A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of
comics
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
art in the form of sequential juxtaposed
panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and written narrative, usually, dialogue contained in
word balloon
Speech balloons (also speech bubbles, dialogue balloons, or word balloons) are a graphic convention used most commonly in comic books, comics, and cartoons to allow words (and much less often, pictures) to be understood as representing a char ...
s emblematic of the comics art form.
"
Comic Cuts
''Comic Cuts'' was a British comic magazine. It was published from 1890 to 1953, lasting for 3006 issues. It was created by the reporter Alfred Harmsworth through his company Amalgamated Press (AP). In its early days, it inspired other publishe ...
" was a British comic published from 1890 to 1953. It was preceded by "
Ally Sloper's Half Holiday
''Ally Sloper's Half Holiday'' was a British comics magazine, first published on 3 May 1884. It is regarded to be the first comic strip magazine to feature a recurring character. Star Ally Sloper, a blustery, lazy schemer often found "sloping" th ...
" (1884) which is notable for its use of sequential cartoons to unfold narrative. These British comics existed alongside of the popular lurid "
Penny dreadfuls" (such as "
Spring-heeled Jack"), boys' "
Story paper
A story paper is a periodical publication similar to a literary magazine, but featuring illustrations and text stories, and aimed towards children and teenagers. Also known in Britain as "boys' weeklies", story papers were phenomenally popular ...
s" and the humorous
Punch (magazine)
''Punch, or The London Charivari'' was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and wood-engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 1850s, when it helped to coin ...
which was the first to use the term "cartoon" in its modern sense of a humorous drawing. The interweaving of drawings and the written word had been pioneered by, among others,
William Blake (1757 - 1857) in works such as Blake's "The Descent Of Christ" (1804 - 1820).
The first modern (American style) comic book, ''
Famous Funnies'', was released in the US in 1934 and was a reprinting of earlier newspaper humor
comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
s, which had established many of the story-telling devices used in comics. The term ''comic book'' derives from
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s once being a compilation of comic strips of a humorous tone; however, this practice was replaced by featuring stories of all genres, usually not humorous in tone.
The largest comic book market is Japan. By 1995, the
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
market in Japan was valued at (), with annual sales of 1.9billion manga books (
tankōbon volumes and
manga magazines) in Japan, equivalent to 15issues per person.
In 2020 the manga market in Japan reached a new record value of ¥612.5 billion due to a fast growth of digital manga sales as well as an increase in print sales. The comic book market in the
United States and
Canada was valued at in 2016. , the largest comic book publisher in the United States is manga distributor
Viz Media, followed by
DC Comics and
Marvel Comics the original feature full length special edition franchises including
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
,
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
,
Wonder Woman,
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
,
the Incredible Hulk and
the X-Men. The best-selling comic book categories in the US are juvenile
children's fiction at 41%, manga at 28% and
superhero comics
Superhero comics are one of the most common genres of American comic books. The genre rose to prominence in the 1930s and became extremely popular in the 1940s and has remained the dominant form of comic book in North America since the 1960s. Su ...
at 10% of the market. Another major comic book market is
France, where
Franco-Belgian comics and Japanese manga each represent 40% of the market, followed by American comics at 10% market share.
Structure
Comic books are reliant on their organization and appearance. Authors largely focus on the frame of the page, size, orientation, and panel positions. These characteristic aspects of comic books are necessary in conveying the content and messages of the author. The key elements of comic books include panels, balloons (speech bubbles), text (lines), and characters. Balloons are usually convex spatial containers of information that are related to a character using a tail element. The tail has an origin, path, tip, and pointed direction. Key tasks in the creation of comic books are writing, drawing, and coloring. There are many technological formulas used to create comic books, including directions, axes, data, and metrics. Following these key formatting procedures is the writing, drawing, and coloring. In the United States, the term ''comic book'', is generally used for comics
periodicals and
trade paperbacks while ''
graphic novel'' is the term used for standalone books.
American comic books
Comics as a print medium have existed in the United States since the printing of ''
The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck'' in 1842 in hardcover, making it the first known American prototype comic book. Proto-comics periodicals began appearing early in the 20th century, with the first comic standard-sized comic being ''
Funnies on Parade
''Funnies on Parade'' is an American publication of 1933 that was a precursor of comic books. The eight-page publication featured reprints of such popular syndicated comic strips as '' The Bungle Family'', '' Joe Palooka'', ''Keeping Up with t ...
''. ''Funnies on Parades'' was the first book that established the size, duration, and format of the modern comic book. Following this was,
Dell Publishing
Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and ...
's 36-page ''Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics'' as the first true newsstand American comic book; Goulart, for example, calls it "the cornerstone for one of the most lucrative branches of magazine publishing".
In 1905 G.W. Dillingham Company published 24 select strips by the cartoonist
Gustave Verbeek
Gustave Verbeek (August 29, 1867 – December 5, 1937) was a Dutch-American illustrator and cartoonist, best known for his newspaper cartoons in the early 1900s featuring an inventive use of word play and visual storytelling tricks.
Biography
V ...
in an anthology book called 'The Incredible Upside-Downs of Little Lady Lovekins and Old Man Muffaroo'. The introduction of
Jerry Siegel and
Joe Shuster's
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
in 1938 turned comic books into a major industry and ushered in the
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and many well-known char ...
. The Golden Age originated the
archetype of the
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
. According to historian
Michael A. Amundson
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
, appealing comic-book characters helped ease young readers' fear of nuclear war and neutralize anxiety about the questions posed by atomic power.
