Editing Comic book

{{Short description|Publication of comics art}}
{{about|periodicals containing comics|the comics art medium|Comics}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
[[File:MuseoFerrocarrilSLP19.JPG|thumb|Comic books on display at a museum, depicting how they would have been displayed at a rail station store in the first half of the 20th century]]
[[File:Fantastic Comics 1.jpg|alt=|thumb|A common comic-book cover format displays the issue number, date, price and publisher along with an illustration and cover copy which may include a story's title.]]
{{comics navbar|title=Comic books|image=|caption=}}

A '''comic book''', '''comic-magazine''', or simply '''comic''' is a publication that consists of [[comics]] art in the form of sequential juxtaposed [[panel (comics)|panels]] that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and written narrative, usually dialogue contained in [[word balloon]]s 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 [[Cartoon|cartoons]] to unfold narrative. These British comics existed alongside the popular lurid "[[penny dreadful]]s" (such as ''[[Spring-heeled Jack]]''), boys' "[[story paper]]s" and the humorous ''[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]'' magazine, which was the first to use the term "cartoon" in its modern sense of a humorous drawing.

The first modern [[American comic book|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 strip]]s, which had established many of the story-telling devices used in comics.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 18, 2008 |title=A History of the Comic Book |url=http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/033comic.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525003144/http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/033comic.html |archive-date=25 May 2013 |access-date=16 July 2014 |website=Random History}}</ref> The term ''comic book'' derives from American comic books 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]] market in Japan was valued at {{JPY|586.4 billion|link=yes}} ({{US$|6{{ndash}}7 billion|long=no|link=yes}}),<ref>{{cite book|last=Schodt|first=Frederik|author-link=Frederik L. Schodt|title=Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga|publisher=Stone Bridge Press|location=Berkeley, CA|year=1996|isbn=978-1-880656-23-5|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0yDAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA20 19-20]|title-link=Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga}}</ref> with annual sales of 1.9{{nbsp}}billion manga books ({{Lang|ja-latn|[[tankōbon]]}} volumes and [[manga magazines]]) in Japan, equivalent to 15{{nbsp}}issues per person.<ref name="Indianapolis">{{cite news|title=Manga, anime rooted in Japanese history|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/107097112/|work=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|date=2 August 1997|access-date=29 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530035505/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/107097112/|archive-date=30 May 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, the manga market in Japan reached a new record value of {{JPY|612.5 billion}} due to a fast growth of digital manga sales as well as an increase in print sales.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/14282699|title=Manga sales top 600 billion yen in 2020 for first time on record|publisher= The Asahi Shimbun|date= 1 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Japan's Manga and Comic Industry Hits Record Profits in 2020|url=https://comicbook.com/anime/news/japan-manga-anime-industry-profit-2020-success/?_gl=1*1nys6uy*_ga*U3hrbjVKWHhEbllPanRSMEE3TnhLdGJGbVpRdFFNOW1vTzB3bXM2X0x5ZUtsNk9VVS1VaUpIWndxc3pYbnV2OA..|publisher=Comicbook.com|date=15 March 2021}}</ref> The comic book market in the United States and Canada was valued at {{US$|1.09 billion|long=no}} in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gilchrist|first=Michelle|title=Growing comic market reached $1.9 billion in 2016|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/data-watch/sd-me-comics-market-20170721-story.html|work=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]|date=21 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170723011137/http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/data-watch/sd-me-comics-market-20170721-story.html|archive-date=23 July 2017|access-date=28 May 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2017}}, the largest comic book publisher in the United States is manga distributor [[Viz Media]], followed by [[DC Comics]] and [[Marvel Comics]] featuring [[superhero comics]] franchises such as [[Superman]], [[Batman]], [[Wonder Woman]], [[Spider-Man]], [[Hulk|the Incredible Hulk]], and [[X-Men|the X-Men]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Magulick|first=Aaron|title=Viz Manga Sales are Destroying DC, Marvel in Comic Market|url=http://goboiano.com/viz-manga-sales-are-destroying-dc-marvel-in-comic-market/|work=GoBoiano|date=8 October 2017|access-date=21 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710102607/http://goboiano.com/viz-manga-sales-are-destroying-dc-marvel-in-comic-market/|archive-date=10 July 2018|url-status=usurped}}</ref> The best-selling comic book categories in the US {{as of|2019|lc=y}} are juvenile [[children's fiction]] at 41%, manga at 28% and superhero comics at 10% of the market.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gramuglia |first1=Anthony |title=Why Manga & Comics for Kids Outsell Superheroes |url=https://www.cbr.com/manga-comics-kids-outsell-superheroes/ |access-date=2 April 2021 |work=[[Comic Book Resources]] |date=19 October 2019}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite news |title=French Comics In 2013 – It's Not All Asterix. But Quite A Bit Is. |url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/01/01/french-comics-in-2013-its-not-all-asterix-but-quite-a-bit-is/ |work=[[Bleeding Cool]] |publisher=[[Avatar Press]]|date=1 January 2014 |access-date=6 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729200530/https://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/01/01/french-comics-in-2013-its-not-all-asterix-but-quite-a-bit-is/ |archive-date=29 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Structure==
{{main|Comics#Terminology}}
[[File:Fingers & thumbs to - Page 76 from Tristram Shandy by Martin Rowson CCWSH1200P76.jpg|thumb|Page 76 of a [[graphic novel]] adaptation of ''[[Tristram Shandy]]'', drawn by the British cartoonist [[Martin Rowson]]]]
Comic books heavily rely on their organization and visual presentation. Authors dedicate significant attention to aspects like page layout, size, orientation, and the positioning of panels. These characteristics are crucial for effectively conveying the content and messages within the comic book. Key components of comic books encompass panels, speech bubbles (also known as balloons), text lines, and characters. [[Speech balloon|Speech balloons]] generally take the form of convex containers that hold character dialogue and are connected to the character via a tail element. The tail comprises an origin, path, tip, and directional point. The creation of comic books involves several essential steps: writing, drawing, and coloring. Various technological tools and methods are employed to craft comic books, incorporating concepts such as directions, axes, data, and metrics. Following these formatting guidelines, the process unfolds with writing, drawing, and coloring.<ref>{{cite journal|title = Knowledge-driven understanding of images in comic books|last = Rigaud|first = Christophe|date = 2015|journal = International Journal on Document Analysis and Recognition|doi = 10.1007/s10032-015-0243-1|volume = 18|issue = 3|pages = 199–221|s2cid = 12589544| url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01144856 }}</ref> In the [[United States]], the term "comic book", is generally used for comics [[periodical]]s and [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperbacks]] while "[[graphic novel]]" is the term used for standalone books.<ref name=":22">{{Cite book|last=Phoenix|first=Jack|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1141029685|title=Maximizing the Impact of Comics in Your Library: Graphic Novels, Manga, and More|year=2020|isbn=978-1-4408-6886-3|location=Santa Barbara, California|pages=4–12|oclc=1141029685}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kelley|first=Jason|date=2020-11-16|title=What's The Difference Between Graphic Novels and Trade Paperbacks?|url=https://www.howtolovecomics.com/2020/11/16/whats-the-difference-between-graphic-novels-and-trade-paperbacks/|access-date=2021-04-04|website=How To Love Comics|language=en-AU}}</ref>

