I am so glad that you included heavy-metal, magazine and Star Reach books in this presentation. I have fond memories of those books when I got tired of regular comics for a more adventurous reading, and they did deliver. Good documentary and thank you.
I would love if you covered why First and Eclipse, among others, happened to collapse right around the same time as other independent comics exploded (such as Image).
I definitely want to get to a comprehensive look at First Comics. If I remember correctly, their downfall was trying to get into bookstores with Classics Illustrated.
@@magickweir5946 Probably. From what I understand, there were some financial mismanagement issues from the top at First Comics. (That’s the nice way of saying it.) What I wanted to see was the existing indy companies to reap some of the rewards of the big comic explosion at the time. I collected most of the First line at the time of their collapse. What a shame.
@@chrisw6164 Yeah they should have reaped the benefits, they were producing some great quality stuff, giving the creators a lot of control & letting them tell their stories their way. (Albeit, their production quality was a little whiffy) Wish they could have stuck around for much longer. The indie landscape deserved a lot more love back then
Man, I bought so much from First and Eclipse back in the day, which was the peak of my comic-buying as well. Far more than the Big Two put together. Good memories.
I don’t quite want to say it was the best of times, the worst of times, etc., but it was a great time to read comics. As they Silver Age transitioned to Bronze, it felt as if comics were maturing with us. Until the early 90’s at least. But every explosion has its fallout. It is refreshing to the usual “like, comment, subscribe” dialogue and random thoughts at the end, with an uninterrupted video from the beginning. If someone doesn’t make it through everything, they’re probably not going to care about that stuff anyway.
I believe the bronze age was the genesis of all the developments that would come to take full effect in the industry of comic books relating to: legal ownership by the creators, the rise of the independent comic book market, the discovery and availability of new and different offerings in the medium via European comics and Japanese manga. All in all, the landscape that we now know, it all started right here. Excellent video as always. By the way, I'd love for you to keep exposing you thoughts at the end of your videos. That is, of course, if you think the video calls for it. It doesn't have to be mandatory. Happy new year, my friend. And, long live comic books! 🤟🏻
This man has consistently been producing high-quality content since the golden age of comics! Please hit the 👍, subscribe or become a member. I did, and as a result I traveled into the future by a few hours and seen/heard this work before the masses. And, yes, ramble on. Until next time. 🖖
Been binging your videos the last few days, so naturally i clicked this as fast as i could. You have a great voice, both in writing and in style of speaking. Keep doing this stuff !
I don’t understand why people believe that Modern Age begins in 1986, that Age came and went away with the end of 20th century and it’s called (Dark) Iron Age. 1986-2000 were the times that brought more mature titles and many classic fan favourite storylines (along with more spotlight than ever and the collector’s bubble), but after the market crash a different era begun where the medium was revitalised with the Hollywood boom. 2000 is the year Modern Age officially starts, manga became more popular than in the past, the technology changed the industry and comics expanded digitally. One day this will be probably called the (Neo) Diamond Age and we could argue that it’s coming to an end already. BTW Your videos are great, my top three RUclips channels about comic books.
Most of the 90s should rightfully be called the Image Age. They did more to drive the speculator boom-and-bust cycle than anything else, and the crash marked the end of that era. Very distinct from post-2000 comics, both in terms of the types of stories being told and the state of the industry.
A significant project is currently underway in my classroom, where we are tasked with creating a massive presentation on any topic of our choosing. I (naturally) opted for Batman due to my passion for the subject. However, midway through the project, I realized that delving into Batman requires a solid understanding of the history of comic books in general, and your channel has been immensely helpful! Thank you for providing high-quality content, I really appreciate it! :)
Random thoughts are your brand. Can't wait for the "Modern Era" videos, even though I think we are well past that title (Mylar Age 1988-1996, speculator era), the Rust age (1996-2002, bankruptcy and decline in storytelling) and the Gilded age (2002, Sam Raimi Spider-man as an unapologetic superhero film to present, where many comics are written solely to market for other media).
Yeah I wonder about that too. It’s hard to say one thing is the Modern Age, when it’s taken up 35 years now. The Golden Age was only about ten years, Silver Age was about 15, Bronze Age was another 15 or so. So the ages since should be broken up somehow, you’re on to something.
