Category: 1947-1955Page 1 of 17

Also known as the “Atomic Age” of comics, the post war era of the Golden Age is characterized by a shift away from the superhero into other types of titles in order to meet consumer demand and drive circulation and sales. In their haste to keep circulation up, some publishers pushed the envelope further and further beyond what some considered good taste. (One can imagine, however, the taste of war hardened adult readers after returning from battlefronts might have been edgier than what some might have considered child appropriate). Regardless, hastened by Dr. Fredric Werthham’s book Seduction of the Innocents, the U.S. Congress got involved and the Comic Code Authority, a self-regulating body, was formed in 1954. This along with the explosion of televisions into households across the country ushered in the end of the era.

Two Western Icons: A Look at Cisco Kid and Durango Kid

Both Cisco Kid and Durango Kid are heroic Western characters who fought for justice and defended the innocent as contemporaries in popular culture during the 1950’s.  Cisco Kid…

Approved Comics, Matt Baker and Archer St. John

Let’s just get the tragic parts of this story out of the way. Archer St. John, owner/editor of St. John Publishing overdosed on sleeping pills in 1955, at…

Tarzan

It was a cold, mid-western night in November 1954 and Jimmy was snuggled up in his bed, his blankets pulled to his chin to keep out the chill….

Lois Stewart Collection

Daily throughout the 20th century armies of kids across the country walked, pulled wagons and rode bicycles crisscrossing up and down every single street of every single town…

Promise Collection Pedigree

Billed as likely the last great original owner Golden Age comic book collection find and frequently ranked as second only to the famed Mile High/Edgar Church pedigree I…

Supermouse “The Big Cheese”

Supermouse “The Big Cheese” was a popular humor superhero for publisher Standard/Pines/Nedor. The character first appeared in Coo Coo Comics #1 on October 1942 and continued for another…

Jimmy Peterson Collection

A short time after my father (Jim) passed away, I ran across a collection of books being sold on eBay – many of which were signed “Jimmy Peterson”…

Walt Disney’s Vacation Parade

Carl Barks was the Disney Studio illustrator behind the creation of the city of Duckburg and most of its imaginative residents.  Adding to already established Disney characters Donald…

Secret Mysteries

Oh boy, what a cover!  Notice how the shards of glass in the background window appear like jagged teeth, the entire pane creating the gaping jaws of a…

My Confession

There were a lot of comics with the word “confession” in the title during the romance comic craze of the 1950’s.  But in my opinion, from that whole…