Historians generally divide the timeline of the American comic book into eras. The
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and many well-known char ...
began in 1938, with the debut of Superman in Action Comics #1, published by Detective Comics (predecessor of DC Comics), which is generally considered the beginning of the modern comic book as it is known today. The
Silver Age of Comic Books is generally considered to date from the first successful revival of the then-dormant superhero form, with the debut of the
Flash in ''
Showcase'' #4 (Oct. 1956). The Silver Age lasted through the late 1960s or early 1970s, during which time
Marvel Comics revolutionized the medium with such
naturalistic superheroes as
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and
Jack Kirby's
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
and Lee and
Steve Ditko's
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
. The demarcation between the Silver Age and the following era, the
Bronze Age of Comic Books
The Bronze Age of Comic Books is an informal name for a period in the history of American superhero American comic book, comic books usually said to run from 1970 to 1985. It follows the Silver Age of Comic Books and is followed by the Modern Ag ...
, is less well-defined, with the Bronze Age running from the very early 1970s through the mid-1980s.
The
Modern Age of Comic Books
The Modern Age of Comic Books is a period in the history of American superhero American comic book, comic books which began in 1985 and continues through the present day. During approximately the first 15 years of this period, many comic book cha ...
runs from the mid-1980s to the present day.
A notable event in the history of the American comic book came with psychiatrist
Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham (; born Friedrich Ignatz Wertheimer, March 20, 1895 – November 18, 1981) was a German-American psychiatrist and author. Wertham had an early reputation as a progressive psychiatrist who treated poor black patients at his Lafargue ...
's criticisms of the medium in his book ''
Seduction of the Innocent'' (1954), which prompted the American
Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency
The United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency was established by the United States Senate in 1953 to investigate the problem of juvenile delinquency.
Background
The subcommittee was a unit of the United States Senate Judiciary Co ...
to investigate comic books. Wertham claimed that comic books were responsible for an increase in juvenile delinquency, as well as potential influence on a child's sexuality and morals. In response to attention from the government and from the media, the US comic book industry set up the Comics Magazine Association of America.
The CMAA instilled the
Comics Code Authority in 1954 and drafted the self-censorship Comics Code that year, which required all comic books to go through a process of approval. It was not until the 1970s that comic books could be published without passing through the inspection of the CMAA. The Code was made formally defunct in November 2011.
Underground comic books
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a surge of creativity emerged in what became known as
underground comics. Published and distributed independently of the established comics industry, most of such comics reflected the youth
counterculture and
drug culture
Drug cultures are examples of countercultures that are primarily defined by spiritual, medical, and recreational drug use. They may be focused on a single drug, or endorse polydrug use. They sometimes eagerly or reluctantly initiate newcomers, ...
of the time. Underground comix "reflected and commented on the social divisions and tensions of American society".
Many had an uninhibited, often irreverent style; their frank depictions of nudity, sex, profanity, and politics had no parallel outside their precursors, the pornographic and even more obscure "
Tijuana bibles
Tijuana bibles (also known as eight-pagers, Tillie-and-Mac books, Jiggs-and-Maggie books, jo-jo books, bluesies, blue-bibles, gray-backs, and two-by-fours) were palm-sized pornographic comic books produced in the United States from the 1920s to ...
". Underground comics were almost never sold at newsstands, but rather in such youth-oriented outlets as
head shops and record stores, as well as by
mail order. The underground comics encouraged creators to publish their work independently so that they would have full ownership rights to their characters.
Frank Stack
Frank Huntington Stack (born October 31, 1937 in Houston, Texas) is an American underground cartoonist and fine artist. Working under the name Foolbert Sturgeon to avoid persecution for his work while living in the Bible Belt, Stack published wh ...
's ''The Adventures of Jesus'', published under the name Foolbert Sturgeon,
has been credited as the first underground comic;
while
R. Crumb
Robert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943) is an American cartoonist and musician who often signs his work R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contem ...
and the crew of cartoonists who worked on ''
Zap Comix
''Zap Comix'' is an underground comix series which was originally part of the youth counterculture of the late 1960s. While a few small-circulation self-published satirical comic books had been printed prior to this, ''Zap'' became the model for ...
'' popularized the form.
Alternative comics
The rise of comic book
specialty stores in the late 1970s created/paralleled a dedicated market for "independent" or "
alternative comics" in the US. The first such comics included the anthology series ''
Star Reach
''Star Reach'' (also spelled ''Star*Reach'') was an American science fiction and fantasy comics anthology published from 1974 to 1979 by Mike Friedrich.
Publication history
One of the first American mainstream independent comic books, ''Star*R ...
'', published by comic book writer
Mike Friedrich from 1974 to 1979, and
Harvey Pekar's ''
American Splendor'', which continued sporadic publication into the 21st century and which
Shari Springer Berman
Shari Springer Berman (born July 13, 1963) and Robert Pulcini (born August 24, 1964) are an American team of filmmakers.
Biographies
Both Springer Berman and Pulcini were born in New York, New York. Springer Berman graduated from Wesleyan Un ...
and
Robert Pulcini
Shari Springer Berman (born July 13, 1963) and Robert Pulcini (born August 24, 1964) are an American team of filmmakers.
Biographies
Both Springer Berman and Pulcini were born in New York City, New York, New York (state), New York. Springer Be ...
adapted into a
2003 film. Some independent comics continued in the tradition of underground comics. While their content generally remained less explicit, others resembled the output of mainstream publishers in format and genre but were published by smaller artist-owned companies or by single artists. A few (notably ''
RAW
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'') represented experimental attempts to bring comics closer to the status of
fine art.
During the 1970s the "
small press
A small press is a publisher with annual sales below a certain level or below a certain number of titles published. The terms "indie publisher" and "independent press" and others are sometimes used interchangeably.
