Comic book

A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and written narrative, usually dialogue contained in word balloons, which are emblematic of the comics art form.

Comic Cuts was a British comic published from 1890 to 1953. It was preceded by Ally Sloper's Half Holiday (1884), which is notable for its use of sequential cartoons to unfold narrative.

The first modern American-style comic book, Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics, was released in the US in 1933 and was a reprinting of earlier newspaper humor comic strips. The largest comic book market is Japan, where manga enjoys huge popularity. In the United States, major publishers such as Viz Media, DC Comics and Marvel Comics create popular superhero comics featuring characters like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and the X-Men.

Structure

Main article: Comics § Terminology

Comic books are special because of how they are put together and how they look. Writers and artists pay close attention to where everything goes on the page, like the size and position of each part. Important pieces of a comic book include panels, which are the boxes that show each scene, and speech bubbles, also called balloons, which hold the characters' words. These bubbles usually have a tail that points to the character speaking.

Making a comic book takes many steps, such as writing the story, drawing the pictures, and adding color. In the United States, people usually call these books "comic books" when they come out regularly, and they use the term "graphic novel" for books that tell a single, complete story.

American comic books

Main article: American comic book

Comics have been a popular print medium in the United States since The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck was printed in 1842, making it the first known American comic book. The first comic standard-sized book was Funnies on Parade, which set the size, duration, and format for modern comic books. The introduction of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman in 1938 turned comic books into a major industry and began the Golden Age of Comic Books. This era introduced the superhero archetype.

The history of American comic books is often divided into different eras. The Golden Age of Comic Books started in 1938 with Superman's debut in Action Comics #1. The Silver Age of Comic Books began in 1956 with the Flash's first appearance. The Bronze Age of Comic Books followed in the early 1970s, and the Modern Age of Comic Books continues from the mid-1980s to today.

East Asian comics

Japanese manga

Main article: Manga

Manga are comic books or graphic novels from Japan. They have a special style that began in the late 1800s, although comic art existed in Japanese art long before that. In Japan, the word manga can mean any kind of comic or cartoon. Outside Japan, it usually means comics that were first published in Japan.

Dōjinshi

Main article: Dōjinshi

Dōjinshi (同人誌, fan magazine) are fan-made comics from Japan. They have a big market there, much larger than similar comics in America. The biggest event for these comics, called Comiket, draws 500,000 people twice every year.

Korean manhwa

Main article: Manhwa

Manhwa are comic books or graphic novels from Korea. Like in Japan, the word manhwa can mean any comic or cartoon in Korea, but outside Korea it usually means comics first published there. Manhwa was influenced by Japanese manga but has its own special qualities.

Webtoons

Main article: Webtoons

Webtoons are a popular way to read comics in South Korea. They are made for reading easily on phones and computers, often in color with special effects. Many manhwa have moved from printed books to webtoons because they can earn more money and have more creative freedom. Webtoons are now popular in many countries besides Korea, including China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Western countries. Big companies that share webtoons include Lezhin, Naver, and Kakao.

Chinese manhua

Main article: Manhua

Vietnamese truyện tranh

Main article: Truyện tranh

European comics

Main article: European comics

Franco-Belgian comics

Main article: Bande dessinée

France and Belgium have a long history with comics, often called BDs in French, meaning "drawn strips." Belgian comic books in Dutch have their own style, while still showing influence from French comics.

British comics

Main article: British comics

British comics became popular in the early 20th century, growing from illustrated books called penny dreadfuls. Two famous British comics, The Beano and The Dandy, began in the 1930s and became very popular with children. Dennis the Menace joined The Beano in the 1950s and became a favorite character. Another well-known comic, Tiger, started in 1954 and featured Roy of the Rovers, a football story that many still remember today. Other comics like Eagle, Valiant, Warrior, Viz, and 2000 AD also became successful.

Spanish comics

Main article: Spanish comics

Comics in Spain, known as historietas or tebeos, began around 1857. After the Spanish Civil War, strict rules limited what could be shown, so many stories were based on history instead of superheroes. Popular comics included Carpanta and Mortadelo y Filemón, known for their humor. After rules relaxed, more adult-themed comics appeared.

Italian comics

Main article: Italian comics

In Italy, comics started as humor strips in the late 1800s and later included adventure stories. After World War II, artists like Hugo Pratt and Guido Crepax introduced Italian comics to the world. Popular series such as Diabolik and Tex Willer remain very popular. Italian artists also create stories for Disney, including adventures of Donald Duck as Superduck.

Comics in other countries

See also: List of comics by country

Comic books and comics are enjoyed all around the world, each country adding its own special flavor to this art form. For example, Japan has created manga, which are very popular comic books with many different styles and stories. In Europe, many countries have long traditions of comic books, often featuring unique characters and storytelling styles that reflect their cultures. These comics bring together art and storytelling in fun and creative ways for readers everywhere.

Distribution

Distribution has often been challenging for the comic book industry, as many stores were unwilling to keep large numbers of comics in stock.

In 2007, Marvel Comics started Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, a service where people could read many old comics online. Later, with the release of Avenging Spider-Man #1, Marvel offered free digital copies along with printed books. As smartphones and tablets became popular, big publishers began offering comics digitally, with comiXology becoming a favorite platform, while some services like Graphicly closed down.

Comic collections in libraries

Many libraries have large collections of comics and graphic novels. These collections let readers of all ages enjoy stories told through pictures and words. Libraries often have special sections for these fun and engaging books.

Guinness World Records

In 2015, Japanese manga artist Eiichiro Oda received a Guinness World Records title for having the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author. His series, One Piece, has been published since 1997 and had sold over 320 million copies by 2015.

In 2018, a very large comic book titled Turma da Mônica from Brazil earned a Guinness World Records title for being the largest comic book ever published. It measured about 70 by 100 centimetres, or 2 feet 4 inches by 3 feet 3 inches. In 2021, another Japanese artist, Takao Saito, received a record for having the most volumes published for a single manga series with the 201st volume of Golgo 13.