13 REASONS an IRON AGE of COMICS Should Be a Real Thing
The guys behind this podcast certainly believe it… At 13th Dimension, we use four basic “Ages” to define comics’ eras: the Golden Age began in 1938 (or earlier); the Silver Age began in 1956 (starting with Showcase #4); the Bronze Age began in 1970; and, the Modern Age began in 1986, though in each case there’s some overlap. Some collectors and historians use the terms Dark Age, Copper Age and Iron Age to define the earlier parts of the Modern Age. None of have been universally adopted, however, so we tend to stay away from them. But maybe we’re wrong. Certainly, the comics of 1987 can be quite different from those produced today. And the ’90s was a period that pretty much stands on its own. In any event, there’s a podcast called The Iron Age of Comics, which covers 1985 to 2000, and here’s 13th Dimension contributor Jason Czernich with his 13 favorite episodes that, in sum, certainly make the argument that the Iron Age was definitely a thing. — Dan — By JASON CZERNICH In early 2023, Justin Zyduck and Jim Cannon first streamed their signature podcast, The Iron Age of Comics, which, in their words is: “A critical re-evaluation of comic books from about 1985 to 2000… including, of course, the boom and bust of the ’90s! Go beyond the chromium covers and grim ‘n’ gritty cliches for a deeper look at one of the most divisive periods in comics history. (Justin and Jim) share context, commentary, and a few laughs on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.” I have been tuning in since the first episode and have been a loyal listener ever since. The main appeal for me is that it covers the era where my comic book habit was at its height. Recently, I spoke with Justin and Jim over email to get some of their thoughts behind my 13 favorite Iron Age episodes and what went into selecting the subject matter for each one. Here they are, in chronological order: — 1. Episode #0: Defining the Iron Age/Crisis, Dark Knight, & Watchmen, 1/4/23 (Listen/Listen) Justin: I personally love podcasts with introductory episodes that lay out a mission statement and let you get to know where the hosts are coming from, but not everyone does, so we broke ours off into...
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