Independent press is general ...
" culture grew and diversified. By the 1980s, several independent publishers – such as
Pacific,
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...
,
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
,
Comico, and
Fantagraphics – had started releasing a wide range of styles and formats—from color-superhero,
detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
, and science-fiction comic books to black-and-white magazine-format stories of
Latin American magical realism.
A number of small publishers in the 1990s changed the format and distribution of their comics to more closely resemble non-comics publishing. The "
minicomics" form, an extremely informal version of
self-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to written media, such as books and magazines, either as an ebook or as a physical copy using POD (pr ...
, arose in the 1980s and became increasingly popular among artists in the 1990s, despite reaching an even more limited audience than the small press.
Small publishers regularly releasing titles include
Avatar Press,
Hyperwerks
Hyperwerks Entertainment was an American company that published comic books. It was founded by Karl Altstaetter and Jamie Douraghy in 1997. The two most notable Hyperwerks projects are the ''Deity'' and ''Rostam'' series.
History
Since its incep ...
, Raytoons, and
Terminal Press
Terminal may refer to:
Computing Hardware
* Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together
* Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line
* Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output devi ...
, buoyed by such advances in printing technology as digital
print-on-demand.
Graphic novels
In 1964, Richard Kyle coined the term "graphic novel". Precursors of the form existed by the 1920s, which saw a revival of the
medieval woodcut tradition by Belgian
Frans Masereel, American
Lynd Ward and others, including Stan Lee.
In 1950,
St. John Publications
St. John Publications was an American publisher of magazines and comic books. During the 1947-1958 existence of its comic-book division, St. John established several industry firsts. Founded by Archer St. John, the firm was located in Manhattan a ...
produced the
digest-sized, adult-oriented "picture novel" ''
It Rhymes with Lust
''It Rhymes with Lust'' is a " picture novel" published in 1950. It is an early example of a graphic novel. It was written by Arnold Drake and Leslie Waller (under the pseudonym "Drake Waller"), with black-and-white art by Matt Baker and inker R ...
'', a 128-page digest by
pseudonymous writer "Drake Waller" (
Arnold Drake and
Leslie Waller
Leslie Elson Waller (April 1, 1923 – March 29, 2007) was an American writer.
Biography
He is a son of Ukrainian immigrants and was born in Chicago, Illinois. He suffered from amblyopia and poliomyelitis as a child, but graduated from Hyde Par ...
), penciler
Matt Baker and inker
Ray Osrin
Raymond Harold Osrin (October 5, 1928 – April 3, 2001) was an American comic book artist and cartoonist. He was most notable for his work in the Golden Age of Comic Books. Later, he took a position as the editorial cartoonist for the Clevela ...
, touted as "an original full-length novel" on its cover. In 1971, writer-artist
Gil Kane and collaborators devised the paperback "comics novel" ''
Blackmark
''Blackmark'' is a paperback book (Bantam S5871) published by the American company Bantam Books in January 1971. It is one of the first American graphic novels, predating works such as Richard Corben's ''Bloodstar'' (1976), Jim Steranko's '' ...
''.
Will Eisner popularized the term "graphic novel" when he used it on the cover of the paperback edition of his work ''
A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories
''A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Will Eisner published in 1978. The book's short story cycle revolves around poor Jewish characters who live in a tenement in New York City. Eisner pro ...
'' in 1978.
Digital comics
Market size
In 2017, the comic book market size for North America was just over $1 billion with digital sales being flat, book stores having a 1 percent decline, and comic book stores having a 10 percent decline over 2016. The global comic book market size increased by 12% in 2020 to reach USD 8.49 billion. In 2021, the annual valuation of the market amounted to USD 9.21 billion. The popularity of the product is soaring across the world, led by collaborative efforts being made between brands to deliver more appealing comic content.
Comic book collecting
The 1970s saw the advent of specialty
comic book store
The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for American comic books. The concept of the direct market was created in the 1970s by Phil Seuling. The network currently consists of:
* four major comic distributors:
** Luna ...
s. Initially, comic books were marketed by publishers to children because comic books were perceived as children's entertainment. However, with increasing recognition of comics as an art form and the growing pop culture presence of
comic book conventions, they are now embraced by many adults.
Comic book collectors are often lifelong enthusiasts of the comic book stories, and they usually focus on particular heroes and attempt to assemble the entire run of a title. Comics are published with a sequential number. The first issue of a long-running comic book series is commonly the rarest and most desirable to collectors. The first appearance of a specific character, however, might be in a pre-existing title. For example,
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
's first appearance was in ''
Amazing Fantasy
''Amazing Adult Fantasy'', retitled ''Amazing Fantasy'' in its final issue, is an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics from 1961 through 1962, with the latter title revived with superhero features in 1995 and in the 2000 ...
'' #15. New characters were often introduced this way and did not receive their own titles until there was a proven audience for the hero. As a result, comics that feature the first appearance of an important character will sometimes be even harder to find than the first issue of a character's own title.
Some rare comic books include copies of the unreleased ''
Motion Picture Funnies Weekly'' #1 from 1939. Eight copies, plus one without a cover, emerged in the estate of the deceased publisher in 1974. The "Pay Copy" of this book sold for $43,125 in a 2005
Heritage
Heritage may refer to:
History and society
* A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today
** Cultural heritage is created by humans
** Natural heritage is not
* Heritage language
Biology
* Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...
auction.
The most valuable American comics have combined rarity and quality with the first appearances of popular and enduring characters. Four comic books have sold for over US$1 million , including two examples of ''
Action Comics'' #1, the first appearance of
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
,
[Batman comic book beats Superman at auction, sets record](_blank)
CNN Money 2-26-10 both sold privately through online dealer ComicConnect.com in 2010, and ''
Detective Comics
''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' #27, the first appearance of
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
, via public auction.
