KarateKung FuMania: The Bronze Age and the beginning of the Martial Arts Genre

[bronze johnny]

Greetings Fellow Bronze Age Forumites!

 

Introduction

 

The Bronze Age of the American Comic Book can take credit for a number of new ideas, concepts, and trends. But when looking at this era, does anyone ever give the Bronze Age the well desereved credit for the introduction of any new comic book genres? Many comic book collectors argue that the Bronze Age is responsible for the introduction of the sword and sorcery genre and cite Conan the Barbarian #1 as the pivotal starting point. However, there are those who do not entirely agree with this claim for one or more reasons. While the sword and sorcery genre and its Bronze Age birth is still debatable among comic book collectors, there is another genre that unquestionably makes its debut during the early 1970s.

 

KarateKung-FuMania

 

The martial arts culture first surfaced in American pop culture during the early 1970's when millions watched David Carradine trek across the American West as a Kung Fu monk while Bruce Lee captivated movie young moviegoers with Enter the Dragon. Hasbro, the maker of G.I. Joe, gave boys the All-American Action Figure with a "kung fu grip." And martial arts schools opened up in many cites across the nation where Americans could experience the "ancient way of fighting." "KarateKung-Fu Mania" had started and the American Comic Book took notice of this.

 

A Silver Age Appearance

 

In DC's Adventure Comics #346 (7/1966), the Karate Kid is introduced and becomes DC's first martial arts character. While Adventure Comics is significant for this reason, no other martial arts characters are introduced by either DC nor Marvel until the Bronze Age.

 

The Martial Arts Genre

 

It is during the Bronze Age that the Martial Arts Genre is introduced. Stories starring an expert in one of the mystical martial arts begins to appear regularly. Shang Chi, The Master of Kung Fu is introduced in "Special Marvel Edition" #15 during December, 1973 and marks the beginning of Marvel's experimentation with the Martial Arts. Shang Chi goes on to star in "The Master of Kung Fu" all through the 1970's and into the 1980's. Less than a year later, Marvel publishes a magazine sized black and white comic book starring Bruce Lee in "The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu," while also introducing Iron Fist in "Marvel Premiere" #15 during April, 1974. Iron Fist later goes on to star in his own book for a 15 issue run. DC follows Marvel's lead with Richard Dragon during April, 1975 (Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #1), and "Karate Kid" #1 during March, 1976.

 

Conclusion

 

While the "Master of Kung Fu" is the only character to maintain a successful run, there is no real longevity for the others. However, some of them have re-appeared from time to time and with the creation of "Karate-Kung Fu-Like" stories involving more recent martial art characters, it is easy to see that the Martial Arts Genre is here to stay. Moreover, many of the modern comic book heros today are well versed in the martial arts that was first brought to the American Comic Book by the "KarateKung FuMania" of the Bronze Age.

 

Kudos to the Bronze Age And

All Bronze Age Collectors! ! !

 

BronzeJohnny

[Tango 'n Cash]

Although Iron Fist's series came to an end, lets not forget about his Powerman & Iron Fist series that ran years longer than MOKF.

[Sal]

where's JudoMaster?

 

SPECIAL WAR SERIES- JUDOMASTER, Vol. 4, No. 4; Nov. 1965; Charlton Comics

[jbud73]

Blowout could add a lot to this thread, especially posting scanned books

[tod09]

Yang from Charlton was also interesting. Off the top of my head, I think it came out in 1973 and ran like 15 issues. Also had House of Yang.

 

Tod

[shadroch]

When Horror movies were big,so were horror comics.

Same thing with UFOs,BEMs,and The Red Menace.

Whatever kids were flocking to the movies to see,Stan Lee was putting on paper.

When the Martial Arts craze hit in the early 70s,it was only natural that comics would follow. The summer/fall of 73 had already seen the peak of the craze and comics were late getting into the game.Shang-Chi and Yang came out within weeks of each other that fall.I picked up MOKF first,but Yang may have ben on the stand at the same time.

