Secondary Action Heroes Of Golden Age Comics

The 1940s saw the birth of many enduring superheroes like Superman, Batman, Captain America and Captain Marvel. Outside of the superhero genre, the golden age of comics also featured a host of lesser-known, evil-fighting action figures, and this book contains a wealth of information about these heroes without capes. Covered here are jungle heroines like Sheena, Rulah and Princess Pantha; science fiction stalwarts including Spacehawk, Hunt Bowman and Futura; adventurers such as Kayo Kirby, Werewolf Hunter and Senorita Rio; and Western heroes ranging from Tom Mix to the Ghost Rider.

 When Superman debuted in 1938, he ushered in a string of imitators--Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Captain America. But what about the many less well-known heroes who lined up to fight crooks, super villains or Hitler--like the Shield, the Black Terror, Crimebuster, Cat-Man, Dynamic Man, the Blue Beetle, the Black Cat and even Frankenstein? These and other four-color fighters crowded the newsstands from the late 1930s through the early 1950s. Most have since been overlooked, and not necessarily because they were victims of poor publication. This book gives the other superheroes of the Golden Age of comics their due.

The ultimate history of the greatest period in comic book superheroes, from the birth of the genre in the early thirties to the postwar lull in the late forties.

'500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes' is both a great pocket reference tool for aficionados - and a superb introduction to a host of fascinating information for newcomers to the subject. Want to know when Superman or Batman first appeared, and who created them? Or how Flash Gordeon got his name? Or who illustrated the first X-Men stories? - the answers are all here! The book begins with a concise history of comics and action heroes and heroines, tracing their development from the first US comics - such as Busch's Max und Moritz, which was published in the 1870s - right up to present-day developments. The main part of the book is divided into six chapters, each covering a different category of action hero. Forty key characters are profiled on dedicated double-page spreads, while a typical spread profiles some four characters, providing all the core information the reader will require. Special stand-alone features are interspersed with these reference pages. Covering topics of particular interest in depth - whether it's the life and career of Stan Lee, the amazingly creative partnership of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, or how comic creators' perceptions of the Cold War influenced their storylines - these spreads provide a wealth of background information, and insights into the role comics have played in shaping popular culture. The book is illustrated in colour throughout - not just with classic artworks of famous characters' key scenes, but also with many rarely seen gems from the past.

The Public Domain Encyclopedia (or PDE) is a book series dedicated to the lost treasures of the Golden Age comics industry that are freely available to all. No cost, no charge. The 1st volume is dedicated to the Superheroes of the Better/Nedor/Standard/Pines Publications, a now dead publisher that issued comic books during the Golden Age (1938-1956). Recently, these characters raised the attention of many established modern comic book experts, readers and publishers, contributing to re-invent the way old comics are read, interpreted and understood in light of the historical events of the 20th Century. The Better/Nedor/Standard characters are supposed to be in the public domain and are used as such, however it is not totally clear if they are publicly available or not. This volume of the PDE aims at shading more light on the riddle entangling the Black Terror, Fighting Yank, Miss Masque and other less famous Mystery Men that fought the good fight in simpler times. This volume is divided in 4 macro-sections: an introduction describing the history of the Better/Nedor/Standards imprints and a timeline of their brilliant founder, the late Ned Pines; section 2 focuses on 28 characters, proving insights on their creation and conceptualization, their publishing life and their actual copyright and trademark status. A comprehensive analysis of the characters follows, including a description of their market trends, success factors and archetypal references. The last part is an updated summary of the copyright status of the Better/Nedor/Standard Golden Age titles, providing registration and renewal numbers dates and owners. A trademark table completes this section summarizing the registered trademark of each of the characters. All sections are fully illustrated with black & white fully original illustrations, pin-ups and splash-pages, granting a reading that goes far beyond the simple understanding of historical data, proving that the Funny Pages of the past are still enjoyable for all.

In 2009, the influence of comic books is everywhere. It has enmeshed itself so completely into the fabric of popular culture - on television and the silver screen, in ubiquitous forms of merchandising, and even Pulitzer Prize winning literature - that it's virtually impossible to envision a world without the heroes of Marvel Comics. But 70 years ago, in 1939, the comic book was in its infancy. Born from the hearts and minds of a scrappy group of writers and artists, amazing adventurers leapt onto the four-color page for the first time in stories that no one then knew would launch a Golden Age. These larger-than-life heroes were a unique product of the American soul - a cast of utopian defenders and outcast heroes with startling powers that expressed the hopes and dreams of the immigrant nation. So great were their aims and their abilities that the term "hero" was too small to contain them. They were super heroes. For Timely Comics, the upstart comics concern started by pulp publisher Martin Goodman, it was a twin set of heroes that resonated with the buying public: the aquatic anti-hero, the Sub-Mariner, and the fiery emblem of action, the Human Torch. On August 31, 1939 they made their debut in the pages of Marvel Comics #1 - the very first Marvel comic - and seven decades later the world still reverberates from their impact

The Golden Age Of Comics * BABES IN PERIL. Perils from monsters, robots, crazy people, ghosts, aliens, witches, demons, reptiles, the undead, & other evil things. This collection features 113 digitally repaired & restored comic book covers from the golden age; all in full color.

In 1939, Marvel Comics (soon rechristened Marvel Mystery Comics) launched a storytelling revolution that lasted eight decades and ultimately birthed the modern Marvel Universe! The title's first year was a mix of pulp adventure seeded with the first sparks of the colourful heroes to come but in its second year, Marvel Mystery followed the path of the fiery Human Torch and the aquatic Sub-Mariner with super heroes galore! Those twin trailblazers were soon joined by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's Vision, the all-American Patriot and the joyously wild robot Electro. Backed up by boy sleuth Terry Vance, the pre-comics jungle king Ka-Zar and the noir adventurer the Angel, each issue delivered 64 pages of nonstop 1940s action! Now, relive the glories of the Golden Age in this painstakingly restored, oversized omnibus edition! Collecting: Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) 13-24