Updating the above price obtained for ''
Action Comics'' #1, the first appearance of
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
, the highest sale on record for this book is $3.2 million, for a 9.0 copy.
Misprints, promotional comic-dealer incentive printings, and issues with extremely low distribution also generally have scarcity value. The rarest modern comic books include the
original press run of ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' #5, which DC executive
Paul Levitz recalled and pulped due to the appearance of a vintage
Victorian era advertisement for "Marvel
Douche", which the publisher considered offensive; only 100 copies exist, most of which have been
CGC graded. (See
Recalled comics Comic books have been recalled for various reasons including simple printing errors, stories or images that were deemed inappropriate or to avoid potential lawsuits. The rarest of these books is probably ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' vol ...
for more pulped, recalled, and erroneous comics.)
In 2000, a company named
Comics Guaranty
Certified Guaranty Company, also known as CGC, is a Sarasota, Florida comic book grading service. CGC is an independent member of the Certified Collectibles Group of companies. It is the first independent and impartial third party grading serv ...
(CGC) began to "slab" comics, encasing them in thick plastic and giving them a numeric grade. Since then, other grading companies have arisen. Because condition is important to the value of rare comics, the idea of grading by a company that does not buy or sell comics seems like a good one. However, there is some controversy about whether this grading service is worth the high cost, and whether it is a positive development for collectors, or if it primarily services speculators who wish to make a quick profit trading in comics as one might trade in stocks or fine art. Comic grading has created valuation standards that online price guides such as GoCollect and GPAnalysis have used to report on real-time market values.
The original artwork pages from comic books are also collected, and these are perhaps the rarest of all comic book collector's items, as there is only one unique page of artwork for each page that was printed and published. These were created by a writer, who created the story; a pencil artist, who laid out the sequential panels on the page; an ink artist, who went over the pencil with pen and black ink; a letterer, who provided the dialogue and narration of the story by hand lettering each word; and finally a colorist, who added color as the last step before the finished pages went to the printer.
When the original pages of artwork are returned by the printer, they are typically given back to the artists, who sometimes sell them at comic book conventions, or in galleries and art shows related to comic book art. The original pages of DC and Marvel the first appearances of such legendary characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Hulk and Spider-Man are considered priceless.
History of race in U.S. comic books
Many early iterations of black characters in comics "became variations on the 'single stereotypical image of Sambo'."
Sambo was closely related to the coon stereotype but had some subtle differences. They are both a derogatory way of portraying black characters. "The name itself, an abbreviation of raccoon, is dehumanizing. As with Sambo, the coon was portrayed as a lazy, easily frightened, chronically idle, inarticulate, buffoon." This portrayal "was of course another attempt to solidify the intellectual inferiority of the black race through popular culture."
However, in the 1940s there was a change in portrayal of black characters. "A cursory glance...might give the impression that situations had improved for African Americans in comics."
In many comics being produced in this time there was a major push for tolerance between races. "These equality minded heroes began to spring to action just as African Americans were being asked to participate in the war effort."
During this time, a government ran program, the Writers' War Board, became heavily involved in what would be published in comics. "The Writers' War Board used comic books to shape popular perceptions of race and ethnicity..."
Not only were they using comic books as a means of recruiting all Americans, they were also using it as propaganda to "
onstructa justification for race-based hatred of America's foreign enemies."
The Writers' War Board created comics books that were meant to "
romotedomestic racial harmony".
However, "these pro-tolerance narratives struggled to overcome the popular and widely understood negative tropes used for decades in American mass culture...".
However, they were not accomplishing this agenda within all of their comics.
In ''Captain Marvel Adventures'', a character named Steamboat was an amalgamation of some of the worst stereotypes of the time. The Writers' War Board did not ask for any change with this character. "Eliminating Steamboat required the determined efforts of a black youth group in New York City."
Originally their request was refused by individuals working on the comic stating, "''Captain Marvel Adventures'' included many kinds of caricatures 'for the sake of humor'."
The black youth group responded with "this is not the Negro race, but your one-and-a-half millions readers will think it so."
Afterwards, Steamboat disappeared from the comics all together. There was a comic created about the 99th Squadron, also known as the
Tuskegee Airmen, an all-black air force unit. Instead of making the comic about their story, the comic was about Hop Harrigan. A white pilot who captures a Nazi, shows him videos of the 99th Squadron defeating his men and then reveals to the Nazi that his men were defeated by African Americans which infuriated him as he sees them as a less superior race and cannot believe they bested his men."The Tuskegee Airmen, and images of black aviators appear in just three of the fifty three panels... the pilots of the 99th Squadron have no dialogue and interact with neither Hop Harrigan nor his Nazi captive."
During this time, they also used black characters in comic books as a means to invalidate the militant black groups that were fighting for equality within the U.S. "Spider-Man 'made it clear that militant black power was not the remedy for racial injustice'."
"The Falcon openly criticized black behavior stating' maybe it's important us to cool things down-so we can protect the rights we been fightin' for'."
This portrayal and character development of black characters can be partially blamed on the fact that, during this time, "there had rarely been a black artist or writer allowed in a major comics company."
Asian characters faced some of the same treatment in comics as black characters did. They were dehumanized and the narrative being pushed was that they were "incompetent and subhuman."
"A 1944 issue of the ''United States Marines'' included a narrative entitled ''The Smell of the Monkeymen''. The story depicts Japanese soldiers as simian brutes whose sickening body odor betrays their concealed locations."