==American comic books==
{{main|American comic book}}
Comics as a print medium have existed in the United States since the printing of ''[[Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois|The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck]]'' in 1842 in [[hardcover]],<ref>[http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/digital/collections/books/ocn259708589/ocn259708589.html ''The Adventures of M. Obadiah Oldbuck''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211005542/http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/digital/collections/books/ocn259708589/ocn259708589.html |date=11 February 2015 }} at the [[Dartmouth College]] library</ref> 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 Parades'' was the first book that established the size, duration, and format of the modern comic book. Following this was, [[Dell Publishing]]'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".<ref name="ron">{{cite book | author-link=Ron Goulart | last=Goulart | first=Ron | title=Comic Book Encyclopedia | publisher=[[HarperCollins|Harper Entertainment]] | location=New York | year=2004 | isbn=978-0060538163 |url=https://archive.org/details/comicbookencyclo00goul }}</ref> In 1905 G.W. Dillingham Company published 24 select strips by the cartoonist [[Gustave Verbeek]] in an anthology book called 'The Incredible Upside-Downs of Little Lady Lovekins and Old Man Muffaroo'.<ref>[https://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/books/verbeek.html ''Gustave Verbeek, Little Lady Lovekins, and Old Man Muffaroo''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118174707/https://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/books/verbeek.html |date=18 January 2019 }}</ref> The introduction of [[Jerry Siegel]] and [[Joe Shuster]]'s [[Superman]] in 1938 turned comic books into a major industry<ref>{{cite book | last=Goulart | first=Ron | author-link=Ron Goulart | title=Comic Book Culture: An Illustrated History | date= 2000 | publisher=Collectors Press | page=43 | isbn=978-1-888054-38-5}}</ref> and ushered in the [[Golden Age of Comic Books]]. The Golden Age originated the [[archetype]] of the [[superhero]]. According to historian [[Michael A. Amundson]], appealing comic-book characters helped ease young readers' fear of nuclear war and neutralize anxiety about the questions posed by atomic power.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Zeman|first1=Scott C.|last2=Amundson|first2=Michael A.|title=Atomic Culture: How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb|url=https://archive.org/details/automiccultureho00scot|url-access=registration|date=2004|publisher=University Press of Colorado|location=Boulder, Colorado|isbn=9780870817632|page=[https://archive.org/details/automiccultureho00scot/page/11 11]}}</ref>

Historians generally divide the timeline of the American comic book into eras. The [[Golden Age of Comic Books]] 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/the-golden-age-of-comics/ | title = The Golden Age of Comics | work = History Detectives: Special Investigations | publisher = [[PBS]] | access-date = 18 February 2015 | quote = The precise era of the Golden Age is disputed, though most agree that it was born with the launch of Superman in 1938. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905025350/http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/the-golden-age-of-comics/ | archive-date = 5 September 2017 | url-status=live}}</ref> 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 (DC Comics character)|Flash]] in ''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase]]'' #4 (Oct. 1956).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=10649 | title=DC Flashback: The Flash | access-date=27 June 2008 | last=CBR News Team | date=2 July 2007 | website=[[Comic Book Resources]] | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007032240/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=10649 | archive-date=7 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/story.php?a=5706 | title=Breaking the Border – Rants and Ramblings | access-date=5 January 2010 | last=Zicari | first=Anthony | date=3 August 2007 | publisher=[[Comics Bulletin]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826092448/http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/story.php?a=5706 |archive-date = 26 August 2007}}</ref> The Silver Age lasted through the late 1960s or early 1970s, during which time [[Marvel Comics]] revolutionized the medium with such [[naturalism (literature)|naturalistic]] superheroes as [[Stan Lee]] and [[Jack Kirby]]'s [[Fantastic Four]] and Lee and [[Steve Ditko]]'s [[Spider-Man]]. The demarcation between the Silver Age and the following era, the [[Bronze Age of Comic Books]], is less well-defined, with the Bronze Age running from the very early 1970s through the mid-1980s.<ref name=libraries>{{cite book |title=Comic Book Collections for Libraries |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |first1=Bryan D. |last1=Fagan |first2=Jody Condit |last2=Condit |isbn=978-1598845112 |year=2011 |page=38}}</ref> The [[Modern Age of Comic Books]] runs from the mid-1980s to the present day.<ref>{{cite book |title=Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide |year=2008 |volume=38 |page=1028 |chapter=Glossary |title-link=Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide}}</ref>