Jim Shooter's creation of the Karate Kid was in response to Bruce Lees break-thru Kato peformance,yet the KK character remained strictly a second banana,although he did get his own book,long after the martial arts craze had gone the way of pet rocks and mood rings..

[bronze johnny]

Hello,

 

Thanks for your participation in this thread.

 

There are some points I would like to make concerning your post:

 

-Not entirely true about horror movies, then horror comics. The 1930's wave of horror movies brought to us by Universal Films (Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy, and the werewolf did not induce comic book companies to produce horror comics during the age preceding the Golden Age of Comics.

 

-You are correct about television, film, and comic books having an effect on one another. As for which had an effect on the other? That's a chicken and egg question. And if television and film were the cause of comic books adapting the martial arts genre, so what. It still does not take away from the fact that the martial arts genre is a true Bronze Age creation. Sounds like you agree with me that the Martial Arts Genre started during the Bronze Age?

 

-As for the Martial Arts Era going the way of pet rocks, I would simply point out to you that two of the characters coming out of the Bronze Age, Shang Chi and Iron Fist, starred in comic books that went well into the 1980s.

 

By the way, remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

 

The Martial Arts Genre created during the Bronze Age is a "pure" kind of storyline and not just a fad reflecting the early 1970s.

 

Thanks again,

 

BronzeJohnny

[bronze johnny]

Hello:

 

Yes, Judomaster did precede the Karate Kid. But I did not indicate that the Karate Kid was the first martial arts character in all of comicbookdom. Nor am I attempting to explore the question as to who was the first martial arts comic book character. I merely indicate that the Karate Kid was DC's first martial arts character to make a point that no other martial arts character was created by the major comic book companies (DC and Marvel) from between the period following his introduction and the Bronze Age wave that began in 1973. So I am not sure what your point is?

 

Thanks,

 

BronzeJohnny

[shadroch]

When the first wave of Horror movies hit,comics as we know them didn't exist.

When the second wave of that genre hit in the mid-50s Marvel produced the line that they reprinted in the 70s. Tales to Astonish,Strange Tales,Journey into Mystery.

To quote from Stan Lee-"....the comic-book business was a fairly simplistic operation.If cowboy films were the rage,we produced alot of Westerns.If cops and robbers were in vogue,we'd grind out a profusion of crime titles.if the trend turned to love stories....." Origins of Marvel Comics,1974

""let me take you to 1961....the trend is monster stories so we're turning out a plethora of BEMs and scaly skinned scaries",

also taken from Origins.

As the era of big screen "heroes" was changing and pictures started featuring the so-called "anti-hero",DC went trendy with Green Lantern and Marvel produced The defenders amongst others.So I'd say that it was only natural that comics took up the martial arts storyline.

I don't think it was a revolutionary act,

rather a reactionary one.I assume it was a complete accident that Starlin, Englehart,Gulacy,Moench,Day and crew produced a masterpiece of a series,rather than the drek

that resulted from Marvels later attempt to cash in on disco.

[hobbes]

[hobbes]

[hobbes]

[hobbes]

[bronze johnny]

However, let me point out to you that comics are not always reactionary to television and film but rather, the Comic Book, like television and film, is a reflection of the times. The Comic Book can give us insight into a particular period.

 

You're incorrect when you say comic books are reacting to television and film trends. Particularly when television and film are reacting to social and historical forces.

 

Even if comic books were reacting to television and film, so what?

 

Remember Action Comics #1?

 

A reaction to radio?

[bronze johnny]

Nice covers!

 

I don't know much about Charlton. Were there any other martial arts characters or runs introduced by Charlton during the Bronze Age?

[shadroch]

So when Stan(The Man) says he wrote what he did based on what was hot at the movies,I guess he is wrong.

Which social or historic force were the movie studios following when they realized there was a very large market for cheaply dubbed movies from Hong Kong?

BTW- The House of Yang and Yang are two different titles,

Action #1 a reaction to radio?.Ever hear of The Shadow? The Green Hornet? the Spider?

