I was fortunate in my roots...grew up reading comics in the very late 1960s & 1970s. All genres--- from funny animal to scary stuff to war to western to superhero jazz--- were still well represented with quality story & art. Crime was the exception, with Kirby's IN THE DAYS OF THE MOB almost the lone wolf. Early Marvel was readily accessible via reprint, and so were '50s Atlas...and Golden Age DC, for it was the era of 52-page Giants and 100-page Super Spectaculars. There were multiple sizes and formats, including the black & white magazines and the tabloid size treasuries. Veterans like John Buscema, Alex Toth, Robert Kanigher, Joe Kubert and Jack Kirby were at one of their several zeniths, and there was terrific young talent like Thomas, O'Neil, Smith, Wrightson, Kaluta and Garcia-Lopez. Foreign cartoonists were making a splash American waters, too--- particularly the Filipinos who followed Tony Dezuniga to the U.S.--- Nino, Alcala, Panaligan, Redondo and many more. It was a time that couldn't help but instill a broad and deep appreciation for this storytelling art we love. The comics are a very different industry now. The styles are inspired more by TV and movies than by any other arts...the business operates on a completely different model (specialty shop vs. the once-ubiquitous spinner rack), supported by a very different audience. Much has been lost. But there have been great gains, too, especially in terms of creative rights, and we mustn't forget them. Comics are still with us, and that's a GOOD thing.
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