Portal:Comics

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Introduction

Comics are a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically takes the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate dialogue, narration, sound effects, or other information. There is no consensus among theorists and historians on a definition of comics; some emphasize the combination of images and text, some sequentiality or other image relations, and others historical aspects such as mass reproduction or the use of recurring characters. Cartooning and other forms of illustration are the most common means of image-making in comics. Photo comics is a form that uses photographic images. Common forms include comic strips, editorial and gag cartoons, and comic books. Since the late 20th century, bound volumes such as graphic novels, comic albums, and tankōbon have become increasingly common, along with webcomics as well as scientific/medical comics.

The English term comics is used as a singular noun when it refers to the medium itself (e.g. "Comics is a visual art form."), but becomes plural when referring to works collectively (e.g. "Comics are popular reading material."). (Full article...)

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An ashcan comic is a form of the American comic book originally created solely to establish trademarks on potential titles and not intended for sale. The practice was common in the 1930s and 1940s when the comic book industry was in its infancy, but was phased out after updates to US trademark law. The term was revived in the 1980s by Bob Burden, who applied it to prototypes of his self-published comic book. Since the 1990s, the term has been used to describe promotional materials produced in large print runs and made available for mass consumption. In the film and television industries, the term "ashcan copy" has been adopted for low-grade material created to preserve a claim to licensed property rights.

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Anniversaries for January 25

1926: birth of Bob Clarke, American illustrator best known for his work in MAD Magazine
1938: birth of Shotaro Ishinomori, Japanese manga artist, creator of Cyborg 009, the Super Sentai series, and the Kamen Rider series.
1941: last publication of The Magic Comic, British comic which lasted for 80 issues only
1942: birth of Kees Kousemaker, Dutch store owner, publisher, and writer, known for opening the first comic shop in Europe
1952: birth of Gary Cohn, American comic book writer, co-creator of Amethyst and Blue Devil
1952: birth of Turtel Onli, American artist, entrepreneur, author, art therapist, educator, and publisher
1953: birth of John Lustig, American comic book writer known for Donald Duck
1957: death of Harry J. Tuthill, American cartoonist best known for his comic strip The Bungle Family
1961: first issue of The Victor, British comic which ran until 1992
1962: birth of Laura Allred, American comic book colorist and wife of artist Michael Allred
1972: publication of the first part of Ayako, Japanese manga trilogy by Osamu Tezuka
1973: birth of Geoff Johns, American comic book writer best known for his work with DC Comics
1992: death of Guido Buzzelli, Italian comic book artist, writer, illustrator and painter
1997: death of Dan Barry, American cartoonist known for his work on Tarzan and Flash Gordon comic strips
2010: debut online of Axe Cop, by Ethan and Malachai Nicolle
2017: death of Jack Mendelsohn, American writer-artist who worked in animation, comic strips and comic books

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General images

The following are images from various comics-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Phoenix Fan Fusion's 2017 convention in Phoenix, Arizona (from Comic book convention)
Image 2Chōjū-giga (12th century), traditionally attributed to a monk-artist Kakuyū (Toba Sōjo) (from History of manga)
Image 3Cover to 27 December 1884 edition of Ally Sloper's Half Holiday. (from British comics)
Image 4BD artist Mœbius (2008), who achieved international renown through Métal Hurlant (from Bande dessinée)
Image 5Cover of Illustrated Chips in 1896 featuring the first appearance of the long-running comic strip of the tramps Weary Willie and Tired Tim. (from British comics)
Image 6A Fallout Cosplayer photographed at a Comic Con in a Fallout Themed area (from Comic book convention)
Image 7The San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con in 2013 (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 8The French comic Les Pieds Nickelés (1954 book cover): an early 20th-century forerunner of the modern Franco-Belgian comic (from Bande dessinée)
Image 9Comic-Con crowd inside the second floor of the convention center in 2011 waiting for the exhibition hall to open (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 10Sequential depictions on Trajan's Column in Rome, Italy (from History of comics)
Image 11Hokusai Manga (early 19th century) (from History of manga)
Image 12Convention crowd outside of Golden Hall in 1982 (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 13During panels at comic book conventions, the audience is sometimes invited to line up and ask questions using a dedicated microphone. (from Comic book convention)
Image 14Close Hergé collaborator and magazine contributor Bob de Moor (from Bande dessinée)
Image 15Comic Con crowds in 2011 as seen from a helicopter (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 16A page by Rodolphe Töpffer, whose work is considered influential in shaping the comics form. (from History of comics)
Image 17Image of bathers from the Hokusai manga (from History of manga)
Image 18Japanese wood block illustration from 19th century (from History of manga)

Did you know (auto-generated) - load new batch

... that a graphic novel for teens was among the 10 most challenged books in the United States in 2023?
... that Fabrizio Dori wants his comic book Il dio vagabondo to bring attention to an ancient Greek view of death?
... that Arnie Roth debuted as a gay Marvel Comics character at a time when the publisher maintained a "No Gays in the Marvel Universe" policy?
... that Pinky & Pepper Forever is a graphic novel that follows two anthropomorphic dog girlfriends through hell?
... that comic book artist Barry Windsor-Smith wrote, drew, inked, and lettered every page of his graphic novel Monsters by himself?
... that the writer of the 2022 comic book miniseries Poison Ivy, starring the eponymous Batman villain, described it as a "love story" that features "plant-based body horror"?
... that John Romita Sr. has been credited with introducing romance comic themes to Spider-Man comic books?
... that until the 1970s, most shōjo manga (Japanese girls' comics) were written by men?

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Credit: Julian Tysoe

Dave Gibbons, artist and designer of the Watchmen comic book series.

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More did you know...

...that the first issue of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic comic book had pre-orders exceeding 100,000 copies, making it one of the most successful comics of 2012?

...that xkcd creator Randall Munroe recently finished a self-updating webcomic strip that spanned 3,099 frames over 123 days?

...that A-Force, the upcoming ongoing comic book series to be published by Marvel Comics, will feature Marvel's first all-female team of Avengers?

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...if the form is to say something important, rather than just involve itself in the kinetic thrill of drawn characters chasing each other, then we have to think harder.

— Eddie Campbell

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This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Comics}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.