A significant event in the timeline of American comic books occurred when psychiatrist [[Fredric Wertham]] voiced his criticisms of the medium through his book ''Seduction of the Innocent'' (1954). This critique led to the involvement of the American [[Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency]], which launched an investigation into comic books. Wertham argued that comic books were accountable for a surge in juvenile delinquency and posed a potential impact on a child's sexuality and moral values.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Seduction of the Innocent|last=Wertham|first=Fredric|publisher=Rinehart and Company, Inc.|year=1954}}</ref> In response to attention from the government and from the media, the US comic book industry set up the Comics Magazine Association of America.<ref name="Reference A">{{cite journal|last1=Brown|first1=Jeffrey|title=Comic Book Fandom and Cultural Capital|journal=Journal of Popular Culture|date=1997|volume=30|issue=4|pages=13–31|doi=10.1111/j.0022-3840.1997.3004_13.x}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Comic book fandom and cultural capital |last=Brown |first=Jeffrey |date=1997 |journal=Journal of Popular Culture |doi=10.1111/j.0022-3840.1997.3004_13.x |issn=0022-3840 |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=13–31}}</ref> The Code was made formally defunct in November 2011.

=== Underground comic books ===
{{Main|Underground comix}}

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a surge of creativity emerged in what became known as [[underground comix]]. Published and distributed independently of the established comics industry, most of such comics reflected the youth [[counterculture]] and [[drug culture]] of the time. Underground comix "reflected and commented on the social divisions and tensions of American society".{{attribution needed|date=June 2019}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|title=Introducing Comics and Ideology|journal=Comics and Ideology}}</ref> 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]]". Underground comics were almost never sold at newsstands, but rather in such youth-oriented outlets as [[head shop]]s 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.<ref name=":0" />

[[Frank Stack]]'s ''The Adventures of Jesus'', published under the name Foolbert Sturgeon,<ref name="Shelton">{{Cite book | last1=Stack | first1=Frank | author-link1=Frank Stack | last2=Shelton | first2=Gilbert | author-link2=Gilbert Shelton | title=The New Adventures of Jesus | date=25 December 2006 | publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]] | page=[https://archive.org/details/newadventuresofj00fran/page/9 9] | chapter=Introduction | isbn=978-1-56097-780-3 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/newadventuresofj00fran/page/9 }}</ref><ref name="Skinn-34"/> has been credited as the first underground comix;<ref name="Shelton"/><ref name="Skinn-34">{{Cite book | last=Skinn | first=Dez | author-link=Dez Skinn | title=Comix: The Underground Revolution | date=20 May 2004 | publisher=[[Thunder's Mouth Press]] | page=34 | chapter=Heroes of the Revolution | isbn=978-1-56025-572-7}}</ref> while [[R. Crumb]] and the crew of cartoonists who worked on ''[[Zap Comix]]'' popularized the form.

===Alternative comics===
{{main|Alternative comics}}

The rise of comic book [[specialty store]]s in the late 1970s created and paralleled a dedicated market for "independent" or "[[alternative comics]]" in the US. The first such comics included the anthology series ''[[Star Reach]]'', 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]] and [[Robert Pulcini]] adapted into a [[American Splendor (film)|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 (comics magazine)|RAW]]'') represented experimental attempts to bring comics closer to the status of [[fine art]].

During the 1970s the "[[small press]]" culture grew and diversified. By the 1980s, several independent publishers – such as [[Pacific Comics|Pacific]], [[Eclipse Comics|Eclipse]], [[First Comics|First]], [[Comico: The Comic Company|Comico]], and [[Fantagraphics]] – had started releasing a wide range of styles and formats—from color-superhero, [[detective]], 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 "[[minicomic]]s" form, an extremely informal version of [[self-publishing]], arose in the 1980s and became increasingly popular among artists in the 1990s,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~sap/decal/americancomics|title=americancomics|website=www.ocf.berkeley.edu|access-date=2017-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202055024/https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~sap/decal/americancomics|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> despite reaching an even more limited audience than the small press.

Small publishers regularly releasing titles include [[Avatar Press]], [[Hyperwerks]], Raytoons, and [[Terminal Press]], buoyed by such advances in printing technology as digital [[print on demand|print-on-demand]].

===Graphic novels===
[[File:The_Junior_Disease_Detectives_-_Operation_Outbreak.pdf|thumb|The [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] published this instructional graphic novel in 2018 to teach youth to stop spreading infectious diseases.]]
{{Main|Graphic novel}}
In 1964, Richard Kyle coined the term "[[graphic novel]]".<ref>{{Cite web|title=In 1964, Richard Kyle Coined The Term Graphic Novel {{!}} Global Book Writers|url=https://globalbookwriters.co.uk/blog/graphic-novel|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-07|website=@globalbookwriters|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810223703/https://globalbookwriters.co.uk/blog/graphic-novel |archive-date=10 August 2021 }}</ref>

Precursors of the form existed by the 1920s, which saw a revival of the [[medieval]] [[woodcut]] tradition by Belgian [[Frans Masereel]],<ref>Sabin, Roger. ''Adult Comics: An Introduction''(Routledge New Accents Library Collection, 2005), p. 291 {{ISBN|978-0-415-29139-2}}, {{ISBN|978-0-415-29139-2}}</ref> American [[Lynd Ward]] and others, including Stan Lee.

In 1947, [[Fawcett Publications]] published "Comics Novel No. 1", as the first in an intended series of these "comics novels". The story in the first issue was "Anarcho, Dictator of Death", a five chapter spy genre tale written by [[Otto Binder]] and drawn by Al Carreno. It is readable online in the [[Digital Comic Museum]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Digital Comic Museum - Comics Novel 001 (1 fiche)-c2c |url=https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=8272 |website=Digital Comic Museum - Free Public Domain Books |language=en}}</ref> The magazine never reached a second issue.