Breaking long videos up is cool -- as you can Play List them all in a row later. Your "Random Thoughts" are always appreciated -- and they add a nice endcap to the vids.
@@StrangeBrainParts Sounds awesome "Strange Brain" or should I call you "Overlord"? :) Either way, your vids are the Best! How do we get you to a 100K Subscribers?
Awesome. Love the planned content AND the random thoughts. Proud to be a member now 😊. Also RIP Neal Adams, one of the most important creators *and* creator proponents of the Bronze Age.
BTW I am always fascinated to hear more DC history. It seems Marvel has had far more biographies and “inside scoop” articles/books written than DC, for whatever reason (the Stan Lee factor perhaps?).
I really appreciate the work your doing here and love the breakdown. I’m a big fan of the Copper Age (1985, Crisis on Infinite Earths, to the end of 1991, when Todd, Jim and the gang left to form Image Comics, which kicked off the Modern Age in 1992). What are your thoughts on the Copper Age?
Man, great stuff. Keep the final thoughts, they're always interesting. As always, I'm impressed with the detail in your videos. Looking forward to part 3!
We've gotten through the Golden age and the Silver age And now we're in the "nobody can agree on anything age" literally every single factor from here to the present in the subject of open and rigorous debate.
@@StrangeBrainParts Nobody can even agree what, if anything, comes after the modern age. Which has gone on way longer than any other age before it (coming up on 30+ years depending on how you count!)
@@samwill7259 Me personally, I'd place the bronze age roughly from the mid/late 70s to about mid/late 80s. I'd say Batman Returns and Watchmen kind of mark the beginning of the "dark age" which I'd say continued until the late 90s.
I bought more Marvels than DCs in the 1970s, which is why I don't remember them discontinuing so many of their titles, although I do remember "Swamp Thing" being cancelled. I find it difficult to believe though, that they were cancelling any more than DC. The number of comics they were getting rid of, was awesome and turned viral. The decline started in 1975, with some if not several of their titles being cancelled, including "Man-Thing", and also their giant sized quarterly comics, which had been poorly distributed. This trend continued later the following year, with quality comics such as "Warlock" and "Killraven" being cancelled, that became a plague the next year, with comics either being replaced with new titles or altered to suit their new marketing policy. This included "Star Wars", that really wasn't Marvel and about the worst thing they'd done in about fifteen years, and other awful stuff from TV.
I usually hear The Death of Gwen Stacy cited along with Speedy is a Druggie cited as possible starting points for the Bronze Age. I'm curious why you didn't mention it.
The dark age isn't going to be it's own video? I mean, it's fair to count it as part of the modern age, but I do think it's distinct enough to be counted as it's own unique age in comics. I also find it interesting it's called the dark age because it's when books got gritty and dark and then they got over the top with violence and sex appeal. But it actually went into an actual dark age where the industry looked like it might collapse.
I stick to the consensus opinion that the Modern Age begins in 1985 and continues to present day. Although, I do acknowledge there's a debate concerning whether the Modern Age should be broken down into other ages such as the Dark Age or the Copper Age or the Postmodern Age or Digital...you get the idea. Oh, and I do go into detail about that time period in the video called "Holograms And Glow In The Dark Doom" ruclips.net/video/BRXQpOsDo1c/видео.html (Edited to add link.)
@@StrangeBrainParts Pretty sure I've seen it before. I've been aware of your channel for a good long while, I've had a few binge days, but it's worth watching again.
Yeah, there's clearly more than one "age" between 1985 and 2023. Several, even. The appearance of Image Comics marks the start of one of them for certain, although the roots of it start a bit farther back when the Image creators were still working for other companies.
9:56 Excuse me? Did you just suggest that Godzilla was a short-lived trend? Marvel's comic flopped pretty quickly, but that has nothing to do with the ongoing success and longevity of the IP. Much like the godawful 90s Godzilla, a lousy US misinterpretation of the character failed to do any lasting harm to his overall popularity, and he's bigger than ever these days. Doesn't even say anything about G's suitability to the Western comics market. Dark Horse sure hasn't had any trouble selling books about him.
