Although the official birth of the comic book genre was in 1933 with Famous Funnies, which was the first professional comic book collection to be published, the art form has earlier origins. In 1837, The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck was published in hardcover form by Rudolphe Topffer. Although the forty-page book was made in a considerably different format from what modern comic readers are used to, it served as inspiration for the comic book drawings of the early 1930s. By far the earliest successful comic book creator was Joe Shuster, creator of the Superman comic franchise. The first Superman comic was published in 1938, and the simplistic art style combined with the over-the-top plot elements catapulted the genre into the limelight. American audiences of the day responded well to the superhero archetype that was an echo of Nietzsche’s Superman theory. Because of such complex themes, comics were and continue to be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The superhero trend didn’t stop with Superman. Bob Kane and Bill Finger collaborated to create the Batman character in 1939. Batman introduced newer and darker themes to the comic book industry, starting a trend of dramatic writing and shadowy art that continues to be popular today. The universes of the original comic book art may have expanded significantly, but the major themes of heroism, secret identities, and the conflict between good and evil remain largely the same.
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