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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Sam & Max is a media franchise focusing on the fictional characters of Sam and Max, the Freelance Police. The characters, who occupy a universe that parodies American popular culture, were created by Steve Purcell in his youth, and later debuted in a 1987 comic book series. The characters are a pair of anthropomorphic, vigilante private investigators based in a dilapidated office block in New York City. Sam is a calculative six-foot dog wearing a suit and a fedora, while Max is a short and aggressive "hyperkinetic rabbity thing". The series has been very successful despite its relatively limited amount of media, and has gathered a significant fan base. However, the franchise did not gain more widespread recognition until after the 1993 release of LucasArts' Sam & Max Hit the Road, which cultivated interest in Purcell's original comics. Subsequent video games and the television series have also fared well with both critics and fans; critics consider the episodic video games to be the first successful application of the episodic distribution model.

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Anniversaries for November 24

1916: birth of Stan Kaye, American comics artist known for his work on DC Comics
1918: debut of Gasoline Alley, ongoing American comic strip created by Frank King
1941: birth of Horacio Altuna, Argentine comics artist bets known for El loco Chavez
1952: first appearance of Judge Parker, ongoing American comic strip created by Nicholas P. Dallis
1962: birth of John Kovalic, English comics author best known for Dork Tower
1984: final appearance of Joe Palooka, American comic strip created by Ham Fisher which ran since 1930
1986: death of Al Smith, American comic strip creator best known for continuing Mutt and Jeff
2005: launch of Jesus and Mo, British webcomic by Mohammed Jones

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General images

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

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

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

... that until the 1970s, most shōjo manga (Japanese girls' comics) were written by men?
... 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 Steve Englehart wrote the Captain America comic book storyline "Secret Empire" as an allegory for the Watergate scandal?
... that the Buddhist themes of David Bowie's 1967 composition "Karma Man" were compared to the Marvel Comics character Doctor Strange?
... that the Franco-Belgian comic book Hans had its title changed in Poland due to lingering ill-feeling toward Germany?
... that although Blizzard's franchise Overwatch is centered around video games, its lore is mainly told through animated shorts, comics, and novels?
... that Pinky & Pepper Forever is a graphic novel that follows two anthropomorphic dog girlfriends through hell?
... that the 1992 comic book storyline "Man and Wolf", in which Captain America is transformed into a werewolf, has been described as "one of the most bizarre moments of the core Marvel Universe"?

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Credit: He.Who.Wanders

The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. Created by Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the character first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring 1940).

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More did you know...

...that What A Guy!, a gag cartoon created in 1987, continued for eight years after writer Bill Hoest's death using a mix of his jokes and new gags written by his widow, Bunny Hoest?

...that Morning Funnies was a fruit-flavored breakfast cereal featuring comic strip characters including Dennis the Menace, Hägar the Horrible, and Funky Winkerbean on the box?

...that Andy Hartzell created his graphic novel Fox Bunny Funny without a single line of text?

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A lot of the people who read comics think of comics as a culture—or as a subculture; something with its own private codes that mark its members as belonging, and everybody else as not belonging.

— Douglas Wolk, 2006

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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.