| In part 2 of comic books history I'll be covering the first | | | | the first monthly published comic came out. The date |
| half of the Platinum age. The second half will be in the | | | | on the cover was simply January and was 10 cents. |
| last installment.The Platinum age started with a book | | | | The format was 8 1/2 by 9. The title was "Comics |
| that came out in 1897 titled "The Yellow Kid in | | | | Monthly" and only lasted 12 issues. Each issue featured |
| McFadden's Flats." It was 196 pages long and in black | | | | a different King Features comic character. The |
| and white. The cost was 50 cents and was published | | | | characters featured during this 12 month run were |
| by G. W. Dillingham Company. It was actually part of a | | | | "Polly and Her Pals", "Mike and Ike", whom the candy |
| series Dillingham did on American authors. The phrase | | | | was named after, "S'Matter Pop", "Barney Google", |
| "comic book" was actually coined with this printing as | | | | "Tillie the Toiler", "Indoor Sports", "Little Jimmy", "Toots |
| the phrase was written on the back cover.In 1899 a | | | | and Casper", "Foolish Questions" and "Barney Google |
| "Funny Books" comic came out which featured the | | | | and Spark Plug." These were all reprints of comics |
| format that became the traditional comic book format | | | | originally printed in 1921.In 1926 the forever popular "Little |
| of the Platinum age. It was hard cover and very large | | | | Orphan Annie" was first published by Cupples and |
| at 16 1/2 by 12 inches. The book was created by F.M. | | | | Leon in 7 by 9 format. These were printed in both hard |
| Howarth, but published by E.P. Dutton. It was a black | | | | and soft cover and were 60 cents each.It wasn't until |
| and white collection of reprints from the Puck | | | | 1929 that Dell, one of the soon to be larger comic book |
| magazine.It wasn't until 1901 that the first color comic | | | | publishers, got into the act. Their first comic was called |
| book came out. It was called "The Blackberries" and | | | | "The Funnies" and was done in tabloid size format. The |
| was 9 by 12 in hardcover.Around that same time, what | | | | comic was 16 pages and sold for 10 cents. It was sold |
| became the most used format for comic books at 17 | | | | at news stands along with the newspapers. What |
| by 11 inches, came out. Some of the early titles of this | | | | was unique about this comic was that it was done in 4 |
| format were "The Katzenjammer Kids", "Little Nemo" | | | | colors and was not a collection of reprints but original |
| and "Happy Hooligan." It was during this time that the | | | | comics.In 1930 Walt Disney also got into comic books |
| first "Buster Brown" comic was created, the character | | | | with the "Mickey Mouse Book" published by Bibo and |
| from which the Buster Brown shoes were made. As a | | | | Lang. It was 9 by 12 and 20 pages long. Inside the |
| matter of fact because of the success of Buster | | | | comic were also games, stories and songs. This was |
| Brown many companies used the comic to sell their | | | | really more a magazine than a comic and it really |
| merchandise.In 1910 the now popular "Mutt and Jeff" | | | | wasn't until 1931 that the first true Mickey Mouse comic |
| came out with a new format, the reprinting of daily | | | | came out. It was 32 pages long, 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 and |
| strips in black and white. The book was still hard cover | | | | published by David McKay Company. Over 50,000 |
| but was 15 by 5 inches. It was published by Ball | | | | copies of this comic were published. Between 1931 and |
| Publishing and 5 volumes were published.Then in 1919, | | | | 1933 there were a number of Mickey Mouse based |
| Publisher Cupples & Leon used a different format. | | | | comics that were published.In the last issue we'll go |
| They were 10" by 10" with 4 panels per page. They | | | | over the years of 1933 to 1938. The reason for |
| were black and white, 52 pages for 25 cents. Titles | | | | devoting one issue to only 6 years is because it was |
| and characters used for these books was "Mutt & | | | | during this time that comic book publishing really took |
| Jeff" and "Bringing up Father."It wasn't until 1922 that | | | | off and comics started coming out of the woodwork. |