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Introduction

Little Sammy Sneeze comic strip,
published 1904-1906
by Winsor McCay

Comics is 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 image-making means 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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Selected article

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 published April 18, 1938). Superman has been adapted to a number of other media, which includes radio serials, novels, films, television shows, theater, and video games.

Superman was born on the fictional planet Krypton with the birth name of Kal-El. As a baby, his parents sent him to Earth in a small spaceship shortly before Krypton was destroyed in a natural cataclysm. His ship landed in the American countryside near the fictional town of Smallville. He was found and adopted by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent, who named him Clark Kent. Clark began developing various superhuman abilities, such as incredible strength and impervious skin. His adoptive parents advised him to use his powers for the benefit of humanity, and he decided to fight crime as a vigilante. To protect his personal life, he changes into a colorful costume and uses the alias "Superman" when fighting crime. Clark resides in the fictional American city of Metropolis, where he works as a journalist for the Daily Planet. Superman's supporting characters include his love interest and fellow journalist Lois Lane, Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen, and editor-in-chief Perry White, and his enemies include Brainiac, General Zod, Darkseid, and his archenemy, Lex Luthor.

Anniversaries for March 27

1893: birth of Josette Frank, American children's literature expert and educational consultant, one of the significant pro-comics voices during the American anti-comics movement of the 1950s
1901: birth of Carl Barks, considered by many as the best artist of Disney comics, and the creator of DuckBurg and Scrooge McDuck
1927: birth of Hy Eisman, American comics author known for Katzenjammer Kids and Popeye
1943: birth of Phil Frank, American comics creator best known for Farley
1947: birth of Mike Friedrich, American comic book writer and publisher known for publishing Star*Reach, one of the first independent comics
1962: birth of Kevin J. Anderson, American science fiction author, writer of several comic book adaptations of movies
1982: relaunch of Eagle, between 1950 and 1969 the most popular British comic, featuring a.o. the comic strip Ernie by Dave Gibbons
1987: debut of Slylock Fox, American comic strip created by Bob Weber Junior
1993: death of Elizabeth Holloway Marston, American comic book writer best known for co-creating Wonder Woman
2010: death of Dick Giordano, American comic book artist and editor for Charlton Comics and DC Comics
2017: death of Leone Cimpellin, Italian comic artist, sometimes credited under the pen name Ghilbert

More March anniversaries / All Anniversaries...

General images

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

Image 1Comic Con crowds in 2011 as seen from a helicopter (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 2Convention crowd outside of Golden Hall in 1982 (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 3Chōjū-giga (12th century), traditionally attributed to a monk-artist Kakuyū (Toba Sōjo) (from History of manga)
Image 4The French comic Les Pieds Nickelés (1954 book cover): an early 20th-century forerunner of the modern Franco-Belgian comic (from Bande dessinée)
Image 5Close Hergé collaborator and magazine contributor Bob de Moor (from Bande dessinée)
Image 6Cover 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 7Image of bathers from the Hokusai manga (from History of manga)
Image 8A Fallout Cosplayer photographed at a Comic Con in a Fallout Themed area (from Comic book convention)
Image 9The San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con in 2013 (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 10Cover to 27 December 1884 edition of Ally Sloper's Half Holiday. (from British comics)
Image 11A page by Rodolphe Töpffer, whose work is considered influential in shaping the comics form. (from History of comics)
Image 12Hokusai Manga (early 19th century) (from History of manga)
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 14
Comics artist Mœbius (2008), who achieved international renown through Métal Hurlant
(from Bande dessinée)
Image 15Japanese wood block illustration from 19th century (from History of manga)
Image 16Comicon's 2017 convention in Phoenix, Arizona (from Comic book convention)
Image 17Comic-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 18Sequential depictions on Trajan's Column in Rome, Italy (from History of comics)

