Superman, X-Men, and Nazi cats – all of these characters (and more) have been able to impact many different areas of their readers’ lives!
Despite the fact that comic books have been around since the 1800s, they are unfairly categorized as children’s literature or disposable children’s fiction. This is despite the fact that comics are one of the most accessible forms of storytelling. Comics have changed the world, not only becoming the basis for many iconic movies, but also significantly influencing business, censorship, and literature. Below, I’ll tell you about 10 graphic stories whose contribution to world culture is really hard to deny.
X-Force: #116 (2001)
In the 1950s, the comic book industry came under attack from puritanical (and racist) forces who believed that comic books were “corrupting” American youth. The industry compromised by creating the Comics Code Authority, which effectively put EC Comics out of business and forced the remaining publishers to conform to outdated standards.
From 1954 to 2000, the CCA remained ridiculously influential, but in 2001 Marvel Comics challenged it. In April 2001, the CCA rejected issue #116 of Peter Milligan and Michael and Laura Allred’s X-Force because of violence and explicitness. Rather than comply, Marvel let the comic book go on sale anyway. One by one, publishers abandoned the CCA, and by 2011, its power came to an end.
Deathmate (1993)
Image and Valiant Comics were not only the two new publishers of the ’90s, but also the most important of the decade. These independent studios had to directly confront DC and Marvel’s stranglehold on the industry, and a lot depended on their success or failure. Unfortunately, one of their biggest collaborations failed.
The Deathmate comic book crossover was such a logistical and financial disaster that it not only undermined the credibility of both companies, but nearly led to the complete extinction of comic books. Deathmate’s inability to meet deadlines and turn a profit turned buyers and investors away from comic books, and that trust was only restored after decades of hard fought battles.
Maus (1986)
The Pulitzer Prize is one of the most prestigious in the world, and is awarded for the highest achievements in literature and journalism. The fact that Art Spiegelman’s scandalous comic strip Maus won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992 is a testament to its significance. So far, it is the only comic book to have won such a high honor.
Oddly enough, “Maus’” win has caused some confusion. Because “Maus” uses anthropomorphic animals to retell the horrors of the Holocaust, some felt it should be classified as fiction, even though “Maus” is autobiographical. A Pulitzer committee settled the issue by awarding the comic a Special Prize for Literature.
Sandman #19 (1991)
“The Sandman” is not just a reimagining of a forgotten DC Comics character, but a heartfelt ode to literature and history. Nowhere is this more evident than in the nineteenth issue of the comic – “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” – where Sleep and William Shakespeare strike a friendly bargain.
Illustrated by Charles Vess and Steve Oliff, this issue won the 1991 World Fantasy Awards for Best Short Story. However, the World Fantasy Awards subsequently banned comic books to keep them away from “real art”. This only reinforced the dislike of comic book readers and creators for sci-fi.
“Watchmen” and ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ (1986)
The year 1986 can be called the year of the “rise” of comics, and it happened thanks to the simultaneous release of Frank Miller’s novels “The Dark Knight Returns” and “Watchmen” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Both of these works were deconstructions of superhero themes and the ways in which they changed comics as an art and a business are virtually identical. “The Dark Knight” and ‘Watchmen’ proved that comics, especially those about superheroes, are not just children’s entertainment. Superheroes could never just be good fighting evil anymore, they could inhabit a gray area as well.
Dazzler (1981)
The 1980s were one of the most profitable years for comics, and this was partly due to a growing speculator market. Publishers had already shifted their focus from young readers to adults, who treated comics more as collectibles than as popular entertainment. This transition was finally completed after The Dazzler became a true blockbuster among comic books.
In 1981, Marvel decided to sell the first volume of Dazzler exclusively in comic book stores. The experiment was successful, and the comic quickly sold up to 400,000 copies. Since then, many comic books have been sold exclusively in stores.
The Night Gwen Stacy Died (1973)
It went on like that for about 20 years, but the era ended in 1973 with the Spider-Man story, more specifically the “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” arc. In it, Spider-Man was able to save his true love, Gwen, from the Green Goblin. This series escaped the wrath of the CCA and ushered in the Bronze Age, an era characterized by darker and angstier superhero fiction.
The Mighty Atom (1953)
Excerpt from “Mighty Atom” manga
Osamu Tezuka is considered either the father or the god of manga and anime. Either title is appropriate, as Tezuka practically created Japan’s most famous forms of artistic expression and entertainment all by himself. It all began in 1953 with “The Mighty Atom,” better known to the world as “Astroboy.” Tezuka’s work on Mighty Atom laid the foundation for what has become modern manga, and this is his true legacy. This comic not only laid the foundation for manga with distinctive character designs, but also started an entire industry.
Captain America (1941)
Before America entered World War II, the country’s population was torn between detachment and sympathy for what was happening in the East. Comic book creators Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, given their belief in freedom and hatred of Nazism, decided that America should enter the war and created Captain America to deliver that message. Needless to say, they were very well heard.
From March 1940 to December 8, 1941, Captain America infuriated supporters of fascism and advocates of alienation. Captain America became an integral part of American propaganda campaigns. It could even be argued that if it were not for Captain America, American involvement in the war would have been much less active.
Action Comics Volume 1 (1938)
Historically, comic books have been around since the 1800s, but they didn’t become known in their modern form until 1938. In June of that year, the first issue of Combat Comics hit newsstands, introducing the world to Superman, the main character of DC Comics. While Superman’s legendary status was assured, DC Comics denied his creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the rights to their famous creation.
Unfortunately, this has become the norm for an industry that epitomized the work-for-hire model. As a result, comic books that owned the rights to the creators and paid writers and artists fairly became equally rare.
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