Comics: Users of The Power of Art

Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Wonderman. Chances are, you’ve heard of them? Perhaps you’ve seen them on a lunch bag, a t-shirt, a video game, or their movies that generate billions of dollars. Maybe they’re the biggest inspiration for your daughter, or the character that your nephew has so many mini-figures of. These characters are just four of a vast amount of superheroes. Superheroes have taken the world by storm and have become pop culture icons. However, before they were plastered on cereals or lunchboxes, they were comic book characters.

Comic books have an incredibly special relationship with art. Unlike with regular novels, comic books, or more specifically, Superhero comics,  heavily rely on action. They often implement fantastical worlds, and epic events, things that are better seen than read. Therefore, to help individuals see the action and material required to understand exactly what is going on in their story, cartoonish art is used. Due to this, comics have become a major player in the world of illustration, and a primary user of the power of art.

Superhero comics first started in June 1938, with the publication of Action Comics #1 from publisher National Comics, (later becoming DC). In this comic, it introduced the character of Superman, a superhero who had a red cape, a blue suit, and a big “S” in the middle of his chest. The character of Superman was created by two college students, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who illustrated the iconic figure, in the era of the Great Depression. The figure and the comic quickly became a way to escape the troubling times, becoming an iconic symbol.

A year later, in 1939, another superhero was added to the roster; Batman. Originally, Batman was supposed to be “The Bird-Man”, and was pitched as so by Bob Kane. This Bird Man would wear a bright red body suit, and have mechanical wings. Eventually, this would be changed by writer Bill Finger, who, with his intervention, changed the suit to grey, added a Black cowl, and replaced the wings with a cap. This version of the character, Batman, who was still illustrated by Bob Kane, would make his debut in Detective Comics #27. In that same year, Timely Comics, (later Marvel) would create its first two superheroes the Human Torch and Namor the Sub-Mariner.

In 1940, with World War Two raging in Europe and the Nazis rising in power, writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby, who was Jewish, would create Captain America. He had a red, white, and blue suit and shield, along with a gigantic white star on his chest, representing the United States. He would be depicted landing a right hook on Adolf Hitler, becoming not only a superhero but a political propaganda piece.

A year after, in 1941, a third superhero would be added to the DC crew, finishing up DC’s iconic trinity; Wonder Woman. Drawn with a blue skirt filled with stars, and a red and yellow chestplate by artist Harry G.Peter, and created by William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman would become an iconic symbol and inspiration for young girls around the world. 

After a few years, DC began to have a whole roster of Superheroes along with the trinity, like the Flash and Green Lantern. They decided to combine their most iconic characters into a team, which would become the Justice League of America (later the Justice League). Written by Gardner Fox and illustrated by Mike Sekowsky, they would first make their debut in The Brave and the Bold #28 in March 1960. This new team would become incredibly successful.

Inspired by the success of the comic, Marvel publisher Martin Goodman would direct writer Stan Lee to create his own superhero team. Lee, along with Jack Kirby, the illustrator of Captain America, would create the Fantastic Four, which was a team consisting of Mr.Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch, and the Thing. Both Lee and Kirby would become an iconic team of their own, making Marvel into the powerhouse it is today. 

In August of 1962, Marvel would produce its most famous iconic superhero. Created by Stan Lee after seeing a fly crawling up a wall, he and Kirby, along with artist Steve Ditko, would introduce Spiderman in Amazing Fantasy #15, become an immediate success.

A year later, in 1963, Kirby and Lee would create the first Avengers comic, a team that consisted of Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Ant-Man, and The Wasp. This comic would later create the foundation for the eventual Avenger Movies, the movies that would become the ultimate staple of Marvel and would make billions at the box office.

From then on, Superheroes would continue to take the world of storm. They would become movies, TV shows, video games, and more. However, while the innovative and revolutionary ideas that superhero comics possessed certainly helped increase their popularity, it was ultimately the iconic art and illustrations of superheroes and the actions they would invoke that helped ensure their popularity. Ultimately, superhero comics would become a prime example of the power that art could possess.