In 1950, [[St. John Publications]] produced the [[digest-sized]], adult-oriented "picture novel" ''[[It Rhymes with Lust]]'', a 128-page digest by [[pseudonym]]ous writer "Drake Waller" ([[Arnold Drake]] and [[Leslie Waller]]), penciler [[Matt Baker (artist)|Matt Baker]] and inker [[Ray Osrin]], touted as "an original full-length novel" on its cover. "It Rhymes with Lust" is also available to read online in the Digital Comic Museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=Digital Comic Museum - It Rhymes With Lust GN [original](Matt Baker) |url=https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=27911 |website=Digital Comic Museum - Free Public Domain Books |language=en}}</ref>

In 1971, writer-artist [[Gil Kane]] and collaborators applied a paperback format to their "comics novel" ''[[Blackmark]]''. [[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|A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories]]'' in 1978 and, subsequently, the usage of the term began to increase.

===Digital comics===
{{See also|Digital comic}}

===Market size===
In 2017, the comic book market size for North America was just over $1&nbsp;billion with digital sales being flat, book stores having a 1% decline, and comic book stores having a 10% decline over 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comichron.com/yearlycomicssales/industrywide/2017-industrywide.html |title=Comics and graphic novel sales down 6.5% in 2017 |work=Comichron |date=2018-07-13 |access-date=2018-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716223818/http://www.comichron.com/yearlycomicssales/industrywide/2017-industrywide.html |archive-date=16 July 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The global comic book market saw a substantial 12% growth in 2020, reaching a total worth of US$8.49&nbsp;billion. This positive trajectory continued in 2021, with the market's annual valuation surging to US$9.21&nbsp;billion. The rising popularity of comic books can be attributed to heightened global interest, driven significantly by collaborative efforts among diverse brands. These collaborations are geared towards producing more engaging and appealing comic content, contributing to the industry's continued growth.<ref>{{Cite press release |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=2022-01-27 |title=Comic Book Market Expected to Reach USD 12.81 billion by 2028 {{!}} Comic Book Industry Share, Business Statistics, Latest Trends, and Analysis by Fortune Business Insights™ |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/01/27/2374079/0/en/Comic-Book-Market-Expected-to-Reach-USD-12-81-billion-by-2028-Comic-Book-Industry-Share-Business-Statistics-Latest-Trends-and-Analysis-by-Fortune-Business-Insights.html |access-date=2022-03-03 |publisher=Fortune Business Insights |via=GlobeNewswire News Room |language=en}}</ref>

===Comic book collecting===
{{Main|Comic book collecting}}

The 1970s saw the advent of specialty [[comic book store]]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 convention]]s, they are now embraced by many adults.<ref name="Reference A" />

Comic book collectors often exhibit a lifelong passion for the stories within comics, often focusing on specific superheroes and striving to gather a complete collection of a particular series. Comics are assigned sequential numbers, and the initial issue of a long-lasting comic book series tends to be both the scarcest and the most coveted among collectors. The introduction of a new character might occur within an existing title. For instance, the first appearance of [[Spider-Man]] took place in ''[[Amazing Fantasy]]'' #15. New characters were frequently introduced in this manner, waiting for an established audience before launching their own titles. Consequently, comics featuring the debut appearance of a significant character can sometimes be even more challenging to locate than the inaugural issue of that character's standalone series.

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 Auctions|Heritage]] auction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=818&Lot_No=2020&type=prte-pr091305a |title=Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 Pay Copy (First Funnies, Inc., 1939) CGC VF/NM 9.0 Cream to off-white pages. This is one of... Golden Age (1938–1955)Superhero |publisher=Comics.ha.com |date=14 October 2005 |access-date=18 July 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709051700/http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=818&Lot_No=2020&type=prte-pr091305a |archive-date=9 July 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

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&nbsp;million {{as of|2010|December|lc=y}}, including two examples of ''[[Action Comics]]'' #1, the first appearance of [[Superman]],<ref name="CNN">[https://money.cnn.com/2010/02/26/news/economy/batman_comic/ Batman comic book beats Superman at auction, sets record] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100303223514/https://money.cnn.com/2010/02/26/news/economy/batman_comic/ |date=3 March 2010 }} CNN Money 2-26-10</ref><ref>[https://money.cnn.com/2014/08/25/news/companies/comic-record/index.html Superman comic sells for record $3.2 million] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027021655/https://money.cnn.com/2014/08/25/news/companies/comic-record/index.html |date=27 October 2018 }} (CNN Money) – 25 August 2014</ref> both sold privately through online dealer ComicConnect.com in 2010, and ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #27, the first appearance of [[Batman]], via public auction.

Updating the above price obtained for ''[[Action Comics]]'' #1, the first appearance of [[Superman]], the highest sale on record for this book is $3.2&nbsp;million, for a 9.0 copy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Whitney|first=Lance|title=Superman's Action Comics No. 1 sells for record $3.2 million on eBay|url=http://www.cnet.com/news/supermans-action-comics-no-1-sells-for-record-3-2-million-on-ebay|access-date=31 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827190350/http://www.cnet.com/news/supermans-action-comics-no-1-sells-for-record-3-2-million-on-ebay/|archive-date=27 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> <!-- Sentence fragment: Before [[Fawcett Comics]] introduced [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]] -->

Misprints, promotional comic-dealer incentive printings, and issues with exceptionally low distribution tend to possess scarcity value in the comic book market. The rarest modern comic books include the [[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen#Issue 5 recall|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;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?article=2153 | publisher=Comic Book Resources | date=23 May 2005 | title=Alan's Previous Problems With DC (sidebar) | work=Lying in the Gutters | last=Johnston | first=Rich | author-link=Rich Johnston | access-date=18 November 2006 | archive-date=20 January 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100120042700/http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?article=2153 | url-status=dead }}</ref> only 100 copies exist, most of which have been [[Comics Guaranty LLC|CGC]] graded. (See [[Recalled comics]] for more pulped, recalled, and erroneous comics.)