[shadroch]

I'm surprised no-one has brought up Simonsons Man-hunter series,the first that introduced Ninjas into the comic universes.This book beat both yang and MOKF to te press and the punch.

[Tango 'n Cash]

You're incorrect when you say comic books are reacting to television and film trends.

 

Not in the case of the Karate/Kung-Fu characters, which were definitely a reactive fad and is the subject of this thread.

 

Sometimes comics do blaze a trail, but not in this case.

[bronze johnny]

For one thing, I grew up during the early 1970's and saw martial arts schools opening up all over. Nixon went to China and the Vietnam War was coming to an end. Anyone with a sense of history could see the rising interest in the rich cultures of the East during the 1970's. The introduction of Eastern cultures was a hell of alot more than "hollywood studios taking advantage of cheap martial arts films." In fact, when soldiers came back from Vietnam, some brought back with them the martial arts expertise they learned in the military. I have a dear friend who did this and successfully opened up a martial arts school. The martial arts were one of the many Eastern "treasures" Americans were beginning to discover during the 1970s (Judo, in fact, had been introduced as an Olympic Sport in 1964 and opened the door for other martial arts to follow- Shotokan Karate, Go Ju Ryu Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Ju Jitsu, Hapkido, Tang So Do, Aikido, Escrima, Kali ,etc.). And yes, martial arts films that were produced in Hong Kong were being distributed some of the Hollywood Studios (as you correctly point out) to an audience interested in seeing these films. An American audience that continued to watch these films way into the 1980s with Chuck Norris, and 1990s with Steven Seagle and Jean Claude Van Damme (It is noteworthy that Bruce Lee did teach some of Hollywood's biggest stars during the late 1960s that included Steve McQueen) And yes the American Comic Book did pick up on this trend, as the comic book has done many times during the 1930s, 1940s (yes The Shadow did originate on radio and so did the Green Hornet- but Superman, Batman, and Captain Marvel started in comics before other mediums "adopted" them). Just look at all the original comic book characters that are headlining movies today- Spider-Man; Batman; Blade, Elektra, etc.

 

And you can appeal to Stan Lee all you want, and believe me, I have tremendous respect for Stan the Man (as I do for King Kirby), but saying that looking at other mediums and merely adopting them to sell comic books does not say much for the creativity many comic book writers and artists had during that period of time (and from what I have read and heard, not many writers and artists did get the much deserved credit and/or money for their work in those days). The fact is, a trend is not going to work if you don't have an interested audience to market it to. And many Americans that lived during this growing time of diversity in America were interested in seeing what other cultures had to offer. To say that it was merely a "hollywood fad" is superficial and lacks any sense of the history of the 1970s. Moreover, to allege that the introduction of the Marvel's first Asian superhero was an "accident," particularly when American Society grew more diverse, misses the point.

 

The History of the American Comic Book is much more than just adopting fads and trends from other mediums. It can tell us something about the times we live(d) in.

And the Martial Arts Genre originating during the Bronze Age reflects that era...an era of growing diversity and growing interest in what other cultures had to offer to our great nation. And the martial arts stories that started during the early Bronze Age with The Master of Kung Fu and Iron Fist and continued through the late Bronze Age with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are just one of the many storylines the American Comic Book has to offer.

 

-By the way, your claim that Jim Shooter came up with Karate Kid because of the success of Bruce Lee in the Green Hornet is quite interesting, especially when Karate Kid came out several months before Green Hornet was first screened on television back in September of 1966.

 

Kudos to the Bronze Age and Bronze Age Comic Book Collector!

 

BronzeJohnny

[shadroch]

I imagine you had some sort of point when you started this and your other threads,but for the life of me you've lost me.Lost uniforms and ethnic diversity? I just don't follow where you are trying to go with this.

I gather you enjoyed the comics from the early to mid 70s but I think you might be looking too deeply for hidden messages and such. Enjoy the forest,not the trees.

As far as KK and Jim Shooter,again I'm just repeating what he himself has said.I was in Japan the fall of '66 so don't know when the Hornet hit TV.