Universes

[Donald D. Markstein]

All this talk about the Carl Barks Universe and the Don Rosa Universe and
whatnot reminds me of a rather vexing question I've been wondering about.

This usage of the word "universe", meaning a fictional milieu in which a set
of ongoing characters operates (e.g., Marvel Comics Universe, Star Trek
Universe) is relatively recent. Does anyone here (or anywhere else) know
where it started?

The reason I'm asking is, there's a chance >> I << might have originated it.
A year or two ago, someone asked me if an article I wrote in CAPA-alpha in
1970 might have been the first use of the word in that sense, and I had to
confess, I don't know.

I'm pretty sure I hadn't heard it used that way before writing the article.
Also, my roommate at the time, Rick Norwood (now publisher of Comics Revue
magazine, the best ongoing source for reprints of American newspaper
comics), was (and remains) a math professor; and I was much closer then to
my own college years, when I majored in math. So Rick and I were accustomed
to talking about "universes" of this and that.

And it's quite plausible that something in an article in CAPA-alpha in 1970
could have spread through the comics community fairly quickly, as membership
included some very prominent members of the community.

But there's no way I can be ABSOLUTELY SURE I was the first to use it that
way -- unless, of course, an earlier use of it should turn up, and so far,
none has.

Tho I'm now slightly embarrassed at having written it (I was 23 years old at
the time), I've posted it on the Web, hoping someone might be able to
provide further information. The URL is
http://www.toonopedia.com/universe.htm

I realize this is rather a forlorn hope, but does anyone know anything about
this?

Quack, Don

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