10.5 year span that really did shape the way we see comics today, grandiose limited series that featured limited variants and bagged editions etc. Also the Independants appeared hot this period and you could also argue that it ended around the end of 1993 with the closing of one of the biggest Independants of this era, Eclipse. In fact, that's almost 14 years (actually 11.5) the start of the limited series with Marvel and the end with the closing of Eclipse (that was there during the whole time). Modern age begins 1994??? Edited October 18, 2006 by IITravel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandz-migration Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I have to admit - I recently heard of the Copper Age, and I have been collecting off and on for awhile. Doing research on this, (this might be boring for those of you who have been thinking of a respectful time period for this "Copper Age") I find good arguments on both starting and end dates. Rules of age qualifiers need to be put down, as-to when a comic book age starts and ends; this should be the same for all comic book ages; Gold, Silver, Bronze, etc. From there we can argue ( if need be ) comic book ages are to be instated. this my sound like I'm trying to right wing stuffy, but it is an important to have a good foundation. If a Copper Age should even exist is debated right? Direct sales is certainly an important event in comic book history. So was it that, which made possible the Limited Series? Or was it the advent of the Graphic Novel which gave comic books a whole new audience, and credibility? I believe both of these opened the door for comic book's popularity, and wide appeal. The end of the copper Age should have the same rules apply. I was of the impression that the start of Image would be the end of Copper, and the beginning of Modern. The beginning of Image laid the grown work for new rules in the industry certainly. Spider-man #1, X-Force, and X-Men came before Image of course, but that might be a pre-Modern point, because it was Image's start which brought in new production values to the industry, creative ownership to the artist's and better rights to said artist's. Artist's became like Rock Stars. We saw Hollywood turn a sharp eye toward comic books, comic books were suddenly cool, and forever a staple (and not a discounted medium). The convention circuit changed to become media events ( in some cases ). The vale had been lifted, and BIG money was being invested in, and around comic books. Comic books were on a new level. They no longer were art forms, it was (and is) a bottom-line investment. The speculative market was important, of which I believe came about in the early 90's. So if we do acknowledge that there was a Copper Age, I see it ending 91, or 92. If 4, or 5 years is an age in comic books, it must have had one heck of an impact on comic books and society to qualify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAM_BLAM_BLAM-migration Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 Podcast interview with the author of IMAGE COMICS: THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE, from TwoMorrows Studio. http://www.comicbookresources.com/media/podcasts/pipelinepodcast_20070315.mp3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Boyd Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I haven't really changed my opinion on this: I still think comics ages are falling into 14 year cycles.. Gold 1939-1953 Atomic 1953-1956 (the exception) Silver 1956-1970 Bronze 1970-1984 Copper 1984 - 1998 If you look at the intercompany crossover as being the starting point with Secret Wars and Crisis, the rebuilding of the DCU on 1985. The new aesthetic of Dark Knight, Watchmen, Killing Joke, Sandman and Preacher. The rise of the new superstars - McFarlane, Lee, Liefeld, Silvestri. The million sellers, the event themed deaths and resurrections, the annual crossovers, the birth of the gimmick covers, the new "universes" that sprang up (Ultraverse, Image, Valiant), the boom (build up to 1992) and the bust (1994-1996), Marvels and Kingdom Come. It's all in that 14 year cycle. I still see Image as being part of the Copper Age, as it was formed during this period and had burnt out by the end of 1998 when Jim Lee sold his share of the company (Wildstorm) to DC. The dream of Image was dead by that point, lost in a morass of studios overwhelmed with copycat artists and product aping the superstars that founded Image with visions of newfound creative freedom. Liefeld had been booted by that point as well, and Lee and Liefeld were in the midst of completing their "return to the plantation" Heroes Reborn. Then in 1998, DC retooled to the "big 7" JLA with Morrison, Marvel Knights was born with Quesada at the helm, the rise of writers as the new superstars, Planetary and the Authority setting the new standard in wide-screen superheroes and revisionism... Marvel's recovery bankruptcy. The relaunches of Captain America, the Avengers, Thor, Iron Man, Daredevil, The Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Spider-Man and so on... we're about past the midway point in this latest cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Olsen-migration Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 1998-up is clearly the Plastic Age. That's about when the slabbing began right? According to CGC, they "opened their doors" on January 1, 2000. So, if CGC is a significant event for "Age-related considerations", it looks like Dec 31st, 1999 is the end of the pre-slab era. This is looking more and more like a case for making "ages" equate to decades. Silver is essentially the 1960s, Bronze is the 1970s, we should toss out the "metals" altogether and just call them the 1980s... after all, there's no Copper Medal in the olympics. "Copper Age"?!? That's a new one on me. What in heck does that mean?!? I'm in favor of doing away with all the metals for comic eras, and just calling them what they are: 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s... The ages as I know them: Golden Age (1938-1945) Pre-Code(1946-1955) Silver Age (1956-1969) Bronze Age(1970-1980) Modern Age (everything since 1981) That's how Overstreet Guide defines the ages. Overstreet somehow resists defining separate eras in the period since 1981. There's a bit of editorialism and judgement in any of the terms I've seen floated for any breakdown of the modern age. "Plastic Age", "Dark Age", etc. Even the terms Silver, Bronze, and Copper unwittingly imply a cheapening of the metal with each new age. Which is why I prefer defining by decade, or even narrowing it to "early 70s", "mid-70s" or "late 70s" for example. There's no miscommunication of what is meant by these terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl Davis Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 I though it was Overstreet (Arnold?) that 'invented' the Copper age. Like 'Jimmy Olsen' I prefer to use decades. Earl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldTBlumberg Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 It *was* Overstreet. While I was still editor of the Guide, we did a year-and-a-half long project of communicating with collectors and historians to encourage new discussion of the Overstreet Age definitions as they stood and redefine them with some new additions. Since that time (it's been years now), there's a Copper Age in Overstreet. But we didn't invent it - hundreds of people participated in the discussion online, in traditional letters and in person, and the Copper Age had long been a term thrown around for the '80s well before us. The Overstreet Age system is just one way to look at comic book history. You can do whatever you like, and if decades works for you, then go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl Davis Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Thanks for the clarification Arnold. Hope I didn't sound down on comic ages. They are cool for people who like them, just not for me. They don't really work when ones interest spreads across multiple genres, formats and countries. Earl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aman619 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 wow. reading this again was a blast from the past. I swear I have no recollection making that Disco post at all! Anyway, it seems we dont have any consensus as to when the Copper Age began, or ended, but there does seem to be agreement that it does exist. Thats a start. after all, its only after a distance of years that we can and feel the need to denote a new era. As we enter the end of the decade with no name (oughts? nobody is even talking about it anymore) the 80s are far enough away (28 years ago already!) to be coalescing into an Age of their own. So, when everyone agrees on Day One, let me know so I can update my database! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50 Cent #II (1st) Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 No link in this thread to the other thread the also covered this topic? Might be helpful for newbies (if someone wants to do a search and post it)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topnotchman Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Did anyone notice Overstreets comments on Copper Age. "Many of those predisposed to dismiss Bronze Age comics will doubly miss out on the growth of this market sector." In other words, some old time dealers will just say those comics will never be worth anything. Guess what, many are increasing in value higher than any other age when certified in 9.8. Its gonna be a fun ride, will see where we end up in 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDaBruce Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I have been picking up copper ASM in 9.8 rather cheaply in the past few weeks. The "economic downturn" is good for something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fauby Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 (edited) Close to Copper Age ... This weekend I picked up my favorite Justice League cover. The story was only so-so, but the cover is awesome. Perez draws a great Hawkman ... well, he draws a great everything! http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1449/400/1449_4_212.jpg Edited November 25, 2008 by Fauby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
