One of the curiosities that many nerds may have is how marvel comics came about. After all, even before having the rights to the heroes bought by Disney, Marvel was already known worldwide. Heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America and Hulk live and have lived in the popular imagination forever. You will be surprised to discover that the story goes back a long time and has gone through so many details and mishaps that it doesn't even seem like it is one of the most valuable brands today.
Marvel Comics began in 1939 as Timely Publications, founded by martin goodman. The company published comic books that spanned diverse genres, such as superheroes, westerns, romance, and horror. At the time, western stories were the epitome of pop culture, super powerful heroes were a not-so-welcoming novelty.
In 1961, the company changed its name to Marvel Comics and the chief editor Stan Lee began creating a series of characters with superpowers, such as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Thor and Iron Man. These characters revolutionized the comic book industry, featuring complex characters with personal issues and flaws, as well as more realistic storylines. Although created to entertain a younger audience, the heroes demonstrated incredible humanity, in addition to talking directly to the problems of the time.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Marvel Comics grew in popularity and influence, becoming one of the world's leading comic book publishers. The company also expanded into other media such as television, film and video games. Currently, Marvel is a subsidiary of walt disney company and continues to create new characters and stories for comic book and pop culture fans alike.
That's why for many the excitement about heroes and their problems can seem like a recent thing. But for comic book fans, the taste for seeing heroes and villains battle it out goes back many, many years and is far from just passing.
