September 25th is National Comic Book Day a #Holiday Charlie and all of his friends along with David will enjoy celebrating not only today but all year long. Since were taking Mikalia home tomorrow I’m going to see if David will take us to a Comic Book store because she has never been to one.
Charlie and David can share there favorite Comic Books with her. Although I would prefer to go to Half Price Books for them to look for Comic Books and I could not only browse the books but games. Would you like to go with me?
National Comic Book Day soars into a community near you on September 25. Did you know the Comic Books genre has grown to include full-length books, or graphic novels, and inspire countless movie adaptations. While they were first typically humorous in nature, it didn’t take long for authors to apply the comic style to all genres of storytelling.
Comic books have existed in America since the English printing of Swiss comic, The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck, in 1842, making it the first known American prototype comic book. Proto-comics began appearing in the early 20th Century, with the first standard-sized comic being Funnies on Parade.
The introduction of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s Superman in 1938 turned comic books into a major industry, ushering in the Golden Age of Comics. From this, the archetype of the Superhero was created. Historian Michael A. Amundson notes that appealing comic-book characters helped to ease young readers’ fears of nuclear war and neutralize anxiety about the questions posed by atomic power.
The history of the American comic book is usually divided into four eras. The Golden Age of Comic Books began in the 1930s and is considered the inception of the genre. The Silver Age is considered to date from the first successful revival of the then-dormant Superhero form, with the debut of the Flash in 1956. This era lasted into the early 1970s during which Marvel Comics revolutionized the medium with naturalistic Superheroes such as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man.
The Bronze Age is less defined, but it runs from the very early 1970s through the mid-1980s. This era features a return of darker plot elements and storylines more relevant to social issues such as racism. Did you know that?
The Modern Age of Comics runs from the mid-1980s until now. During the first 15 years of this period, many comic book characters were redesigned, creators gained prominence within the industry, independent comics flourished, and larger publishing houses became more commercialized. This era is also referred to as the Dark Age of Comic Books due to the popularity and artistic influence of titles with serious content, including Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen.
National Comic Book Day Activities
- If you can’t make it to your nearest Comic-Con that is no problem. This September, invite your friends over to trade, display, discuss or even re-enact your favorite stories and of course, don’t forget your costumes.
- If you’ve been reading comics your whole life, you may not even realize how familiar you are with their structure but you should take some time to put together a storyline, invent some characters, and let your imagination run wild. If you’ve got a knack for illustration, go for it, or get together with a friend who’s already mastered that talent to help you complete it. Who knows, maybe the next Stan Lee is hidden in you, waiting to be let out.
- The internet has completely changed how collectors procure their comic copies. Now, through message boards like Reddit, you can track down your Unicorn far easier than ever before. Looking for a limited edition Shadow in mint condition? It’s out there waiting, you’ll just need to find it.
Facts You Need To Know About Comic Books
- Did you know the Incredible Hulk was originally meant to be GrayInk but problems with printing created the mean, green monster we know him as today.
- Did you know there was an actual comic book superhero named the Green Lama and he was a Buddhist whose powers included reincarnation.
- Stan Lee got his start by writing obituaries which were for celebrities in New York.
Why People Love National Comic Book Day
- Who knew that a form of literature popularized in the 1930s would still be among the most widely consumed forms of media in the 21st Century?
- For the last decade, movie adaptations of beloved comics have shattered box office records, and continue to do so. To date the Batman reboot The Dark Knight trilogy has raked in nearly $2.3 billion, and Marvel’s Avengers series has made about $1.51 billion.
- While comics have historically been the Villain when it comes to what kids should be reading, that’s all turning around. Parents have found that offering comic books to children makes them more interested in learning to read, builds reader confidence, improves vocabulary, and exposes them to real-life situations. Seems more like a superhero than a villain to us.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
