Cyborgs in Comics: A Historical Survey from 1960s to 2010s
An article from art press 2 published in 2012 examines the evolution of cyborg figures in comics from the 1960s through 2012. In the 1960s, British comic The Steel Claw (Jesus Blasco) introduced a scientist equipped with a metal hand. Meanwhile, Japan's Cyborg 009 (1963) showcased nine cyborg rebels, becoming the most popular sci-fi manga of the decade and the first to be translated into French in 1967. Robotman made his debut in DC's The Doom Patrol in 1967. The 1970s brought Marvel's Deathlok (Rich Buckler, 1974), a soldier from a post-apocalyptic world. In 1980, Cyborg was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez for DC's New Teen Titans. The 1990s witnessed a blend of mutants and cyborgs, while Japanese manga delved into more reflective portrayals of cyborgs. Blogger Boulet raised questions about prosthetics potentially exceeding natural limits.
Key facts
- The Steel Claw was drawn by Jesus Blasco for British weekly Valiant.
- Cyborg 009 was created by Shotaro Ishinomori in 1963.
- Cyborg 009 was the first manga translated into French, in 1967.
- Robotman from The Doom Patrol is a brain in a metal body.
- Deathlok was created by Rich Buckler for Marvel in 1974.
- Cyborg from New Teen Titans debuted in 1980.
- Gunnm is a 1,800-page manga by Yukito Kishiro.
- Ghost in the Shell was adapted into an animated film.
Entities
Artists
- Jesus Blasco
- Shotaro Ishinomori
- Osamu Tezuka
- Rich Buckler
- Marv Wolfman
- George Pérez
- Marc Silvestri
- Yukito Kishiro
- Masamune Shirow
- Naoki Yokouchi
- Buichi Terasawa
- Boulet
Institutions
- Valiant
- DC Comics
- Marvel Comics
- Glénat
- Artima
- Arédit
- Semic
- Panini
- Pika
- Dynamic Visions
- Delcourt
- Gemini/de l'Occident
- Opera Mundi
- art press
Locations
- Europe
- United States
- Japan
- Spain
- France
- New York
- England
Sources
- artpress —