Editing Golden Age of Comic Books (section)

===World War II===
[[File:WhizComicsNo02.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Comic-book cover with a caped, red-costumed Captain Marvel throwing a car into a wall|''[[Whiz Comics]]'' #2 (Feb. 1940), with the first appearance of [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]]<br><small>Cover art by [[C. C. Beck]]</small>]]
Between 1939 and 1941 Detective Comics and its sister company, [[All-American Publications]], introduced popular superheroes such as [[Batman]] and [[Dick Grayson|Robin]], [[Wonder Woman]], [[Flash (Jay Garrick)|The Flash]], [[Alan Scott|Green Lantern]], [[Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson)|Doctor Fate]], the [[Atom (Al Pratt)|Atom]], [[Hawkman (Carter Hall)|Hawkman]], [[Green Arrow]] and [[Aquaman]].<ref name=":1">{{cite book|author1=Various|title=The DC Comics Rarities Archives, Vol. 1|date=January 19, 2005|publisher=[[DC Comics]]|location=New York, New York|isbn=1401200079|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/dccomicsrarities0001unse}}</ref> [[Timely Comics]], the 1940s predecessor of [[Marvel Comics]], had million-selling titles featuring the [[Human Torch (android)|Human Torch]], the [[Sub-Mariner]], and [[Captain America]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Vernon Madison|first1=Nathan|title=Anti-Foreign Imagery in American Pulps and Comic Books, 1920–1960|date=January 3, 2013|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0786470952|pages=107–108}}</ref> Although DC and Timely characters are well remembered today, circulation figures suggest that the best-selling superhero title of the era was [[Fawcett Comics]]' ''[[Captain Marvel Adventures]]'' with sales of about 1.4 million copies per issue. The comic was published biweekly at one point to capitalize on its popularity.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Morse|first1=Ben|title=Thunderstruck|journal=[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]|date=July 2006|issue=179}}</ref> Another notable series was ''[[Spirit (comics character)|The Spirit]]'' by [[Will Eisner]], which deviated from the usual publishing model of the period as a weekly multi-page supplement in the [[Register and Tribune Syndicate]] newspapers for which Eisner held the copyright, a rare consideration for creators of that period.

Patriotic heroes donning red, white, and blue were particularly popular during the time of the Second World War following the [[Shield (Archie Comics)|Shield]]'s debut in 1940.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Madrid|first1=Mike|title=Divas, Dames & Daredevils: Lost Heroines of Golden Age Comics|date=September 30, 2013|publisher=Exterminating Angel Press|location=Minneapolis, MN|page=29}}</ref> Many heroes of this time period battled the [[Axis powers]], with covers such as ''[[Captain America Comics]]'' #1 ([[cover-date]]d March 1941) showing the title character punching [[Nazi]] leader [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Captain America Comics (1941) #1|url=http://marvel.com/comics/issue/7849/captain_america_comics_1941_1|website=[[Marvel Comics]]|access-date=March 21, 2016}}</ref>

As comic books grew in popularity, publishers began launching titles that expanded into a variety of genres. [[Dell Comics]]' non-superhero characters (particularly the licensed [[Walt Disney]] [[animation|animated-character]] comics) outsold the superhero comics of the day.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Benton|first1=Mike|title=The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History|date=November 1989|publisher=Taylor Publishing Company|location=Dallas, Texas|isbn=0878336591|page=158}}</ref> The publisher featured licensed movie and literary characters such as [[Mickey Mouse]], [[Donald Duck]], [[Roy Rogers]] and [[Tarzan]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Duncan|first1=Randy|last2=J. Smith|first2=Matthew|title=Icons of the American Comic Book: From Captain America to Wonder Woman, Volume 1|date=January 29, 2013|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|location=Santa Barbara, California|isbn=978-0313399237|pages=193–201}}</ref> It was during this era that noted Donald Duck writer-artist [[Carl Barks]] rose to prominence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcj.com/reviews/donald-duck-lost-in-the-andes-2/|title=Donald Duck "Lost in the Andes" &#124; The Comics Journal|publisher=Tcj.com|date=January 24, 2012|access-date=November 16, 2015}}</ref> Additionally, [[Archie Comics|MLJ]]'s introduction of [[Archie Andrews]] in ''[[Pep Comics]]'' #22 (December 1941) gave rise to [[teen humor comics]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nadel|first1=Dan|title=Art Out of Time: Unknown Comics Visionaries, 1900–1969|date=Jun 1, 2006|publisher=[[Abrams Books]]|location=New York|isbn=0810958384|page=[https://archive.org/details/artoutoftimeunkn00nade/page/8 8]|url=https://archive.org/details/artoutoftimeunkn00nade/page/8}}</ref> with the Archie Andrews character remaining in print well into the 21st century.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Telling|first1=Gillian|title=Mark Waid discusses 'overwhelmingly positive' reaction to Archie Andrews' new look after 75 years of Archie|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/06/after-75-years-archie-andrews-gets-new-look|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=[[Time Inc.]]|access-date=March 29, 2016|date=July 6, 2015}}</ref>

At the same time in Canada, American comic books were prohibited importation under the ''War Exchange Conservation Act''<ref>{{Cite canlaw|short title=The War Exchange Conservation Act, 1940|abbr =S.C.|year =1940-41|chapter = 2|link= https://archive.org/stream/actsofparl194041v01cana#page/6/mode/2up}}</ref> which restricted the importation of non-essential goods. Canadian publishers responded to this lack of competition by producing titles of their own, informally called the [[Canadian Whites]]. While these titles flourished during the war, they did not survive the lifting of trade restrictions afterwards.