Chemistry in the Comics Part 2. Classic Chemistry Henry A. Carter
Camrose Lutheran College, Camrose, AB, Canada, T4V 2R3 Classics Illustrated comics were first published in 1941by Albert Kanter and his Gilberton Company in an attempt to introduce the great literary classics to children via a comic book format. During the years from 1941 to 1971, over 1350 different printings of the 169 titles of Classics Illustrated were published in more than a dozen different countries and languages ( I ) . Tbe popularity of Classics nlustrated comics during the decades of the 1940's,1950's, and the 1960's is indicated by the publication of over 800 million copies. In addition to the main series of Classics Illustrated, other publications were produced by the Gilberton Company. A special educational series entitled Classics Illustrated Special Issues began in 1955. followed bv vet another series in 1958 entitled The ori id Around L k ~ a n ofy these comics featured scientific themes, including atomic theory and other topics in chemis-
Table 1.
Number of Issue
Date of Ism
Blwra~hlcalTaoic Joseph Prlestlep Charles Martin Halla Wlillam Murdock' Charles Stelnmetr Louis Slotin' Marie SklodowskaCurie' Thomas Edison Eli Whitney Roben Fultm Alexis Carrel Charles Darwin Albert Einsteins Michael Faradaya Isaac Newton The Wright Bromers Luther Burbank Elizabeth Blackwell Galileo Galllei George Westinghome Wlihelm Kanrad Roentgena Wllliam Gargas Henry BessemeP Antoine Lauren1 LavoisleP Joseph Llster William Harvey John Flarnsteed
92
October 1946 December 1946 January 1947 February 1947 March 1947 Aprll 1947 May 1947 June 1947 August 1947 September 1947 October 1947 November 1947 December 1947 January 1948 Aprll 1948 May 1946 June 1946 July 1946 August 1948 September 1948 October 1948 November 1946 December 1946 January 1949 February 1949 March 1949 Aprll 1949 May 1949 June 1949 July 1949 August 1949 September 1949 October I949 November 1949 December 1949 January 1950 February 1950 March 1950 April 1950 May 1950 June 1950 July 1950 August 1950 September 1950 October 1950 November 1950 December I950 January 1951 February 1951 Aprll 1951 May 1951 June 1951 July 1951 August 1951 September 1951 October 1951 December 1951 February 1952
trv ..d.
The value of Classics Illustrated comics goes far bevond the comic book adaptation of some 169 novels written b .
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The P l o n w r s of Sclence Serles from Classlcs Illustrated Comlcs
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Archimedes Alexander Graham Bell Edgewanh David Slmon Lake John Raebling Carolus Linnaeus Marchsse Marcon1 Richard Gatling Bialse Pascal Thomas Wedgwwd Phldias Johann Ovtenberg Edward L. Trudeau Alfred Bernhard Nobels Baron Gotmied Lelbnilz Fythagoras Roald Amundaen Samuel Langley Frledrich Humboidt Friedrich Froebel Johannes Kepler Gonlleb Daimler Charles Goodyea? Eiias Howe Nicholas Copernlcus Edward Jenner Robert Wiiheim Bunsen' Euclid Richard Arkwright Cvrus MoCormick
H a v e made wnblbutionr to the science of chemlrtry.
118
Journal of Chemlcal Education
has also been argued in the past that the history of chemistry is not only important to the education of chemistry students, but that it can humanize a discipline that is often construed by students as being somewhat dogmatic and impersonal (7-10). While the history of chemistry is hest taught through a formal course, historical footnotes and anecdotes can add much to the enjoyment of standard chemistry courses and provide a human element to the topic a t hand. Interestingly enough, a source of information on the lives of many famous chemists can be found in the Classics Illustrated publications. The majority of the Classics Illustrated comics contained "filler" articles that were found a t the end of each story. A series of such articles entitled "Pioneers of Science" was published between the years 1946 and 1951. The topics of this series, which featured the biographies of many scientists and chemists, are listed in Table 1. The biographies of scientists who have made contributions to chemistry are marked with an asterisk. Only some of these articles and their relevance to the teaching of chemistry will he discussed here. The Hall process for the production of aluminum is often discussed in general chemistry courses as an application of electrolytic cells. Students are always interested in the dramatic impact that the Hall process made on the market value of aluminum. The effect of the Hall process on the aluminum industry, along with the biography of Charles Martin Hall, is related in "Pioneers of Science" as found in Classics Illustrated No. 32 (1946). In addition, the properties of aluminum and its preparation from clay are described. During the mid-18009s,aluminum was considered t o he a precious metal, comFigure 2. The covers of the Classics Special Issues featuring scientific themes. (Copyright 1957. 1960. manding a huge price of $550 per 1961 Gilberton Company.) pound in 1852. As a result of Hall's discovery of the electrolytic isolation of aluminum in 1886. the mice of aluminum dropped to $2 per pound. The effamous authors. A wealth of information can be found in fect of Hall's electrolytic cell in revolutionizing the aluminum industry has only recently appeared in this Journal these comics on such diverse topics as science, literature, history, opera, sports, and biographies of important people (10. throughout the ages. Recently, much of this information has The life story of Joseph Priestley is described in Classics IllustratedNo. 31 (1946). Priestley was a clergyman who did been extensively itemized and indexed (2). In addition, the some of his experiments in a brewery, including the discovcovers of Classics Illustrated comics have been used as a ery of carbon dioxide ("fixed air") as evolved from fermentavisual effect for aseries of made-for-TV movies based on the tion vats. Priestley's most famous experiment involved the classics, and recently, in an episode ("Marva in the Key of Cee") of the TV show, Rags to Riches. focussing of sunlight on mercuric oxide to produce oxygen References to the science of chemistry as found in comic eas. While Priestlev is eenerallv eiven credit for the discovhooks have been previously presented in Part 1of this series ery of oxygen (1774, i t rs likely ;