You did see the 2008 mini-series, right? That could do with more content - Jamal was a good character and they took the racist BS and called it out for what it was.
Harkening back to the golden age for a sec, even though it was way before my birth and he had passed I wonder what kind of debate might have transpired between psychiatrist Drs William Moulton Marsten,the creator of Wonder Woman, and Frederick Wertham, authot of Seduction of the Innocent, in regards to comic books.
That would have been an interesting conversation. I'm sure Dr. Marsten would have given Dr. Wertham some valuable insight into certain types of imagery and their effect :)
Pretty one-sided conversation after Marsten's partners hold Wertham down and force a ball gag in his mouth. "Let's talk about your research standards, Freddy."
Your random thoughts are far more welcome than the well- planned and rehearsed thoughts of many others.
Straight up, couldn't have said it better.
I’m just here for the Grimjack cameo.
I put him in everywhere I can.
@@StrangeBrainParts And we love you for it.
Although Cherry Poptart seems to show up even more often. :)
Thanks!
Thank you! Very appreciated.
Well said. I'm really enjoying this series. As usual, a top notch discourse on comics
Yes, to your “Random Thoughts”.
Great overview with one caveat. Hot on heels of the opening of the movie, Howard The Duck, Steve Gerber settled with Marvel for an undisclosed sum.
I am so glad that you included heavy-metal, magazine and Star Reach books in this presentation. I have fond memories of those books when I got tired of regular comics for a more adventurous reading, and they did deliver. Good documentary and thank you.
I would love if you covered why First and Eclipse, among others, happened to collapse right around the same time as other independent comics exploded (such as Image).
I definitely want to get to a comprehensive look at First Comics. If I remember correctly, their downfall was trying to get into bookstores with Classics Illustrated.
Didn't First also lose a lot of money trying to fight Marvel over Marvel's strategy of flooding shelves with their product?
@@magickweir5946 Probably. From what I understand, there were some financial mismanagement issues from the top at First Comics. (That’s the nice way of saying it.)
What I wanted to see was the existing indy companies to reap some of the rewards of the big comic explosion at the time. I collected most of the First line at the time of their collapse. What a shame.
@@chrisw6164 Yeah they should have reaped the benefits, they were producing some great quality stuff, giving the creators a lot of control & letting them tell their stories their way. (Albeit, their production quality was a little whiffy) Wish they could have stuck around for much longer.
The indie landscape deserved a lot more love back then
Man, I bought so much from First and Eclipse back in the day, which was the peak of my comic-buying as well. Far more than the Big Two put together. Good memories.
I don’t quite want to say it was the best of times, the worst of times, etc., but it was a great time to read comics. As they Silver Age transitioned to Bronze, it felt as if comics were maturing with us. Until the early 90’s at least. But every explosion has its fallout.
It is refreshing to the usual “like, comment, subscribe” dialogue and random thoughts at the end, with an uninterrupted video from the beginning. If someone doesn’t make it through everything, they’re probably not going to care about that stuff anyway.
Personally, I love the random thoughts bits.
I believe the bronze age was the genesis of all the developments that would come to take full effect in the industry of comic books relating to: legal ownership by the creators, the rise of the independent comic book market, the discovery and availability of new and different offerings in the medium via European comics and Japanese manga.
All in all, the landscape that we now know, it all started right here.
Excellent video as always. By the way, I'd love for you to keep exposing you thoughts at the end of your videos. That is, of course, if you think the video calls for it. It doesn't have to be mandatory.
Happy new year, my friend. And, long live comic books! 🤟🏻
Very enjoyable series. Please keep the thoughts at the end!
Ramble away, man. Ramble away.
This is the era that began a lifelong obsession. Though I still loved a lot of the mainstream, First and Eclipse were the best.
Really like your rambling at the end of the videos, yes.
This man has consistently been producing high-quality content since the golden age of comics! Please hit the 👍, subscribe or become a member. I did, and as a result I traveled into the future by a few hours and seen/heard this work before the masses.
And, yes, ramble on. Until next time. 🖖
Been binging your videos the last few days, so naturally i clicked this as fast as i could. You have a great voice, both in writing and in style of speaking. Keep doing this stuff !
I’ve been doing (and did) the exact same thing. This channel is excellent.
