# Comic characters aging in real time. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 5, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744 "2009-10-05T23:14:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/1 "2009-10-05T23:14:12Z")
Off the top of my head, I can only really think of John Constantine and the Punisher (I think it’s true for Frank, anyway) as aging in relative real time. I got to thinking about this thanks to the other current thread on comic time, so I wondered what other characters out there have aged to the times they’ve appeared in comics. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/2 "2009-10-05T23:21:47Z")
Gasoline Alley, although there was a time in the 70s-80s when the characters stopped aging, but Skeezix was a little baby when he was introduced, and has grandkids now. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/3 "2009-10-05T23:24:48Z")
The Astro City universe seems to age in real time. Astra was in grade school the last time we saw her. She just graduated college. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/4 "2009-10-05T23:25:41Z")
Doonesbury, AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/5 "2009-10-06T00:23:51Z")
If you want to count (relatively) short-lived series, Y: The Last Man moved along in real time. I guess Magneto would have to age, since being at Auschwitz is so tied to his character. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/6 "2009-10-06T01:52:19Z")
For Better or For Worse came close. But then they had time get a “do-over”. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/7 "2009-10-06T01:59:09Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Doonesbury, AFAIK. True since the 80’s, before that the characters were “frozen in time” as students at Walden (which is why the characters are presently about a decade younger then you’d expect from having been in college during Vietnam.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/8 "2009-10-06T03:48:10Z")
I’m not sure what to think about _Luann_ and _Zits_. Luann’s brother apparently graduated high school a few years back, and Luann herself isn’t the geeky middleschooler she used to be, but she seems stuck in 11th grade or something. Jeremy of _Zits_ recently got his driver’s license, which in most states means he’s 16, but like Luann he’s been in high school for like forever. If I try to make things completely consistent my brain threatens to explode. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/9 "2009-10-06T08:47:08Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > I guess Magneto would have to age, since being at Auschwitz is so tied to his character. He got rejuvenated (at least once) The Minutemen/Watchmen definitely aged (except Dr Manhattan) - it’s a plot point with Manhattan’s first girlfriend getting older, but also the other characters. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/10 "2009-10-06T12:25:03Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > The Minutemen/Watchmen definitely aged (except Dr Manhattan) - it’s a plot point with Manhattan’s first girlfriend getting older, but also the other characters. Not in real time though. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/11 "2009-10-06T12:50:07Z")
True, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/12 "2009-10-06T14:25:03Z")
Marvel Comics’ _The 'Nam_, at least as originally planned, followed PFC Edward Marks in approximately real time, with character growth/aging and such promised in monthly installments over a time frame paralleling the actual war. Marvel kept their word for a while, but seemed to give up the conceit 3 or 4 years in, tossing in the Punisher to revive sales, and eventually giving up on the series about 6 years in. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/13 "2009-10-06T15:17:51Z")
Funky Winkerbean. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/14 "2009-10-06T15:19:55Z")
> [@Fetchund](#): > > For Better or For Worse came close. But then they had time get a “do-over”. We do not speak of this “do-over.” All the characters died in a freak accident at Elizabeth’s wedding, with a second merciful freak accident at the hospital to take out poor pathetic Grandpa Jim at last. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/15 "2009-10-06T16:48:38Z")
I haven’t read a single panel of the “new” FBOFW. It had it’s run, I really liked it(mostly), but I don’t think it’s fair to start over. I wonder if it will last. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-characters-aging-in-real-time/512744/16 "2009-10-06T17:57:13Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Luann’s brother apparently graduated high school a few years back, and Luann herself isn’t the geeky middleschooler she used to be, but she seems stuck in 11th grade or something. ISTR reading that those characters have started aging but very slowly. Something like one year for every three.