Sunday, May 4, 2014

Science Fiction Comic Book Authors And Books

By Tracie Knight


The Fantasy and Science Fiction genre is one which has a rather dramatic following. Conventions are held annually in many parts of the world where fans dress and act as favorite characters. A. D. Condo and his initial comic strip Mr. Skygack from Mars, is often considered the earliest publication in this genre. Without his work, the world may never have known the likes of Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon or Superman.

Some of the most favorable and recognizable science fiction characters were developed in the 1930s and 1940s. These early science fiction comic book authors created Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Brick Bradford and Dan Dare. Superman, while also created early on, later became considered a subset of the genre. Many accolades of the genre suggest this is because the character has now taken on a more realistic aspect, especially in film and television.

The genre was challenged in the 1960s by Frederick Wertham. He was an activist who decided that material in these books contained adult themes which children and young adults should not be reading at an early age. Many parents bought into his theory and soon removed any comic books featuring science fiction characters from the home.

The industry rebounded with themes aimed directly at children and young adults in the late 1960s. At which time, underground books, music and posters became more popular. Then, another new wave of material found its way into the mainstream which focused on hippies and the free love movement.

Early Japanese comics featuring elements of fantasy and science fiction were published in the 1950s. The earliest publishers of these books known as manga were Astro Boy, by Osamu Tezuka, others have since followed with the genre becoming more present in current culture, mostly in film and television.

Dan Dare was the earliest well known character to come alive in the UK. The Trigan Empire released in the 1960s is often considered the most popular of all the series. It is believed this success is due to the series being included in a book called Look and Learn. The goal of the book being to teach children about art and entertainment.

Other authors have become more well known all over the world since the establishment of the internet. Web strips have since also become extremely popular. The most well known of these are most likely two of the earliest, Polymer City Chronicles and Starship Crisis. The internet has allowed a venue for artists and authors all over the world to connect and interact while sharing various forms of art, including comics and graphic novels.

Many people who had comic books taken away as children and young adults now have the chance to enjoy them once again. Others who have never read older editions can also explore new and old characters and learn how these genres have grown. After which, many may very well become authors and graphic artists.




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