Hello Fellow Jewelry Aficionados!  The Venue is back,  unveiling yet another extremely hot jewelry craze available: Comic Book Jewelry.  And hot, is actually an understatement and doesn’t completely give comic book jewelry the credit it actually deserves.  So let’s go with an exemplary euphemism here, like Crazy Hot! Let’s just take a look at the current DC and Marvel superhero universe movie production timeline.

This unique timeline emphatically introduces, promotes and incorporates each comic book superhero’s and super-villain’s legacy, while also acquainting each hero or villain with their particular superhero or super-villain alliances as per the current comic book model.  In addition, both DC and Marvel also have united in superhero universe movie productions as per the comic book model, and it looks something like this:

Personally, I love these new, high graphic, digital superhero universe movies, because as a child of the 1970’s the only time I was able to see my favorite superheros, namely Spiderman, Batman and The Hulk, was once a week. Spiderman appeared on Electric Company on Saturday mornings. Batman, starring Adam West, and The Hulk, starring Bill Bixby as David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as The Hulk televised afternoon and evening prime time, respectively.

Nevertheless, as you can see, this fantastic level of superhero universe movie production can only accumulate into one thing: a fantastic level of superhero universe movie products like comic book jewelry.  From DC’s Wonder Woman to Marvel’s Iron Man, there is an overwhelming volume of comic book jewelry to fit every man who finds interest.

 

Author’s Note

In this particular article, although there are a substantial amount and variety comic books, I will mainly concentrate on superhero and supervillain comic book characters. For they are the most popular comic book characters associated with comic book jewelry, besides that of the nostalgic and iconic “Betty Boop” of course.  Nevertheless, I will not include every superhero or supervillain for the list is very extensive, but those that are most recognized and popular today.

I will also say the traditional, typical American comic book is an attenuated periodical consisting of 32- printed pages. Thusly, the first American comic book, The Yellow Kid was created by Richard F. Outcault and first appeared in The New York World on February 17,1895, which sparked a publishing newspaper wave called “yellow journalism”.

In addition, comic book historians classify and categorize comic books by their relevant time periods as follows: Victorian Age (1842–1897), Platinum Age (1897–1938), Golden Age (1938–1945), Atom Age (1945–1956), Silver Age (1956–1971), Bronze Age (1971–1986), and Modern Age (1987 to present).

 

Introducing The Superhero

According to Spiderman co-creator Stan Lee, “A superhero is a person who does heroic deeds and has the ability to do them in a way that a normal person couldn’t. So in order to be a superhero, you need a power that is more exceptional than any power a normal human being could possess, and you need to use that power to accomplish good deeds.” https://blog.oup.com/2013/11/stan-lee-on-what-is-a-superhero

The rise of the superhero literally catapults the Golden Age (1938-1945) of comic books with the introduction of co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster‘s Superman, who appears in DC Action Comics #1 in June/1938. However, contrary to popular belief, Superman is historically not the first superhero on the scene.  The first superhero on the scene is The Phantom created by Lee Falk on February 17, 1936.

 

The Golden Age (1938-1945) superhero timeline is as follows:

• Co-creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger‘s Batman appears in Detective Comics #27 in 1939.
  
• Captain Marvel or “Shazam“ appears in Whiz Comics #2 (cover-dated Feb 1940) in 1939.
• The Comet, the first supero to die, arises in 1940.
• Fantomah, the first superhero woman with superhuman powers, and Woman in Red, created by Richard Hughes and George Mandel are the first women to comic books in 1940.
  
• William Moulton Marston creates the liberated Wonder Woman in 1941.
• Joe Simon and Jack Kirby create Captain America in 1941.
• Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger create DC’s Aquaman in 1941.
• The first superhero team, The Atom, Doctor Fate, Green Lantern, Hawkman,The Flash,The Sandman, Hourman or  Hour-Man, and The Spectre also emerge in 1940.
•  

The Silver Age (1956-1970) superhero timeline is as follows:

• The Flash is reintroduced by DC Comics in 1956.
• Otto Binder and Al Plastino create Supergirl in 1959.
• Stan Lee and Jack Kirby create The Fantastic Four in 1961 by Marvel Comics, formerly Atlas Comics.
• The Spiderman, Thor and Hulk arise in 1962 by Marvel Comics.
• DC Comic’s Ant-Man and Wasp, created by Stan Lee and company, first appear in Tales to Astonish #35 in 1962 and Tales to Astonish #44 in 1963, respectively.
• Doctor Strange is created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee in July 1963.
  
• Iron Man and the X-Men make their first appearances in 1963 by way of The Avengers.
• Jack Kirby introduces the first african-american hero,The Black Panther, originally dubbed Coal Tiger in 1966.

 

The Bronze Age (1970-1985) superhero timeline is as follows:

• DC’s The Swamp Thing is created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson in 1971.
• The Wolverine, one of the premiere X-Men, claws his way into being in 1974.
• The em-path, Raven or Rachel Roth, is created by DC Comics in 1980.
• The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, consisting of Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael is conceptualized by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in 1984.
•  

The Modern Age (1985-Present) superhero timeline is as follows:

• DC Comic’s The Watchmen, created by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins in 1986 and 1987,  is highlighted by six main characters:  Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, the Nite Owl, Ozymandias, Rorschach, and the Silk Spectre.
• “Merc with a mouth” or Deadpool, originally an anti-hero or villian, appears in 1991.
• Demonic superhero Hellboy is created by Mike Mignola in 1993.
• TV hit series Mighty Morpin Power Rangers is morphed into comic books in 1994.
• The Inicredibles, produced by Pixar, premiere in 2004.
• Cyborg, a member of the Teen Titans, is established as a founding member of the Justice League in DC’s 2011.

