The Great Depression, a severe economic decline, was one of the worst time periods throughout American history. During this time period twenty five percent, thirteen to fifteen million, of Americans were out of work. Many people starved; others lost their homes and farms (CITE THIS). People did anything possible to escape reality; they went to sporting events, watched movies, and read comics. It was very evident the moral was at an all time low throughout the country. America needed someone or something to boost the spirits of the American people. And in 1934, Lee Falk did so by creating the first superhero ever, Mandrake the Magician. According to (CITE THIS) he is a magician who engages his enemies, such as gangsters, extraterrestrial life, and mad scientists, by hypnotizing and illusion casting them. This sketch alone raised the moral of the American people…show more content… It gave people the opportunity to forget about all the negative problems surrounding them and actually be happy about something. From then on the comic book world boomed. Superman was created four years later in 1938. In 1946, 540 million comic books were sold. Since the creation of the first superhero, they have impacted society in both negative and positive ways.
Recently parents have been forbidding their kids from watching superhero cinema. They believe these superheroes are sending the wrong message to their kids. They think today’s movie superheroes are much different from the older comic book superheroes. According to Sharon Lamb, “The comic book heroes of the past did fight criminals, but these were heroes boys could look up to and learn from because outside of their costumes, they were real people with real problems and many vulnerabilities.” From the same interview Sharon Lamb also makes a great point by stating "Today’s superhero is too