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

... that Steve Englehart wrote the Captain America comic book storyline "Secret Empire" as an allegory for the Watergate scandal?
... that Pinky & Pepper Forever is a graphic novel that follows two anthropomorphic dog girlfriends through hell?
... that a teacher of medieval literature and comic books writes the blog Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle?
... that the robotic enemies in the video game The Incredible Hulk were influenced by Marvel Comics' objection to the Hulk killing humanoid characters?
... that a 1944 serial film was the first film appearance of Captain America and the first film appearance of any Marvel Comics character?
... that The Steranko History of Comics has been described as the first piece of cultural analysis on American comic books?
... that while Marvel Comics originally designated the main reality depicted in the MCU multiverse as Earth-199999, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness established it as Earth-616?
... that the comic book Nietzsche, se créer liberté tries to express Friedrich Nietzsche's personality visually?

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Whiz Comics #2 (Feb. 1940), the first appearance of Captain Marvel. Cover art by C. C. Beck.

Credit: Fawcett Comics

Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 (February 1940). With a premise that taps adolescent fantasy, Captain Marvel is the alter ego of Billy Batson, a youth who works as a radio news reporter and was chosen to be a champion of good by the wizard Shazam.

More did you know...

... that Marvel Comics published a parody of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue featuring artwork of superheroes in bathing suits?

... that Shueisha, the publisher of Weekly Shōnen Jump, has produced a manga series in collaboration with Marvel Comics?

... that Wolfgang J. Fuchs, an early German comics scholar who co-wrote a 1971 standard work on the topic, translated Garfield and Mom's Cancer?

More did you know facts

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Selected quote

...'comic' simply means funny, so the word is inadequate. To tack on the word 'adult' has resulted in a style of magazine suitable for only some adults, glossy comics barely containing their airbrushed breasts, leaving little room for genuine content. — Paul Gravett

More selected quotes More from Wikiquote

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Topics

Comics

Glossary of comics terminology

Formats

Techniques

Creators

By format	Editorial list Minicomics Webcomics
By country	American Jewish American Australian Canadian Cuban Filipino Japanese (manga) Macedonian
Other	Female comics creators list

History

Comics studies
and narratology

Genres	Abstract Adult Alternative Ambiguous Anthropomorphic Autobiographical Celebrity Comics journalism Comics poetry Crime Dystopian Erotic Fantasy list Gekiga Graphic medicine Horror Romance list Science fiction Superhero Teen humor Tijuana bible Underground War Western Wrestling
Tropes	Antihero Decompression Talking animals Masking Rogue Superhero Supervillain Widescreen comics
Themes	Ethnic stereotypes Feminist Gender and webcomics LGBT American mainstream Portrayal of black people African characters Portrayal of women The Hawkeye Initiative Women in Refrigerators

By country

Africa	South Africa
Americas	Argentina Brazil Canada Quebec Mexico United States list
Asia	China and Taiwan list Hong Kong India list Japan lists Korea list Philippines list Thailand Turkey Vietnam
Europe	Czech Republic Croatia France and Belgium list Belgium Germany Hungary Ireland Italy list Netherlands Poland Portugal Serbia Spain list United Kingdom Wales
Oceania	Australia

Lists

By format	Comic books Comic strips Manga magazines Webcomics
By source	Based on fiction Based on films Based on television programs Based on video games
Other lists	Awards Best-selling comic series manga manga magazines Comic books on CD/DVD Comics and comic strips made into feature films Comics solicited but never published Limited series

Collections and
museums

Schools

Organizations

Professional	Academy of Comic Book Arts Association of Canadian Cartoonists Association of Comics Magazine Publishers Australian Cartoonists' Association Comic Art Professional Society National Cartoonists Society Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas
Critical and academic	Association des Critiques et des journalistes de Bande Dessinée Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association Canadian Society for the Study of Comics Comic & Fantasy Art Amateur Press Association Comics Studies Society Sequart Organization Svenska Serieakademien
Charitable and outreach	Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors British Amateur Press Association (comics) Club des bandes dessinées Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund Finnish Comics Society Friends of Lulu The Hero Initiative Xeric Foundation

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Featured content

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.