In 2000, a company named [[Comics Guaranty]] (CGC) initiated the practice of "slabbing" comics, which involves encasing them within thick plastic cases and assigning them a numerical grade. This approach inspired the emergence of [[Beckett Media|Comic Book Certification Service]]. Given the significance of condition in determining the value of rare comics, the concept of [[comic book grading|grading]] by an impartial company, one that does not engage in buying or selling comics, seemed promising. Nevertheless, there is an ongoing debate regarding whether the relatively high cost of this grading service is justified and whether it serves the interests of collectors or mainly caters to speculators seeking rapid profits, akin to trading in stocks or fine art. Comic grading has played a role in establishing standards for valuation, which online price guides such as GoCollect and GPAnalysis utilize to provide real-time market value information.

Collectors also seek out the original artwork pages from comic books, which are perhaps the most rarefied items in the realm of comic book collecting. These pages hold unparalleled scarcity due to the fact that there exists only one unique page of artwork for every page that was printed and published.

The creation of these original artwork pages involves a collaborative effort: a writer crafts the story, a pencil artist designs the sequential panels on the page, an ink artist goes over the pencil with pen and ink, a letterer provides the dialogue and narration through hand-lettering, and finally, a colorist adds color as the final touch before the pages are sent to the printer.

When the printer returns the original artwork pages, they are typically returned to the artists themselves. These artists sometimes opt to sell these pages at comic book conventions, in galleries, and at art shows centered around comic book art. The original pages from DC and Marvel, featuring the debut appearances of iconic characters such as Superman, Batman, [[Wonder Woman]], [[Flash (DC Comics character)|the Flash]], [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]], Spider-Man, [[Hulk|the Incredible Hulk]], [[Iron Man]], [[Captain America]] and [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|the Mighty Thor]] are regarded as priceless treasures within the comic book world.

===History of race in American comic books===
{{Cleanup section|reason=re-write to make less reliant on quotes, better fit WP's style|date=July 2019}}
Many early iterations of black characters in comics "became variations on the 'single stereotypical image of Sambo'."<ref name=":02">{{Cite thesis|last=Woodall|first=Lowery Anderson|date=2010|title=The Secret Identity of Race: Exploring Ethnic and Racial Portrayals in Superhero Comic Books |type=PhD dissertation |publisher=University of Southern Mississippi |url=http://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/478}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/coon/|title=The Coon Caricature - Anti-black Imagery - Jim Crow Museum - Ferris State University|website=www.ferris.edu|access-date=2019-06-30}}</ref> This portrayal "was of course another attempt to solidify the intellectual inferiority of the black race through popular culture."<ref name=":02" /> 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."<ref name=":02" /> 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."<ref name=":02" />

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..."<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Hirsch|first=Paul|date=2014|title="This Is Our Enemy": The Writers' War Board and Representations of Race in Comic Books, 1942–1945|journal=Pacific Historical Review|volume=83|issue=3|pages=448–486|doi=10.1525/phr.2014.83.3.448|issn=0030-8684|jstor=10.1525/phr.2014.83.3.448}}</ref> Not only were they using comic books as a means of recruiting all Americans, they were also using it as propaganda to "[construct] a justification for race-based hatred of America's foreign enemies."<ref name=":1" /> The Writers' War Board created comics books that were meant to "[promote] domestic racial harmony".<ref name=":1" /> However, "these pro-tolerance narratives struggled to overcome the popular and widely understood negative tropes used for decades in American mass culture...".<ref name=":1" /> However, they were not accomplishing this agenda within all of their comics.

In the comic series ''Captain Marvel Adventures'', there was a character named Steamboat who embodied a collection of highly negative stereotypes prevalent during that period. The Writers' War Board did not request any alterations to this character despite the problematic portrayal. The removal of Steamboat from the series only came about due to the persistent advocacy of a black youth group based in New York City."<ref name=":1" /> 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'."<ref name=":1" /> The black youth group responded with "this is not the Negro race, but your one-and-a-half millions readers will think it so."<ref name=":1" /> 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."<ref name=":1" /> 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'."<ref name=":02" /> "The Falcon openly criticized black behavior stating' maybe it's important {{sic|fo}} us to cool things down-so we can protect the rights we been fightin' for'."<ref name=":02" /> 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."<ref name=":02" />

Asian characters within comic books encountered similar prejudiced treatment as black characters did. They were subjected to dehumanizing depictions, with narratives often portraying them as "incompetent and subhuman."<ref name=":1" /> In a 1944 edition of the publication ''United States Marines'', there was a story titled ''The Smell of the Monkeymen''. This narrative portrayed Japanese soldiers as brutish simians, and it depicted their concealed positions being betrayed by their repugnant body odor.<ref name=":1" /> 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...."<ref name=":1" /> 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..."<ref name=":1" /> 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."<ref name=":1" /> "Publishers depicted America's Asian allies through derogatory images and language honed over the preceding decades."<ref name=":1" /> Asian characters were previously portrayed as, "ghastly yellow demons".<ref name=":02" /> During WWII, "[every] major superhero worth his spandex devoted himself to the eradication of Asian invaders."<ref name=":02" /> 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."<ref name=":02" />

"The only specific depiction of a Hispanic superhero{{dubious|date=October 2020|reason=Living Lighting was a Hispanic Avenger from 1990...}} did not end well. In 1975, Marvel gave us Hector Ayala (a.k.a. The White Tiger)."<ref name=":02" /> "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.<ref name=":02" /> The most famous Hispanic character is Bane, a villain from Batman."<ref name=":02" />

The Native American representation in comic books "can be summed up in the noble savage stereotype"<ref name=":02" /> " 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".<ref name=":02" />

==East Asian comics==

===Japanese manga===
{{Main|Manga}}

[[Manga]] (漫画) are comic books or [[graphic novel]]s 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]]. The term ''manga'' is used in Japan to refer to both comics and [[cartooning]] in general. Outside Japan, the word is typically used to refer to comics originally published in the country.

