The
Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream
American comic books, predominantly those in the
superhero genre. Following the
Golden Age of Comic Books and an
interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the period from 1956 to circa 1970, and was succeeded by the
Bronze and
Modern Ages. A number of important comics writers and artists contributed to the early part of the era, including writers
Stan Lee,
Gardner Fox,
John Broome, and
Robert Kanigher, and artists
Curt Swan,
Jack Kirby,
Gil Kane,
Steve Ditko,
Mike Sekowsky,
Gene Colan,
Carmine Infantino,
John Buscema, and
John Romita, Sr. By the end of the Silver Age, a new generation of talent had entered the field, including writers
Denny O'Neil,
Gary Friedrich,
Roy Thomas, and
Archie Goodwin, and artists such as
Neal Adams,
Herb Trimpe,
Jim Steranko, and
Barry Windsor-Smith.