Marvel Collection

“With great power comes great responsibility”

The medium and genre of comics experienced a dramatic emergence at the beginning of the 60s thanks to a new artistic movement: New York pop art. Artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol drew peoples attention to the unique language of comics. There has always been a close relationship between the medium of comics and the artistic avant garde, with many comic artists having long been officially considered artists, and their works as pieces of art. First editions and original covers sell for large amounts at auction. They are popular collectors’ items and remind us of a time when the world could still be saved by melancholic super heroes, some black ink, and an understanding of dynamic colour contrasts.
It was different at the beginning, however. The new comic genre first had to fight against societal prejudices and overcome vehement opposition. In the 1950s German-American psychologist Frederic Wertham argued, in his book “Seduction of the Innocent”, that popular crime comics were the reason for the corruption of youth and their criminal behaviour. It was a while until the atmosphere became more tolerant. In August 1962, a new type of super-hero entered the frame. His power came, in particular, from his humanity. He showed feelings. Sometimes he was sad, sometimes he was angry, and he could fall in love. He was anything but invulnerable. In everyday life he was called Peter Parker, but the world came to know him as The Amazing Spider Man. With enormous, graceful leaps he swung through the shadows of Manhattan in his skin-tight spider costume, fighting crime and battling his enemies
Marvel brought the fight against crime back to the centre of American daily life, making it more visually powerful, more realistic, and closer to the audience. For 12 cents per issue, enthralled fans were able to follow their hero’s every step. The rhythm of pictures, speech bubbles and plot was a success. The hero captivated us with his unforgettable image – Spider Man became, and remains until today, the most popular super hero in the history of comics.
Stephan Reisner