===Dōjinshi===
{{Main|Dōjinshi}}

{{nihongo3|''fan magazine''|同人誌|Dōjinshi}}, [[fan-made]] Japanese comics, operate in a far larger market in Japan than the American "underground comix" market; the largest dōjinshi fair, [[Comiket]], attracts 500,000 visitors twice a year.<ref>Mizoguchi Akiko (2003). "Male-Male Romance by and for Women in Japan: A History and the Subgenres of Yaoi Fictions". ''U.S.-Japan Women's Journal'', '''25''': 49–75.</ref>

===Korean manhwa===
{{Main|Manhwa}}

[[Manhwa]] (만화) are comic books or graphic novels originating from [[Korea]]. The term ''manhwa'' is used in Korea to refer to both comics and cartooning in general. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to comics originally published in Korea. Manhwa is greatly influenced by Japanese Manga comics though it differs from manga and [[manhua]] with its own distinct features.

===Webtoons===
{{Main|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]], and [[Kakao]].

===Chinese manhua===
{{Main|Manhua}}

===Vietnamese truyện tranh===
{{Main|Truyện tranh}}

==European comics==
{{Main|European comics}}

===Franco-Belgian comics===
{{Main|Bande dessinée}}
[[File:René Goscinny.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[René Goscinny]] (1926–1977), writer of the ''[[Astérix]]'' comic book series]] 
France and Belgium have a long tradition in comics and comic books, often called ''[[Franco-Belgian comics|BDs]]'' (an abbreviation of ''bandes dessinées'', meaning literally "drawn strips")<ref>{{cite web | title=La véritable histoire des mots " bande dessinée " | website=Comixtrip | date=15 September 2015 | url=https://www.comixtrip.fr/dossiers/la-presque-veritable-histoire-des-mots-bande-dessinee/ | language=fr | access-date=17 June 2022}}</ref> in French, and ''strips'' in [[Dutch language|Dutch]] or [[Flemish language|Flemish]]. Belgian comic books originally written in Dutch show the influence of the [[Francophone]] "Franco-Belgian" comics but have their own distinct style.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

===British comics===
{{Main|British comics}}

[[File:Ally Sloper's Half Holiday (front cover - 27 December 1884).png|thumb|upright|200px|Cover to 27 December 1884 edition of ''[[Ally Sloper's Half Holiday]]''. [[Ally Sloper]] is regarded as the first recurring character in comics.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Birch|first1=Dinah|title=The Oxford Companion to English Literature|date=24 September 2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|page=240}}</ref>]]
Although ''[[Ally Sloper's Half Holiday]]'' (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 and Gnasher|Dennis the Menace]] would be a century later."<ref>{{cite news |title=Top hats off to Marie Duval, a lost Victorian cartoonist sensation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2014/oct/27/marie-duval-victorian-cartoonist-ally-sloper |access-date=21 November 2018 |work=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122215601/https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2014/oct/27/marie-duval-victorian-cartoonist-ally-sloper |archive-date=22 November 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> British comics in the early 20th century typically evolved from illustrated [[penny dreadful]]s of the Victorian era (featuring [[Sweeney Todd]], [[Dick Turpin]] and ''[[Varney the Vampire]]'').<ref name="histoday94">{{cite journal |url=https://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5000228860 | title= Horror Comics: The Nasties of the 1950s | author= John Sringhall | journal= [[History Today]] | issue= 7 | volume= 44 | date= July 1994 | access-date= 2010-10-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504231008/http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5000228860 | archive-date= 4 May 2012 | url-status=live}}</ref> First published in the 1830s, penny dreadfuls were "Britain's first taste of mass-produced popular culture for the young."<ref>{{cite news |title=Penny dreadfuls: the Victorian equivalent of video games |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/30/penny-dreadfuls-victorian-equivalent-video-games-kate-summerscale-wicked-boy |access-date=21 November 2018 |work=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122215447/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/30/penny-dreadfuls-victorian-equivalent-video-games-kate-summerscale-wicked-boy |archive-date=22 November 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Minnie the minx.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Statue of [[Minnie the Minx]], a character from ''[[The Beano]]'', in Dundee, Scotland. Launched in 1938, ''The Beano'' is known for its anarchic humour, with ''[[Dennis the Menace and Gnasher|Dennis the Menace]]'' appearing on the cover.]]
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 2&nbsp;million.<ref name="Armstrong">Armstrong, Stephen. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/pixar/11766202/Was-Pixars-Inside-Out-inspired-by-The-Beano.html "Was Pixar's Inside Out inspired by The Beano?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412090211/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/pixar/11766202/Was-Pixars-Inside-Out-inspired-by-The-Beano.html |date=12 April 2018 }} ''The Telegraph''. 27 July 2015</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Dandy owner DC Thomson to end comic's printed edition |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-19284222 |date=16 August 2012 |work=BBC News |access-date=16 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816184800/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-19284222 |archive-date=16 August 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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."<ref name="Armstrong"/> ''[[Dennis the Menace and Gnasher|Dennis the Menace]]'' was created in the 1950s, which saw sales for ''The Beano'' soar.<ref name="Dennis at 60"/> He features in the cover of ''The Beano'', with the BBC referring to him as the "definitive naughty boy of the comic world."<ref name="Dennis at 60">{{cite news|title=Dennis the Menace at 60|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12770341|agency=BBC|date=21 November 2018|access-date=22 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128042310/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12770341|archive-date=28 January 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1954, ''[[Tiger (Fleetway)|Tiger]]'' comics introduced ''[[Roy of the Rovers]]'', the hugely popular football based strip recounting the life of [[Roy Race]] and the team he played for, [[Melchester Rovers]]. 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.<ref>Tomlinson, Alan; Young, Christopher (2000), "Golden Boys and Golden Memories: Fiction, Ideology, and Reality in Roy of the Rovers and the Death of the Hero", in Jones, Dudley; Watkins, Tony, A Necessary Fantasy?: the Heroic Figure in Children's Popular Culture: Vol 18, Garland Publishing. pp. 190–191</ref> Other comic books such as ''[[Eagle (comic)|Eagle]]'', ''[[Valiant (comics)|Valiant]]'', ''[[Warrior (comics)|Warrior]]'', ''[[Viz (comics)|Viz]]'' and ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'' also flourished. Some comics, such as ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' and other ''2000 AD'' titles, have been published in a [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid]] form. Underground comics and [[British small press comics|"small press"]] titles have also appeared in the UK, notably ''[[Oz (magazine)|Oz]]'' and ''[[Escape Magazine]]''.