Chinese characters received the same treatment. "By the time the United States entered WWII, negative perceptions of Chinese were an established part of mass culture...."
However, concerned that the Japanese could use America's anti-Chinese material as propaganda they began "to present a more positive image of America's Chinese allies..."
Just as they tried to show better representation for Black people in comics they did the same for Asian people. However, "Japanese and Filipino characters were visually indistinguishable. Both groups have grotesque buckteeth, tattered clothing, and bright yellow skin."
"Publishers depicted America's Asian allies through derogatory images and language honed over the preceding decades."
Asian characters were previously portrayed as, "ghastly yellow demons".
During WWII, "
very
Very may refer to:
* English's prevailing intensifier
Businesses
* The Very Group, a British retail/consumer finance corporation
** Very (online retailer), their main e-commerce brand
* VERY TV, a Thai television channel
Places
* Véry, a co ...
major superhero worth his spandex devoted himself to the eradication of Asian invaders."
There was "a constant relay race in which one Asian culture merely handed off the baton of hatred to another with no perceptible changes in the manner in which the characters would be portrayed."
"The only specific depiction of a Hispanic superhero did not end well. In 1975 Marvel gave us Hector Ayala (a.k.a The White Tiger)."
"Although he fought for several years alongside the likes of much more popular heroes such as Spider-Man and Daredevil, he only lasted six years before sales of comics featuring him got so bad that Marvel had him retire.
The most famous Hispanic character is Bane, a villain from Batman."
The Native American representation in comic books "can be summed up in the noble savage stereotype"
" a recurring theme...urged American indians to abandon their traditional hostility towards the United States. They were the ones painted as intolerant and disrespectful of the dominant concerns of white America".
East Asian comics
Japanese manga
Manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
(漫画) are comic books or
graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, though the art form has a long prehistory in earlier
Japanese art
Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, ''ukiyo-e'' paintings and woodblock prints, ceramics, origami, and more recently manga and anime. It ...
. The term ''manga'' is used in Japan to refer to both comics and
cartooning. Outside Japan, the word is typically used to refer to comics originally published in the country.
Dōjinshi
,
fan-made
Fan labor, also called fan works, are the creative activities engaged in by fans, primarily those of various media properties or musical groups. These activities can include creation of written works (fiction, fan fiction and review literature), ...
Japanese comics, operate in a far larger market in Japan than the American "underground comics" market; the largest dōjinshi fair,
Comiket
, more commonly known as or , is a semiannual ''doujinshi'' convention in Tokyo, Japan. A grassroots market focused on the sale of '' doujin'' (self-published) works, Comiket is a not-for-profit fan convention administered by the volunteer-ru ...
, attracts 500,000 visitors twice a year.
Korean manhwa
Korean manhwa has quickly gained popularity outside Korea in recent times as a result of the
Korean Wave. The manhwa industry has suffered through two crashes and strict censorship since its early beginnings as a result of the Japanese occupation of the peninsula which stunts the growth of the industry but has now started to flourish thanks in part to the internet and new ways to read manhwa whether on computers or through smartphones. In the past manhwa would be marketed as manga outside the country in order to make sure they would sell well but now that is no longer needed since more people are now more knowledgeable about the industry and Korean culture.
Webtoons
Webtoons have become popular in South Korea as a new way to read comics. Thanks in part to different censorship rules, color and unique visual effects, and optimization for easier reading on smartphones and computers. More
manhwa have made the switch from traditional print manhwa to online webtoons thanks to better pay and more freedom than traditional print manhwa. The webtoon format has also expanded to other countries outside of Korea like China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Western countries. Major webtoon distributors include
Lezhin,
Naver
Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is a South Korean online platform operated by the Naver Corporation. It was launched in 1999 as the first web portal in South Korea to develop and use its own search engine. It was also the world's first operator to in ...
, and
Kakao.
Chinese manhua
Vietnamese truyện tranh
European comics
Franco-Belgian comics
France and Belgium have a long tradition in comics and comic books, often called ''
BDs'' (an abbreviation of ''bandes dessinées'', meaning literally "drawn strips") in French, and ''strips'' in
Dutch or
Flemish. Belgian comic books originally written in Dutch show the influence of the
Francophone
French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...
"Franco-Belgian" comics but have their own distinct style.
British comics
Although ''
Ally Sloper's Half Holiday
''Ally Sloper's Half Holiday'' was a British comics magazine, first published on 3 May 1884. It is regarded to be the first comic strip magazine to feature a recurring character. Star Ally Sloper, a blustery, lazy schemer often found "sloping" th ...
'' (1884) was aimed at an adult market, publishers quickly targeted a younger demographic, which has led to most publications being for children and has created an association in the public's mind of comics as somewhat juvenile. ''The Guardian'' refers to
Ally Sloper as "one of the world's first iconic cartoon characters", and "as famous in Victorian Britain as
Dennis the Menace would be a century later." British comics in the early 20th century typically evolved from illustrated
penny dreadfuls of the Victorian era (featuring
Sweeney Todd,
Dick Turpin
Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...
and ''
Varney the Vampire'').
First published in the 1830s, penny dreadfuls were "Britain's first taste of mass-produced popular culture for the young."
The two most popular British comic books, ''
The Beano'' and ''
The Dandy'', were first published by
DC Thomson in the 1930s. By 1950 the weekly circulation of both reached two million.
[Armstrong, Stephen]
"Was Pixar's Inside Out inspired by The Beano?"
''The Telegraph''. 27 July 2015 Explaining the enormous popularity of comics in the UK during this period, Anita O'Brien, director curator at London's Cartoon Museum, states: "When comics like the Beano and Dandy were invented back in the 1930s – and through really to the 1950s and 60s – these comics were almost the only entertainment available to children."
