Quality and Fawcett Comics would eventually sell off their properties to DC, but for now, they're their own thing trying to put out quality (natch!) product...
From Captain Marvel: "Sivana Strikes Again!" by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, Whiz Comics #3A (March 1940)
Not sure Sivana understands the U.S.A.'s political system, but at least he believes in science...
From The Doll Man: "The Bomber Engine Robberies" by Will Eisner and Lou Fine, Feature Comics #30 (March 1940)
Quality sure did love its small square panels. More story per page, certainly. But when the only scans are microfiche, they look horrendous. Doll Man like a giant on a map though? Cool visual. Warrants a bigger panel size!
From Hugh Hazzard and his Iron Man: "Sabotage!" by George E. Brenner, Smash Comics #8 (March 1940)
Better scans are prettier of course, but still, tiny tiny art!
Not sure Sivana understands the U.S.A.'s political system, but at least he believes in science...
Quality sure did love its small square panels. More story per page, certainly. But when the only scans are microfiche, they look horrendous. Doll Man like a giant on a map though? Cool visual. Warrants a bigger panel size!
Better scans are prettier of course, but still, tiny tiny art!
Comments
I'm not certain because I haven't read enough of 'em, but it seems that these older Fawcett capt Marvels had a slightly better age range appeal than many of their contemporaries.
There's certainly a good dose of humour which I reckon is essential with superheroes...
I've certainly noticed a change in narrative methods between the 40's comics to the 60's comics, and certainly a change from then to now. I think the Silver age was comics "literary" peak, use of text panels made them eminently readable, they seem to have dropped from many comics today. As an adult I find a many of the 40's comics too childish to keep my attention and many current comics have no narrative flow (because they try to work like movies instead of books) the 1960's though...! Justice League, Green Lantern, even Stan Lee's swashbuckling banter in the Avengers (Avengers available on archive.org) is perfection for the soul.
I've enjoyed going back to the 40's Wonder Woman, though, and thought in those golden age magazines we see the purest essence of the characters: they're the BIBLE on which every character development has to be judged... are the new writers being true to the original vision? Is the new vision based on a series of lateral developments or on the original? Superman remains the creation of Siegel and Shuster: in truth every new iteration is only a copy, a playing around with someone else's idea.
I read in Wonder Woman #1, 1942 that the Amazons actually DID find an island and name it Paradise Island, because it was a place away from Ares's constant wars. Historic accuracy, that is. Henceforth there shall be no more Themyscira in my heart!
Lastly, I think the native era of our heroes, their heyday, would probably be the 50's.
Look around you, they couldn't exist in today's world. I think all superhero movies should be set in their historically accurate period, with the 1950's being right in the middle of it and a little to either side. I have spoken, this is the only way forward that will really work.
I've just looked him up on Wikipedia and hadn't realised he died last year.
"New Frontier" was beyond fabulous, it does the same thing for me as "The Iron Giant" does.
My illustration/animation tutor came from the US and said IG completely captured the feeling of his own 50's childhood. Even if it IS a portrayal tinted a particular way, WHY NOT!
A fantastic era to DON TIGHTS, I say. All I need is to finish my time machine and I might do JUST THAT.