Obscure Comics

November 2, 2019 Amjad Yassine

Introduction

There have been comics whose existence some to most of us have probably dumped out of our memories and left in a cabinet. We might have sold them off to someone or to a flea market. I would like to give a ride back to the past comics that may (or may not) have impacted children (those BRATS), along with the young and the old adults from most generations to the new silent generation. If you’re up for comic redemption, stick around for what happens next.

Quick Run-though

Oh. The good old days, when DC Comics went through their Action Comics and Detective Comics phrases before getting its iconic name, along with Marvel starting as Atlas Comics before getting to where they are today as Marvel, having graced this world with phenomenal stories and stories we just want to dump hate on. Many are led to believe DC Comics gave life to the comic world. It made the comic world popular, but it wasn’t the first… that, you’re about to find out.

Thy Comic Ancestors

Before the comic powerhouses such as DC Comics and Marvel Comics of any form (book, strip, etc) was released to the world decades before the 20th century, there came a book with hand-drawn pictures, Rodolphe Topffer. And it runs with the name of…
*glances at the book title*

(That. Just that).

This comic is said to be THE first comic book to come to this world. It has many things that most comics in the future would need to have success. Naming some:

Well-made designs
Compelling (enough) characters
A full (but bizarre) plot!

Sure, they still exist in this century of writing! Speaking of this century: this comic was made and published in 1837. Yup, the first comic ever is 18 years away from becoming two centuries old. Even for a bizarre plot… if anything, Histoire De M. Vieux-Bois (despite its semi-senseless plot) built the way for other comics to come.

Fun Fact(s):

If we switch from comics to manga for a moment: the first manga technically came in the 12th century, though it’s only a claim by a Japanese artist.

Many state Superman was the first superhero to be shown to the world. While he was the first popular superhero, some say the title of being the first superhero was Hugo Hercules for comic strips, while Mandrake the Magician was the superhero for comic books.

“My name is Amjad Yassine, I like to read fantasy stories, I think of, and most of all, I’m a huge learning nerd/geek (pick nerd or geek, not both… or both). I seek to bring my fantasy worlds to life.”