Wednesday, April 6, 2011

From the Dust Bin: 3D Comics


3D comics are comics whose artwork suggests a three-dimensional quality have periodically popped up over the years. Although there are a couple of varieties, for the most part stereoscopic comics, which have line art published in two colors, are designed to be viewed through specially tinted glasses. When read with these glasses, the comics present various three-dimensional effects. A notable modern practitioner of this style of comic is artist Ray Zone.

The technique has been used since the early 1950s, using carefully constructed line drawings printed in colors appropriate to the filter glasses provided. The first material presented was shorter tales generally from war, horror, or crime & detective genres, similar in content to some modern Japanese manga. Of course, these genres were largely eliminated in the United States by the rise of the Comics Code Authority. Anaglyphed images were of little interest for use in the remaining comics, which emphasized bright and colorful images, unsuited for use with the viewing and production methods available at the time; which were usually red-green rather than red-cyan.

Some of the prominent characters who received the 3-D treatment beginning in 1953 included Abbott and Costello, Batman, Captain 3-D, Felix the Cat, Mighty Mouse, Superman, Sheena Queen of the Jungle, The Three Stooges and Tor.

Tor, who was originally created by Joe Kubert and Norman Maurer, has appeared in the Catacombs several times and he will make a return visit this Saturday, when I will be proud to present a classic Tor story from 3-D Comics #2 (St. John, 1953 series). Break out those glasses now, and come check it out!

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