I don’t understand why people believe that Modern Age begins in 1986, that Age came and went away with the end of 20th century and it’s called (Dark) Iron Age. 1986-2000 were the times that brought more mature titles and many classic fan favourite storylines (along with more spotlight than ever and the collector’s bubble), but after the market crash a different era begun where the medium was revitalised with the Hollywood boom.
2000 is the year Modern Age officially starts, manga became more popular than in the past, the technology changed the industry and comics expanded digitally. One day this will be probably called the (Neo) Diamond Age and we could argue that it’s coming to an end already.
BTW Your videos are great, my top three RUclips channels about comic books.
Most of the 90s should rightfully be called the Image Age. They did more to drive the speculator boom-and-bust cycle than anything else, and the crash marked the end of that era. Very distinct from post-2000 comics, both in terms of the types of stories being told and the state of the industry.
A significant project is currently underway in my classroom, where we are tasked with creating a massive presentation on any topic of our choosing. I (naturally) opted for Batman due to my passion for the subject. However, midway through the project, I realized that delving into Batman requires a solid understanding of the history of comic books in general, and your channel has been immensely helpful! Thank you for providing high-quality content, I really appreciate it! :)
That's pretty awesome. I'm glad my humble video offerings could be of some small assistance. Good luck with your presentation!
One of the very best comic-centric RUclips channels!
Random thoughts are your brand. Can't wait for the "Modern Era" videos, even though I think we are well past that title (Mylar Age 1988-1996, speculator era), the Rust age (1996-2002, bankruptcy and decline in storytelling) and the Gilded age (2002, Sam Raimi Spider-man as an unapologetic superhero film to present, where many comics are written solely to market for other media).
Yeah I wonder about that too. It’s hard to say one thing is the Modern Age, when it’s taken up 35 years now. The Golden Age was only about ten years, Silver Age was about 15, Bronze Age was another 15 or so. So the ages since should be broken up somehow, you’re on to something.
Breaking long videos up is cool -- as you can Play List them all in a row later.
Your "Random Thoughts" are always appreciated -- and they add a nice endcap to the vids.
Once complete, I will make a playlist with all the parts. And I will make one 40 minute video which will be all the parts compiled together.
@@StrangeBrainParts Sounds awesome "Strange Brain" or should I call you "Overlord"? :) Either way, your vids are the Best!
How do we get you to a 100K Subscribers?
Awesome. Love the planned content AND the random thoughts. Proud to be a member now 😊. Also RIP Neal Adams, one of the most important creators *and* creator proponents of the Bronze Age.
BTW I am always fascinated to hear more DC history. It seems Marvel has had far more biographies and “inside scoop” articles/books written than DC, for whatever reason (the Stan Lee factor perhaps?).
I really appreciate the work your doing here and love the breakdown. I’m a big fan of the Copper Age (1985, Crisis on Infinite Earths, to the end of 1991, when Todd, Jim and the gang left to form Image Comics, which kicked off the Modern Age in 1992). What are your thoughts on the Copper Age?
Love the videos. Such a chill yet informative experience. I'm gonna watch the complete history when its finished
Excellent and thank you. The completed video should be out within a week. The next part goes live later today.
The rise of license titles and magazines, finally something nobody really talks about. I almost thought Miracleman was the only factor.
Great vídeo as always
Man, great stuff. Keep the final thoughts, they're always interesting. As always, I'm impressed with the detail in your videos. Looking forward to part 3!
Damn right, "Until next time"!😊😊😊
Keep doing random thoughts! Love your videos! Also is the dark age of comics not considered an official age?
I'd love videos on modern comics like dcs ne 52 or marvels ultimates
I did a video about the Ultimate Universe.
ruclips.net/video/lEHzv1OORgs/видео.html
😘 Thank you for creating such lovely content.
Thank you for the support and the kind words!
Great video
Love the video
We've gotten through the Golden age and the Silver age
And now we're in the "nobody can agree on anything age" literally every single factor from here to the present in the subject of open and rigorous debate.
That is for certain! There is a lot of debate concerning both the Bronze and (especially) the Modern Age.
@@StrangeBrainParts Nobody can even agree what, if anything, comes after the modern age. Which has gone on way longer than any other age before it (coming up on 30+ years depending on how you count!)