''
Dennis the Menace'' was created in the 1950s, which saw sales for ''The Beano'' soar.
He features in the cover of ''The Beano'', with the BBC referring to him as the "definitive naughty boy of the comic world."
In 1954, ''
Tiger'' comics introduced ''
Roy of the Rovers'', the hugely popular football based strip recounting the life of
Roy Race
''Roy of the Rovers'' is a British comic strip about the life and times of a fictional footballer and later manager named Roy Race, who played for Melchester Rovers. The strip first appeared in the ''Tiger'' in 1954, before giving its name to ...
and the team he played for,
Melchester Rovers
''Roy of the Rovers'' is a British comic strip about the life and times of a fictional footballer and later manager named Roy Race, who played for Melchester Rovers. The strip first appeared in the ''Tiger'' in 1954, before giving its name to a ...
. The stock media phrase "real 'Roy of the Rovers' stuff" is often used by football writers, commentators and fans when describing displays of great skill, or surprising results that go against the odds, in reference to the dramatic storylines that were the strip's trademark. Other comic books such as ''
Eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
'', ''
Valiant
Valiant may refer to:
People
* James Valiant (1884–1917), English cricketer
* The Valiant Brothers, a professional wrestling tag team of storyline brothers
** Jerry Valiant, a ring name of professional wrestler John Hill (1941-2010)
** Jimmy ...
'', ''
Warrior'', ''
Viz
Viz may refer to:
*''viz.'', a synonym for “namely”
* ''Viz'' (comics), a British adult comic magazine
**'' Viz: The Game'', a computer game based on the comic
*Viz Media, an American manga and anime distribution and entertainment company
*"V ...
'' and ''
2000 AD'' also flourished. Some comics, such as ''
Judge Dredd'' and other ''2000 AD'' titles, have been published in a
tabloid
Tabloid may refer to:
* Tabloid journalism, a type of journalism
* Tabloid (newspaper format), a newspaper with compact page size
** Chinese tabloid
* Tabloid (paper size), a North American paper size
* Sopwith Tabloid, a biplane aircraft
* ''Ta ...
form. Underground comics and
"small press" titles have also appeared in the UK, notably ''
Oz'' and ''
Escape Magazine''.
The content of ''
Action'', another title aimed at children and launched in the mid-1970s, became the subject of discussion in the
House of Commons. Although on a smaller scale than similar investigations in the US, such concerns led to a moderation of content published within British comics. Such moderation never became formalized to the extent of promulgating a code, nor did it last long. The UK has also established a healthy market in the reprinting and repackaging of material, notably material originating in the US. The lack of reliable supplies of American comic books led to a variety of black-and-white reprints, including Marvel's monster comics of the 1950s, Fawcett's
Captain Marvel, and other characters such as
Sheena,
Mandrake the Magician
''Mandrake the Magician'' is a syndicated newspaper comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloon ...
, and
the Phantom. Several reprint companies became involved in repackaging American material for the British market, notably the importer and distributor
Thorpe & Porter.
Marvel Comics established a UK office in 1972. DC Comics and
Dark Horse Comics also opened offices in the 1990s. The repackaging of European material has occurred less frequently, although ''
The Adventures of Tintin'' and ''
Asterix'' serials have been successfully translated and repackaged in softcover books. The number of European comics available in the UK has increased in the last two decades. The British company
Cinebook
Cinebook Ltd is a British publishing company that publishes comic albums and graphic novels. It describes itself as "the 9th art publisher," the 9th art being comics in continental Europe, especially France, Belgium and Italy.
They typically tr ...
, founded in 2005, has released English translated versions of many European series.
In the 1980s, a resurgence of British writers and artists gained prominence in mainstream comic books, which was dubbed the "
British Invasion" in comic book history. These writers and artists brought with them their own mature themes and philosophy such as anarchy, controversy and politics common in British media. These elements would pave the way for mature and "darker and edgier" comic books and jump start the
Modern Age of Comics. Writers included
Alan Moore, famous for his ''
V for Vendetta'', ''
From Hell'', ''
Watchmen'', ''
Marvelman
Miracleman (Michael ("Micky" / "Mike") Moran), originally known as Marvelman, is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books first published by L. Miller & Son, Ltd. Created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for publisher L. Miller & So ...
'', and ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'';
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
with ''
The Sandman
The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes.
Representation in traditional folklore
The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
'' mythos and ''
Books of Magic
''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...
'';
Warren Ellis, creator of ''
Transmetropolitan'' and ''
Planetary''; and others such as
Mark Millar
Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer and television producer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series '' The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written ex ...
, creator of ''
Wanted'' and ''
Kick-Ass''. The comic book series ''
John Constantine, Hellblazer'', which is largely set in Britain and starring the magician
John Constantine
John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John ...
, paved the way for British writers such as
Jamie Delano
Jamie Delano (; born 1954) is an English comic book writer. He was part of the first post-Alan Moore "British Invasion" of writers which started to feature in American comics in the 1980s. He is best known as the first writer of the comic book s ...
.
At Christmas, publishers repackage and commission material for comic
annuals, printed and bound as hardcover
A4-size books;
"Rupert" supplies a famous example of the British comic annual.
DC Thomson also repackages ''
The Broons'' and ''
Oor Wullie'' strips in softcover A4-size books for the holiday season.
On 19 March 2012, the British postal service, the
Royal Mail
, kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga
, logo = Royal Mail.svg
, logo_size = 250px
, type = Public limited company
, traded_as =
, foundation =
, founder = Henry VIII
, location = London, England, UK
, key_people = * Keith Williams ...
