The Atomic Age kicked off with a bang on July 16, 1945, with the detonation of a test uranium fission bomb at the Alamogordo Test Range in the New Mexico desert, during what's known as the "Golden Age" of comic books and strips. So although it may seem odd in the 21st century to read about nuclear power in the funny pages, it was perhaps inevitable during an age when both were still nascent curiosities.

Following is an example of early comic book artistry being used to explore and explain everything from atomic fission to using said fission to produce electricity. Courtesy of Ethan Persoff at

Slide Show: View the pages of the Power for Progress comic book