@@samwill7259 Me personally, I'd place the bronze age roughly from the mid/late 70s to about mid/late 80s. I'd say Batman Returns and Watchmen kind of mark the beginning of the "dark age" which I'd say continued until the late 90s.
What comic is the one with the pharaoh headwear and the 80s hair women?
That is the cover of the first issue of Love & Rockets.
I bought more Marvels than DCs in the 1970s, which is why I don't remember them discontinuing so many of their titles, although I do remember "Swamp Thing" being cancelled. I find it difficult to believe though, that they were cancelling any more than DC. The number of comics they were getting rid of, was awesome and turned viral. The decline started in 1975, with some if not several of their titles being cancelled, including "Man-Thing", and also their giant sized quarterly comics, which had been poorly distributed. This trend continued later the following year, with quality comics such as "Warlock" and "Killraven" being cancelled, that became a plague the next year, with comics either being replaced with new titles or altered to suit their new marketing policy. This included "Star Wars", that really wasn't Marvel and about the worst thing they'd done in about fifteen years, and other awful stuff from TV.
Be Random!
I usually hear The Death of Gwen Stacy cited along with Speedy is a Druggie cited as possible starting points for the Bronze Age. I'm curious why you didn't mention it.
10:11 didnt marvel own crystar and partnered with remco to make the toys?
4:19 No Siegel and Schuster did that in 1948.
The dark age isn't going to be it's own video? I mean, it's fair to count it as part of the modern age, but I do think it's distinct enough to be counted as it's own unique age in comics. I also find it interesting it's called the dark age because it's when books got gritty and dark and then they got over the top with violence and sex appeal. But it actually went into an actual dark age where the industry looked like it might collapse.
I stick to the consensus opinion that the Modern Age begins in 1985 and continues to present day. Although, I do acknowledge there's a debate concerning whether the Modern Age should be broken down into other ages such as the Dark Age or the Copper Age or the Postmodern Age or Digital...you get the idea.
Oh, and I do go into detail about that time period in the video called "Holograms And Glow In The Dark Doom"
ruclips.net/video/BRXQpOsDo1c/видео.html
(Edited to add link.)
@@StrangeBrainParts Pretty sure I've seen it before. I've been aware of your channel for a good long while, I've had a few binge days, but it's worth watching again.
Yeah, there's clearly more than one "age" between 1985 and 2023. Several, even. The appearance of Image Comics marks the start of one of them for certain, although the roots of it start a bit farther back when the Image creators were still working for other companies.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Man do I love seeing the comics I read and still might have .
I always thought the death of Gwen Stacy was the end of the silver age.
9:56 Excuse me? Did you just suggest that Godzilla was a short-lived trend? Marvel's comic flopped pretty quickly, but that has nothing to do with the ongoing success and longevity of the IP. Much like the godawful 90s Godzilla, a lousy US misinterpretation of the character failed to do any lasting harm to his overall popularity, and he's bigger than ever these days.
Doesn't even say anything about G's suitability to the Western comics market. Dark Horse sure hasn't had any trouble selling books about him.
This is a great little series, and is very important history for comic fans.
Thanks!
Happy New Year to you.
...JpD...
Yes. Keep doing random thoughts.
Imagine GI Comics Haunted Tank being published today 😂
You did see the 2008 mini-series, right? That could do with more content - Jamal was a good character and they took the racist BS and called it out for what it was.
Harkening back to the golden age for a sec, even though it was way before my birth and he had passed I wonder what kind of debate might have transpired between psychiatrist Drs William Moulton Marsten,the creator of Wonder Woman, and Frederick Wertham, authot of Seduction of the Innocent, in regards to comic books.
🧐
That would have been an interesting conversation. I'm sure Dr. Marsten would have given Dr. Wertham some valuable insight into certain types of imagery and their effect :)
Pretty one-sided conversation after Marsten's partners hold Wertham down and force a ball gag in his mouth.
"Let's talk about your research standards, Freddy."
video is good, thank you for that but subs are close man, can u activate it?
Random thoughts good 👍
Thanks!
Thank you very much!
Thanks!
Wow! Thank you very much!