, released a set of stamps depicting British comic book characters and series.
The collection featured ''
The Beano'', ''
The Dandy'', ''
Eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
'', ''
The Topper'', ''
Roy of the Rovers'', ''
Bunty'', ''
Buster
Buster may refer to:
People First name
*Buster Drayton (born 1952), American boxer
*Buster Glosson, retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general
*Buster Mathis (1943–1995), American heavyweight boxer
*Buster Mathis Jr. (born 1970), American heavyw ...
'', ''
Valiant
Valiant may refer to:
People
* James Valiant (1884–1917), English cricketer
* The Valiant Brothers, a professional wrestling tag team of storyline brothers
** Jerry Valiant, a ring name of professional wrestler John Hill (1941-2010)
** Jimmy ...
'', ''
Twinkle
Twinkle may refer to:
* Twinkling, the variation of brightness of distant objects
People
* Twinkle (singer) (1948–2015), born Lynn Annette Ripley, English singer-songwriter
* Twinkle Khanna, Indian movie actress
* Twinkle Bajpai, female conte ...
'' and ''
2000 AD''.
Spanish comics
It has been stated that the 13th century
''Cantigas de Santa María'' could be considered as the first
Spanish "comic", although comic books (also known in
Spain as ''historietas'' or ''tebeos'') made their debut around 1857. The magazine ''
TBO'' was influential in popularizing the medium. After the
Spanish Civil War, the
Franco
Franco may refer to:
Name
* Franco (name)
* Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975
* Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître"
Prefix
* Franco, a prefix used when ...
regime imposed strict censorship in all media:
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
comics were forbidden and as a result, comic heroes were based on
historical fiction
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
(in 1944 the medieval hero ''El Guerrero del Antifaz'' was created by Manuel Gago and another popular medieval hero, ''
Capitán Trueno
El Capitán Trueno (lit. "Captain Thunder") is the hero of a series of Spanish comic books, created in 1956 by the writer Víctor Mora and illustrated mainly by Miguel Ambrosio Zaragoza (Ambrós). The comics were published continuously between 1 ...
'', was created in 1956 by
Víctor Mora and
Miguel Ambrosio Zaragoza
-->
Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to:
Places
*Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands
*São Miguel (disambi ...
). Two publishing houses —
Editorial Bruguera and
Editorial Valenciana
An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK) is an article written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written document, often unsigned. Australian and major United States newspapers, suc ...
— dominated the Spanish comics market during its golden age (1950–1970). The most popular comics showed a recognizable style of
slapstick humor
Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...
(influenced by Franco-Belgian authors such as
Franquin):
Escobar's ''
Carpanta'' and ''
Zipi y Zape
''Zipi y Zape'' are the names of two Spanish comic book characters created by José Escobar in 1947, and of their eponymous strip. Their name is derived from the Spanish word ''zipizape'', meaning "turmoil" or "chaos."
Chapter
Zipi and Zape Zap ...
'',
Vázquez's ''
Las hermanas Gilda
Las hermanas Gilda (Gilda sisters) are Spanish comic characters of the series of the same name created by Manuel Vázquez Gallego in 1949. The protagonists are the sisters Hermenegilda and Leovigilda, who live together. The names of the series an ...
'' and ''
Anacleto,''
Ibáñez's ''
Mortadelo y Filemón
''Mort & Phil'' ( es, Mortadelo y Filemón) is a Spanish comic series, published in more than a dozen languages. It appeared for the first time in 1958 in the children's comic-book magazine drawn by Francisco Ibáñez. The series features Mor ...
'' and ''
13. Rue del Percebe'' or
Jan
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Num ...
's ''
Superlópez
Superlópez is a Spanish comic book character created by Jan. Created in 1973, Superlópez is a parody of Superman.
Born ''Jo-Con-Él'' (translated as ''Damn-with-him'') on the planet ''Chitón'' (Spanish slang meaning something like ''Shut up!' ...
''. After the end of the
Francoist period, there was an increased interest in adult comics with magazines such as ''Totem'', ''
El Jueves'', ''1984'', and ''
El Víbora
''El Víbora'' (Spanish: ''The Viper'') was a Spanish language monthly alternative comics magazine published in Barcelona, Spain, between 1979 and 2005, with a peak monthly circulation of 80,000 copies. The magazine was subtitled "Comix for Surv ...
,'' and works such as ''Paracuellos'' by
Carlos Giménez.
Spanish artists have traditionally worked in other markets finding great success, either in the American (e.g.,
Eisner Award winners Sergio Aragonés,
Salvador Larroca,
Gabriel Hernández Walta
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ ...
,
Marcos Martín Marcos Martín may refer to:
* Marcos Martín (cartoonist) (born 1972), Spanish comic book artist
* Marcos Martín (footballer) (born 1968), Spanish footballer
{{hndis, Martin, Marcos ...
or
David Aja), the British (e.g.,
Carlos Ezquerra, co-creator of ''
Judge Dredd'') or the Franco-Belgian one (e.g.,
Fauve d'Or winner Julio Ribera or ''
Blacksad
''Blacksad'' is a noir comic series created by Spanish authors Juan Díaz Canales (writer) and Juanjo Guarnido (artist), and published by French publisher Dargaud in album format. Though both authors are Spanish, their main target audience f ...
'' authors
Juan Díaz Canales
Juan Díaz Canales is a Spanish comics artist and an animated film director, known as the co-creator of '' Blacksad''.
Biography
At an early age, Juan Díaz Canales became interested in comics and their creation, which progressed and broadened ...
and
Juanjo Guarnido
Juanjo Guarnido (born 1967) is a Spanish illustrator and the co-author of the comic book series ''Blacksad''.
