Fantasy comics

History

In the American market, fantasy comics began in the Golden Age of Comic Books, which was populated with notable works such as All-American Publications (and later DC Comics). Greek myth inspired super heroes including Wonder Woman and Dell's Tarzan.

Starting in the late 1940s, horror-themed fantasy anthologies gained prominence, including EC Comics' Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, and Vault of Horror; and titles such as American Comics Group Adventures into the Unknown and Forbidden Worlds. This trend faded with the publication of Dr. Fredric Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent, which led to a Senate hearing that claimed a purported relationship between comics and juvenile violence. Fantasy comics survived in this new atmosphere, though in a diminished capacity.

Fantasy-themed super heroes continued to populate comics through the 1950s and regained popularity in the 1960s with such characters as Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange published by Marvel Comics and Jack Kirby's Thor.

In the 1970s, Conan the Barbarian, created by Robert E. Howard, became one of the most popular publications of Marvel Comics.

In the 1990s, The Sandman, created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg took comics on a more literary path.