The content of ''[[Action (comic)|Action]]'', another title aimed at children and launched in the mid-1970s, became the subject of discussion in the [[British House of Commons|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 (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]], and other characters such as [[Sheena, Queen of the Jungle|Sheena]], [[Mandrake the Magician]], and [[the Phantom]]. Several reprint companies became involved in repackaging American material for the British market, notably the importer and distributor [[Thorpe & Porter]]. [[Marvel UK|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]], 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 (comics)|British Invasion]]" in comic book history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artfund.org/news/2014/05/01/comics-unmasked-the-british-invasion| title= Comics Unmasked: The British invasion| publisher= Art Fund| access-date= 2014-07-26| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104004957/http://www.artfund.org/news/2014/05/01/comics-unmasked-the-british-invasion| archive-date= 4 November 2015| url-status= dead}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sequart.org/magazine/20743/1986-british-invasion-part-3-neil-gaiman-swamp-thing/ | title=The British Invasion, Part 3: Neil Gaiman & Swamp Thing | author=Peter Sanderson | publisher=Sequart Organization | access-date=28 September 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104035748/http://sequart.org/magazine/20743/1986-british-invasion-part-3-neil-gaiman-swamp-thing | archive-date=4 November 2015 | url-status=dead}} 29 May 2013</ref> Writers included [[Alan Moore]], famous for his ''[[V for Vendetta]]'', ''[[From Hell]]'', ''[[Watchmen]]'', ''[[Marvelman]]'', and ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'';<ref>[http://www.slate.com/id/2092739/ Please, Sir, I Want Some Moore / How Alan Moore transformed American comics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203001225/http://www.slate.com/id/2092739/ |date=3 February 2011 }}, by Douglas Wolk in [[Slate (magazine)|Slate]], December, 2003</ref> [[Neil Gaiman]] with ''[[The Sandman (Vertigo)|The Sandman]]'' mythos and ''[[Books of Magic]]''; [[Warren Ellis]], creator of ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'' and ''[[Planetary (comics)|Planetary]]''; and others such as [[Mark Millar]], creator of ''[[Wanted (comics)|Wanted]]'' and ''[[Kick-Ass (comic book)|Kick-Ass]]''. The comic book series ''[[Hellblazer|John Constantine, Hellblazer]]'', which is largely set in Britain and starring the magician [[John Constantine]], paved the way for British writers such as [[Jamie Delano]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tabula-rasa.info/AusComics/Hellblazers.html| title= The Writers of Hellblazer: Interviews with Jamie Delano and Garth Ennis| publisher= Tabula Rasa| access-date= 2014-07-27| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625163337/http://www.tabula-rasa.info/AusComics/Hellblazers.html| archive-date= 25 June 2007| url-status=live}}</ref>

The English musician [[Peter Gabriel]] issued in 2000 [[The Story of OVO]] which was released in a CD-booklet-shaped comic book as part of the CD edition with the title "[[OVO (album)#Release|OVO The Millennium Show]]". The 2000 [[Millennium Dome Show]] based on it.<ref name="TheStoryOfOVO">{{Cite book| last=Gabriel| first= Peter| title= The Story of OVO| publisher= Peter Gabriel Ltd.| language= English| year= 2000| isbn=0-9520864-3-3}}</ref>

At Christmas, publishers repackage and commission material for comic [[Annual publication|annuals]], printed and bound as hardcover [[ISO 216#A series|A4]]-size books; [[Rupert Bear|"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]], released a set of stamps depicting British comic book characters and series.<ref name="Stamps">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17421394 |title=Beano's Dennis the Menace on Royal Mail comic stamps |work=BBC News |date=19 March 2012 |access-date=19 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320010335/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17421394 |archive-date=20 March 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> The collection featured ''[[The Beano]]'', ''[[The Dandy]]'', ''[[Eagle (comics)|Eagle]]'', ''[[The Topper (comics)|The Topper]]'', ''[[Roy of the Rovers (comic)|Roy of the Rovers]]'', ''[[Bunty]]'', ''[[Buster (comics)|Buster]]'', ''[[Valiant (comics)|Valiant]]'', ''[[Twinkle (comics)|Twinkle]]'' and ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]''.<ref name="Stamps"/>