Early life
Guarnido was born in Granada, Spain. He studied painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Granada.
Career
G ...
).
Italian comics
In
Italy, comics (known in Italian as ''fumetti'') made their debut as humor strips at the end of the 19th century, and later evolved into adventure stories. After World War II, however, artists like
Hugo Pratt and
Guido Crepax exposed Italian comics to an international audience. Popular comic books such as ''
Diabolik'' or the ''
Bonelli'' line—namely ''
Tex Willer
Tex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series ''Tex'', created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. It is among the most popular characters ...
'' or ''
Dylan Dog''—remain best-sellers.
Mainstream comics are usually published on a monthly basis, in a black-and-white
digest size format, with approximately 100 to 132 pages. Collections of classic material for the most famous characters, usually with more than 200 pages, are also common. Author comics are published in the French BD format, with an example being Pratt's ''
Corto Maltese''.
Italian cartoonists show the influence of comics from other countries, including France, Belgium, Spain, and
Argentina. Italy is also famous for being one of the foremost producers of
Walt Disney comic stories outside the US;
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known fo ...
's superhero alter ego,
Paperinik, known in English as Superduck, was created in Italy.
Comics in other countries
Distribution
Distribution has historically been a problem for the comic book industry with many mainstream retailers declining to carry extensive stocks of the most interesting and popular comics. The
smartphone and the
tablet
Tablet may refer to:
Medicine
* Tablet (pharmacy), a mixture of pharmacological substances pressed into a small cake or bar, colloquially called a "pill"
Computing
* Tablet computer, a mobile computer that is primarily operated by touching the s ...
have turned out to be an ideal medium for online distribution.
Digital distribution
On 13 November 2007,
Marvel Comics launched
Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, a subscription service allowing readers to read many
comics
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
from Marvel's history online. The service also includes periodic release new comics not available elsewhere. With the release of ''
Avenging Spider-Man
''Avenging Spider-Man'' is the title of an American comic book series published monthly by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. The events in the story take place in the primary continuity of the main ...
'' #1, Marvel also became the first publisher to provide free digital copies as part of the print copy of the comic book.
With the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets, many major publishers have begun releasing titles in digital form. The most popular platform is
comiXology. Some platforms, such as
Graphicly
Graphicly (often stylized as Graphic.ly) was a platform for publishers which offered work flow integration, self-publishing, digital distribution, conversion, and promotion for digital content. Launched by Kevin Mann and Micah Baldwin, the website ...
, have shut down.
Comic collections in libraries
Many libraries have extensive collections of comics in the form of graphic novels. This is a convenient way for many in the public to become familiar with the medium.
Guinness World Records
In 2015, the Japanese
manga artist
A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan.
Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...
Eiichiro Oda was awarded the ''
Guinness World Records'' title for having the "Most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author". His manga series ''
One Piece'', which he writes and illustrates, has been serialized in the Japanese magazine ''
Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since December 1997, and by 2015, 77
collected volumes had been released. ''Guinness World Records'' reported in their announcement that the collected volumes of the series had sold a total of 320,866,000 units. ''One Piece'' also holds the ''Guinness World Records'' title for "Most copies published for the same manga series".
On 5 August 2018, the ''Guinness World Records'' title for the "Largest comic book ever published" was awarded to the Brazilian comic book ''
Turma da Mônica
''Monica's Gang'' or ''Monica and Friends'' (Portuguese: ''Turma da Mônica''; British English: ''Monica & Friends'') is a Brazilian comic book series and media franchise created by Mauricio de Sousa.
The series originated in a newspaper comic ...
— O Maior Gibi do Mundo!'', published by
Panini Comics Brasil and
Mauricio de Sousa Produções
Maurício de Sousa Produções (MSP, Mauricio de Sousa Productions), or Estúdios Mauricio de Sousa (Maurício de Sousa Studios), is the company responsible for the production of comics and cartoons, the creation and development of characters, ...
. The comic book measures 69.9 cm by 99.8 cm (2 ft 3.51 in by 3 ft 3.29 in). The 18-page comic book had a print run of 120 copies.
With the July 2021 publication of the 201st collected volume of his manga series ''
Golgo 13'', Japanese manga artist
Takao Saito was awarded the ''Guinness World Records'' title for "Most volumes published for a single manga series."
''Golgo 13'' has been continuously serialized in the Japanese magazine ''
Big Comic'' since October 1968, which also makes it the oldest manga still in publication.
See also
*
Cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
*
Comic book archive
A comic book archive or comic book reader file (also called sequential image file) is a type of archive file for the purpose of sequential viewing of images, commonly for comic books. The idea was made popular by the CDisplay sequential image vie ...
*
Comic book therapy
Comic book therapy is a form of art therapy in which those undergoing rehabilitation or those who have already completed rehabilitation express their experiences through personal narratives within a comics format. The combination of text and image ...
*
Comics studies
*
Comics vocabulary
*
Comparison of image viewers
*
List of best-selling comic series
This page provides lists of best-selling comic book series to date. It includes Japanese manga, American comic books, and European comics.
This list includes comic books that have sold at least 100million copies.
There are three separate lists, ...
*
List of best-selling manga
The following is a list of the best-selling Japanese manga series to date in terms of the number of collected ''tankōbon'' volumes sold. All series in this list have at least 20 million copies in circulation. This list is limited to Japanese m ...
*
Webcomic
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
Comic book Speculation ReferenceComic book Reference Bibliographic DatafileSequart Research & Literacy Organizationat the
University of Missouri
Collectorism – a place for collectors and collectibles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comic Book
Book
Comics publications
eo:Bildliteraturo#Specifaj nomoj kaj difinoj