Scrooge Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 It would be interesting to see a survey that included all readers and have the results broken down to various age groups. Found one ... but I'll post that info later ... In the meantime, here's the best I could come up with panel data about reading habits and age group. I was able to find 3 studies from 1941, 1946 and 1949 respectively that collected survey data about comic book reading habits of school age children. Here's what the collated data looks like. As anticipated, the main comic readers are 4th graders to 7th graders. Over time, it seems that boys delved much deeper into comics than girls did, even though originally both groups were almost equally interested. Finally, the most "shocking" information is the increase of readership from 1941 to 1949. In 1949, boys mention that on an average WEEK, they read 8 comics (even though they mention buying only 5). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 So, just how popular was Captain Marvel? If the numbers in this article can be trusted ... VERY. Excerpt from "The Comics - There they stand!" by Harvey Zorbaugh in Journal of Educational Sociology, vol. 18, n. 4, December 1944 - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 In Detective # 42, Batman is on the prowl trying to catch a killer who presages his murders by mutilating the victim's portrait. Here Batman tries to go up to the penthouse of a soon-to-be victim trying to prevent the crime and he uses (for the first time I believe) suction cups to go up the facade of the building. Now, as mentioned in the caption, human flies were "common" earlier in the century and certainly it is part of the inspiration but The Shadow had been using the gimmick quite often before Batman did ... inspiration? Maybe. Very interesting. I always enjoy reading about characters in popular literature that may have been the inspiration for comic book characters. My current favorite is Spring-Heeled Jack. Some excerpts from Wikepedia: Link Spring Heeled Jack is a character from English folklore said to have existed during the Victorian era and able to jump extraordinarily high. The first claimed sighting of Spring Heeled Jack that is known occurred in 1837. Later alleged sightings were reported all over England, from London up to Sheffield and Liverpool, but they were especially prevalent in suburban London and later in the Midlands and Scotland. Many theories have been proposed to ascertain the nature and identity of Spring Heeled Jack. The urban legend of Spring Heeled Jack gained immense popularity in its time due to the tales of his bizarre appearance and ability to make extraordinary leaps, to the point where he became the topic of several works of fiction. Spring Heeled Jack was described by people claiming to have seen him as having a terrifying and frightful appearance, with diabolical physiognomy that included clawed hands and eyes that "resembled red balls of fire". One report claimed that, beneath a black cloak, he wore a helmet and a tight fitting white garment like an "oilskin". Many stories also mention a "Devil-like" aspect. Spring Heeled Jack was said to be tall and thin, with the appearance of a gentleman, and capable of making great leaps. Several reports mention that he could breathe out blue and white flames and that he wore sharp metallic claws at his fingertips. The vast urban legend built around Spring Heeled Jack influenced many aspects of Victorian life, especially in contemporary popular culture. For decades, especially in London, his name was equated with bogeymen, as a means of scaring children into behaving by telling them that if they were not good, Spring Heeled Jack would leap up and peer in at them through their bedroom windows, by night. However, it was in fictional entertainment where the legend of Spring Heeled Jack exerted the most extensive influence, owing to his allegedly extraordinary nature. Almost from the moment the first incidents gained public knowledge, he turned into a successful fictional character, becoming the protagonist of many Penny Dreadfuls from 1840 to 1904. Several plays where he assumed the main role were staged as well. Here are a few covers from the 1904 Spring-Heeled Jack Penny Dreadfuls (the British equivalents to American Dime Novels). The images are from Larry Latham's HPL blog: Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Very interesting, BZ. I had never of heard of SH Jack -- nor was I envisioning someone in costume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 ...Of course, given the times, it shouldn't be too surprising ... but still, a little over the top. Mainly, this episode reminded me of the sad story of Ota Benga Here's from a Kirkus review of Ota Benga: The Pygmy in the Zoo by Phillips Verner Bradford and Harvey Blume (1992): I read that book. NPR did a story about Benga a few years ago. You can listen to it online. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 ...Of course, given the times, it shouldn't be too surprising ... but still, a little over the top. Mainly, this episode reminded me of the sad story of Ota Benga Here's from a Kirkus review of Ota Benga: The Pygmy in the Zoo by Phillips Verner Bradford and Harvey Blume (1992): I read that book. NPR did a story about Benga a few years ago. You can listen to it online. Link I knew of Benga from the NPR coverage (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 In the meantime, here's the best I could come up with panel data about reading habits and age group. I was able to find 3 studies from 1941, 1946 and 1949 respectively that collected survey data about comic book reading habits of school age children. Here's what the collated data looks like. As anticipated, the main comic readers are 4th graders to 7th graders. Over time, it seems that boys delved much deeper into comics than girls did, even though originally both groups were almost equally interested. Finally, the most "shocking" information is the increase of readership from 1941 to 1949. In 1949, boys mention that on an average WEEK, they read 8 comics (even though they mention buying only 5). Thanks, Scrooge. I love info like that. Was the information collected by a Sociologist? Did they make any pertinent observations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Did they make any pertinent observations? Children didn't buy comic books for the sex despite how a lot of people want to portrait it. They bought it for humor instead. Still, the older the girls got, the more they were interested in Jungle Comics Cowboys were appealing to younger children; once they hit 10th grade, the attraction of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers plummets. And as I keep on saying on the boards, Mutt & Jeff were VERY popular ... and boys don't like Wonder Woman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Okay, here are some of the result of the most interesting study I've found. From "Factors related to age-grade Trends and Sex differences in Children's Preferences for Comic Books" by Robert F. Butterworth and George G. Thompson in The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1951, 78, 71-96. As far as I can tell, the data was collected in 1949 and here are some of the most cogent tables. Comment away (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 And as I keep on saying on the boards, Mutt & Jeff were VERY popular ... I liked Mutt & Jeff when I was a kid. I collected the comic and still have almost a complete run from #1-94. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 I see that's the preliminary survey. Have you seen the results of the final survey? I wonder why they only interviewed students in grades 6-12? My interest in reading comics was beginning to wane by the time I reached 6th grade (although I still enjoyed collecting them). People certainly had an opinion about Superman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I see that's the preliminary survey. Have you seen the results of the final survey? I think they use the term "preliminary" in the sense that it's the untreated / raw data. There is no more data than that presented here. Later in the article, they categorize the comics cited in the survey and use that to discriminate what type of stories is attractive to boys versus girls for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selegue Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 In Detective # 42, Batman is on the prowl trying to catch a killer who presages his murders by mutilating the victim's portrait. Here Batman tries to go up to the penthouse of a soon-to-be victim trying to prevent the crime and he uses (for the first time I believe) suction cups to go up the facade of the building. Now, as mentioned in the caption, human flies were "common" earlier in the century and certainly it is part of the inspiration but The Shadow had been using the gimmick quite often before Batman did ... inspiration? Maybe. Here's an excerpt from The Black Falcon, from The Shadow Magazine, February 1st 1934, the issue I am currently reading: (Note: my italics) "A batlike shape was clinging to a wall which projected at an angle from the set-in fire tower. Invisible in the darkness, this hidden creature seemed other than a human form. Above a shrouded head was a darkened, open window of Rowland Ransdale's apartment. Something squdged upon the wall. The mobster who had turned back to his fellows paused to listen. The sound was so elusive that he gave it no second thought. He did not hear another similar noised that followed. The batlike shape was moving away from the fire tower. Past the angle, it crept with sidewise crablike motion along the extended wall. The glow of city lights revealed the figure dimly. Like a huge vampire, The Shadow was sidling across a vertical surface! Hands and feet were pressing against the wall. Each was equipped with a large concave disk of rubber. Each pressure of a suction cup gave its wearer purchase upon the wall. Each twist released one of the supports. The Shadow had become a human fly. So familiar was he with this method of progress that his motions were timed to perfect precision. [..]" Yet it's such a bizarre idea, contrary to everyone's common experience. Except for glazed brick, which is rarely if ever used on skyscrapers, who's ever seen a suction cup stick to a brick building? But people fly and run at the speed of light. Why should I let a suction cup get in the way of my suspension of disbelief? The author gets extra points for "Something squdged" though. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selegue Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 ... Very interesting. I always enjoy reading about characters in popular literature that may have been the inspiration for comic book characters. My current favorite is Spring-Heeled Jack. Some excerpts from Wikepedia: Link Spring Heeled Jack is a character from English folklore said to have existed during the Victorian era and able to jump extraordinarily high. The first claimed sighting of Spring Heeled Jack that is known occurred in 1837. Later alleged sightings were reported all over England, from London up to Sheffield and Liverpool, but they were especially prevalent in suburban London and later in the Midlands and Scotland.... Here are a few covers from the 1904 Spring-Heeled Jack Penny Dreadfuls (the British equivalents to American Dime Novels). The images are from Larry Latham's HPL blog: Link Very interesting! Pointy-eared cowl, scalloped cape (sort of), but I've never seen SHJ cited as a Batman precursor or prototype. Have you? Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selegue Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 ... People certainly had an opinion about Superman. I'm gonna get me a copy of "Murder"! (Actually, there was Murder Incorporated and Murderous Gangsters.) Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-Gun Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 And as I keep on saying on the boards, Mutt & Jeff were VERY popular ... I liked Mutt & Jeff when I was a kid. I collected the comic and still have almost a complete run from #1-94. Oowah! The boys are finally getting some credit. I saw some original art at the Wizard Convention in Philadelphia several years ago. Each panel was extra large size and sold seperately. Perhaps this was the missing link between cartoons and sequential art. bb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-Gun Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 I wonder if the badge that I purchased a while back, fits with this ad from popular? Has the blue paint been removed or is this another radio premium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 I saw some original art at the Wizard Convention in Philadelphia several years ago. Each panel was extra large size and sold seperately. I have an early Mutt and Jeff strip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 Always the con men... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 From Wikipedia: Mutt and Jeff is an American newspaper comic strip created by Bud Fisher in 1907. It is commonly believed to be the first daily comic strip. The concept of a newspaper strip featuring recurring characters in multiple panels on a six-day-a-week schedule had previously been pioneered through the short-lived A. Piker Clerk by Clare Briggs, but it was Mutt and Jeff as the first successful daily comic strip that staked out the direction of the future trend. It remained in syndication until 1982, over time drawn by several cartoonists, chiefly Al Smith who drew the strip for nearly 50 years. The series became a comic book (initially published by All-American Publications and later by DC Comics, Dell Comics and Harvey Comics), as well as cartoons, films, merchandising and reprints. Under its initial title, A. Mutt debuted on November 15, 1907 on the sports pages of the San Francisco Chronicle. The featured character had previously appeared in sports cartoons by Fisher, but was unnamed. Fisher had approached his editor, John P. Young about doing a regular strip as early as 1905, but was turned down. According to Fisher, Young told him, "It would take up too much room, and readers are used to reading down the page, and not horizontally." Publication history This strip focused on a single main character, until the other half of the duo appeared on on March 27, 1908. It appeared only in the Chronicle, so Fisher did not have the extended lead time that syndicated strips require. Episodes were drawn the day before publication, and frequently referred to local events that were currently making headlines, or to specific horse races being run that day. A 1908 sequence about Mutt's trial featured a parade of thinly-disguised caricatures of specific San Francisco political figures, many of whom were being prosecuted for graft. On June 7, 1908, the strip moved off the sports pages and into Hearst's San Francisco Examiner where it was syndicated by King Features and became a national hit, subsequently making Fisher the first big celebrity of the comics industry. Fisher had taken the precaution of copyrighting the strip in his own name, facilitating the move to King Features and making it impossible for the Chronicle to continue the strip using another artist. A dispute between Fisher and King Features arose in 1913, and Fisher moved his strip on September 15, 1915, to Wheeler Syndicate (later Bell Syndicate), who gave Fisher 60% of the gross revenue, an enormous income in those times. Hearst responded by launching a lawsuit which ultimately failed. By 1916, Fisher was earning in excess of $150,000 a year. By the 1920s, merchandising and growing circulation had increased his income to an estimated $250,000. In 1918, Mutt and Jeff became a Sunday strip, and as success continued, Fisher became increasingly dependent on assistants to produce the work. Fisher hired Billy Liverpool and Ed Mack, artists Hearst had at one point groomed to take over the strip, who would do most of the artwork. Other assistants on the strip included Ken Kling, George Herriman, and Maurice Sendak while still in high school. More details at: Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
