DC Comics and Marvel

Comic giants DC Comics and Marvel were the pioneers of magazines dedicated to serialised comic strips. Before that, comic strips were published in various newspapers with varying regularity. National Allied Publications (one of three companies later to become DC Comics) set the ball in motion when it published New Fun in 1935 – the first ‘funny book’ to contain wholly original material rather than compilations of newspaper strips.

Another DC Comics predecessor company, Detective Comics, was created in 1937. A year later, artists Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster created Superman, the first character to possess superhuman powers. Others, such as Batman and Flash Gordon, followed Superman with equal overwhelming success. These companies merged in the ‘30s to become National Comics and, in 1945, bought All-American Publications to become National Periodical Publications. The name ‘DC Comics’ was just a logo that appeared on the comics from this time on and didn’t become the company’s official name until the 1970s. Marvel Comics was created in 1939, making its name with Spiderman and The Incredible Hulk. However, it was Captain America's creation in 1941 that captured the popular imagination of Americans during WWII. Captain America was a character inspired by another superhero created in 1940 named The Shield.

At this time of heightened patriotism, DC Comics took a gamble, concentrating on imaginary ‘super villains’ while Marvel identified more with real adversaries, such as the Nazis or the Soviets. Marvel’s settings were more realistic, usually taking place in cities like Washington and New York. DC Comics used imaginary cities like Gotham and Metropolis.