 

Introducing The Supervillain

According to Wikipedia, “A super villain is a variant of the villainous stock character archetype commonly found in American comic books and sometimes possesses superhuman abilities. A super villain is the antithesis of a superhero. Super villains are often used as foils and could present a daunting challenge to the superhero.

In instances where the super villain does not have superhuman, mystical, or alien powers, the super villain may possess a genius intellect or a skill set that allows them to draft complex schemes or commit crimes in a way normal humans cannot.

Other traits may include a megalomaniac streak and possession of considerable resources to help further their aims. Many super villains share some typical characteristics of real world dictators, gangsters, and terrorists, with aspirations of world domination or universal leadership.”

 

The Golden Age (1938-1945) supervillain timeline is as follows:

• DC’s Clayface is created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in June 1940.
• DC’s Lex Luthor is introduced by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster in April 1940.
  
• Red Skull is created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in October 1941.
• Scarecrow is created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in September 1941.
• Two-face is created by DC’s Bob Kane and Bill Finger in August 1942.
• Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell introduce Vandal Savage in December 1943.
  
• DC’s Mr. Mxyzptlk is created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster in September 1944.
• Alfred Bester and Paul Reinman introduce DC’s Solomon Grundy in October 1944.
• Black Adam is created by DC’s Otto Binder and C.C. Beck in December 1945.

 

The Atom Age (1945-1956) super-villian timeline is as follows:

• Bill Finger and Dick Sprang introduce DC’s Riddler in October 1948.
• DC’s Deadshot is created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed, and Lew Schwartz in June 1950.

 

The Silver Age (1956-1970) supervillain timeline is as follows:

• Brainiac is created by DC’s Curt Swan and Stan Kaye in July 1958.
• DC’s Otto Binder and George Papp introduce Bizarro in October 1958.
• DC’s Gorilla Grodd is created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino in April 1959.
  
• General Zod is created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp in April 1961.
• Sinestro is created by John Broome and Gil Kane in 1962.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduce Doctor Doom in July 1962.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and Larry Lieber introduce Loki in October 1962.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduce Magneto in September 1963.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and Steve Ditko introduce The Vulture in May 1963.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduce Baron Zemo in March 1964.
• DC’s Black Hand is created by John Broome and Gil Kane in 1964.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and Steve Ditko introduce Green Goblin in July 1964.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduce Kang the Conqueror in September 1964.
• DC’s Poison Ivy is created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff in June 1966.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and Gil Kane introduce Abomination in April 1967.
• DC’s Black Manta is created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy in September 1967.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. create Kingpin in 1967.
• Marvel’s Stan Lee and Jack Kirby create Annihilus in 1968.
• Marvel’s Roy Thomas and John Buscema introduce Ultron in 1968.
• Stan Lee and John Buscema create Marvel’s Mephisto in 1968.
• Jack Kirby creates Darkseid in November 1970.

 

The Bronze Age (1970-1985) supervillain timeline is as follows:

• DC’s Ra’s al Ghul is created by Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams in June 1971.
• Marvel’s Jim Starlin introduces the mighty Thanos in 1973.
• Marvel’s Punisher is conceived by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, John Romita Sr. in 1974.
• Marvel’s Bullseye is created by Marv Wolfman and John Romita Sr. in March 1976.
• DC’s Deathstroke is created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez in December 1980.
• Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake introduce DC’s Black Mask in 1985.

 

The Modern Age (1985-Present) super-villain timeline is as follows:

• • Louise Simonson and Jackson Guice create Marvel’s Apocalypse in 1986.
  • Marvel’s Carnage is created by David Michelinie and Mark Bagley in 1992.
  • DC’s Doomsday is introduced by Dan Jurgens in December 1992.
  • DC’s Bane is introduced by Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan and Doug Moench in January 1993.
  • DC’s Parallax is created by John Broome and Gil Kane in 1994.

Can Comic Book Superhero and Super-villain Jewelry Be Considered Keepsakes and Hold Actual Value?

Of course! According to 2-clicks-comics, “People who are into collecting comic books are called “pannapictagraphists”. These people buy rare comic books for various reasons that include personal interest in popular comic book characters, completion of comic book collection, and most especially for financial gain.” So it can be safe to assume that people buy Comic Book Jewelry for these same reasons.

Despite seeming overall diminishing interest in superhero comic books and superhero comic book jewelry as a whole, the digital age has afforded to keep such things of value and interests.  The internet has virtually kept those old comic book superheroes and supervillains alive and viral!  So there, in essence, is no limit to the authenticity and value of Comic Book Jewelry for hopefully years and years to come. Just look and see!

 

Where To Find Comic Book Jewelry Online

There is a long line of Comic Book Jewelry to be found online.  But here are the sites TMJDV found to be more diverse and cost effective in regards to Superhero and Supervillain Jewelry:

• https://www.superherostuff.com/superhero-jewelry.html
• https://www.amazon.com/Supervillains-Clothing-Shoes-Jewelry/s?k=The+Supervillains&rh=n%3A7141123011
• https://whats-your-passion-jewelry.myshopify.com/collections/marvel-necklaces
• https://shop.marvel.com/the-avengers/mn/1001602/
• https://disneyfashionista.com/investigating-marvel-fine-jewelry-discovered-d23-expo-2017/
• https://www.comicbookjewelry.com/collections/marvel-rings/stark