A comic book consists of pictures and words to make a narrative which is sequential. The origin of these comics can be traced back to the United States. These came at a time when movies were prevalent. Comics was considered as a form which attracted kids back to reading. The comic made a humble beginning and was available in a novelty store and after that has had many ups and downs. The comic books history is not only about the artists but also those readers who have shaped the future.
1930 to 1950: It was termed as the golden age in the history of comic styles. The stories were clear-cut and a battle between the good and the evil. The heroes always used to win in the end and also stop the domination of the villains who were still behind either money or power. One of the primary causes for the advance of comics among kids is the portrayal of superheroes as people who have powers which were unseen in real life. That made the kids want to read and dream about being like them and overcome their problems and also get a dose of adventure. It was at this time the spiderman’s and the supermans came into the picture. The characterization and the gear these superheroes like superman wore made it more attractive and became the first to have a comic book in his name.
1950 to 1970: The golden age was a period where superheroes were accepted, but that didn’t last as some of the youngsters were coming back from the world war and they no longer could believe that some avenger could save the world through heroics. This period marked the decline of superheroes and saw the acceptance of adult perspective and was also known as the silver age. The most successful genre was horror though many were explored by writers. They mixed imaginary and unreal styles into a visual medium and later got translated into movies too. Though the readers were all adults, these comics were censored, and even titles which had the horror or terror were banned.
1971 to 1980: This era was not a great one for the comics, all the genres were explored and exploited, and the stories were no different from the other periods only the enemies were shown challenging to deal. The comics in other ages dealt with socially responsible topics; the Bronze age had to deal with the real-life situations faced by urbanites. It Is the period where superheroes could not weave their magic. The comics were more real, and the style of comic matched the themes.
1980-1993: This era which saw characters as not just a hero or a villain. The characters were very complex with psychotic killers and heroes who didn’t always do the right things. It was also the period were graphic comics came into being.
1993- Till Date: Comics have come of age and has become limitless. Due to TV, video games, etc. there are various adaptations which have interested comic readers. The internet has also opened many avenues for writers and artists and has also seen the evolution of webcomics.