===Spanish comics===
{{Main|Spanish comics}}It has been stated that the 13th century [[Cantigas de Santa Maria|''Cantigas de Santa María'']] could be considered as the first [[Spain|Spanish]] "comic", although comic books (also known in [[Spain]] as ''historietas'' or ''tebeos'') made their debut around 1857. The magazine ''[[TBO (comics)|TBO]]'' was influential in popularizing the medium. After the [[Spanish Civil War]], the [[Francisco Franco|Franco]] regime imposed strict censorship in all media: [[superhero]] comics were forbidden and as a result, comic heroes were based on [[historical fiction]] (in 1944 the medieval hero ''El Guerrero del Antifaz'' was created by Manuel Gago and another popular medieval hero, ''[[Capitán Trueno]]'', was created in 1956 by [[Víctor Mora (comics)|Víctor Mora]] and [[Miguel Ambrosio Zaragoza]]). Two publishing houses — [[Editorial Bruguera]] and [[Editorial Valenciana]] — dominated the Spanish comics market during its golden age (1950–1970). The most popular comics showed a recognizable style of [[Slapstick Humor|slapstick humor]] (influenced by Franco-Belgian authors such as [[André Franquin|Franquin]]): [[José Escobar Saliente|Escobar]]'s ''[[Carpanta]]'' and ''[[Zipi y Zape]]'', [[Manuel Vázquez Gallego|Vázquez]]'s ''[[Las hermanas Gilda]]'' and ''[[Anacleto, agente secreto|Anacleto]],'' [[Francisco Ibáñez Talavera|Ibáñez]]'s ''[[Mortadelo y Filemón]]'' and ''[[13, Rue del Percebe|13. Rue del Percebe]]'' or [[Jan (comic book writer)|Jan]]'s ''[[Superlópez]]''. After the end of the [[Francoist Spain|Francoist period]], there was an increased interest in adult comics with magazines such as ''Totem'', ''[[El Jueves]]'', ''1984'', and ''[[El Vibora (magazine)|El Víbora]],'' and works such as ''Paracuellos'' by [[Carlos Giménez (comics)|Carlos Giménez]].

[[Spain|Spanish]] artists have traditionally worked in other markets finding great success, either in the American (e.g., [[List of Eisner Award winners|Eisner Award winners]] [[Sergio Aragonés]], [[Salvador Larroca]], [[Gabriel Hernández Walta]], [[Marcos Martín (cartoonist)|Marcos Martín]] or [[David Aja]]), the British (e.g., [[Carlos Ezquerra]], co-creator of ''[[Judge Dredd]]'') or the Franco-Belgian one (e.g., [[Angoulême International Comics Festival|Fauve d'Or winner]] {{ill|Julio Ribera|fr|Julio Ribera|de|Julio Ribera|es|Julio Ribera|fy|Julio Ribera|it|Julio Ribéra|nl|Julio Ribera}} or ''[[Blacksad]]'' authors [[Juan Díaz Canales]] and [[Juanjo Guarnido]]).

===Italian comics===
{{Main|Italian comics}}
[[File:Hugo Pratt (1989) by Erling Mandelmann - 2.jpg|thumb|150px|right|[[Hugo Pratt]] (1927–1995), author of the ''[[Corto Maltese]]'' comic book series]]
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 ''[[Sergio Bonelli Editore|Bonelli]]'' line—namely ''[[Tex Willer]]'' or ''[[Dylan Dog]]''—remain best-sellers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fumettologica.it/2014/06/quanto-vendono-i-fumetti-bonelli-i-dati-2014/ |title=Quanto vendono i fumetti Bonelli: I dati 2014 |date=16 June 2014 |access-date=15 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230160637/http://www.fumettologica.it/2014/06/quanto-vendono-i-fumetti-bonelli-i-dati-2014/ |archive-date=30 December 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

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]]'s superhero alter ego, [[Paperinik]], known in English as Superduck, was created in Italy.

==Comics in other countries==
{{See also|List of comics by country}}

==Distribution==
The comic book industry has struggled with distribution issues throughout its history, as numerous mainstream retailers have been hesitant to stock substantial quantities of the most engaging and sought-after comics. The [[smartphone]] and the [[tablet computer|tablet]] have turned out to be an ideal medium for online distribution.<ref name=NYT72113>{{cite news|title=Embracing Tablets, Comic Book Publishers Cash in on a Digital Revolution|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/business/media/comic-books-cash-in-on-a-digital-revolution.html|access-date=24 July 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=21 July 2013|author=Gregory Schmidt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129063315/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/business/media/comic-books-cash-in-on-a-digital-revolution.html|archive-date=29 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Digital distribution===
On 13 November 2007, [[Marvel Comics]] launched [[Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited]], a subscription service allowing readers to read many [[Digital comic|comics]] from Marvel's history online. The service also includes periodic release new comics not available elsewhere. With the release of ''[[Avenging Spider-Man]]'' #1, Marvel also became the first publisher to provide free digital copies as part of the print copy of the comic book.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/story/16781/avenging_spider-man_1_makes_digital_history|title=Avenging Spider-Man #1 Makes Digital History|date=12 October 2011|access-date=10 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113090741/http://marvel.com/news/story/16781/avenging_spider-man_1_makes_digital_history|archive-date=13 November 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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]], have shut down.

== Comic collections in libraries ==
Numerous libraries house extensive collections of comics in the form of graphic novels. This serves as a convenient means for the general public to become acquainted with the medium.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ccgclibraries.com/integrating-comics-into-your-exhibits-and-collections/|title=Integrating Comics into Your Exhibits and Collections|website=ccgclibraries.com|access-date=30 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905111904/http://ccgclibraries.com/integrating-comics-into-your-exhibits-and-collections/|archive-date=5 September 2015|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

== Guinness World Records ==
In 2015, the Japanese [[manga artist]] [[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 [[Tankōbon|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".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2015/6/japanese-manga-%E2%80%9Cone-piece%E2%80%9D-is-most-printed-comic-series-by-one-author-ever-385868|title=Japanese manga One Piece sets record for most printed comic series by one author ever|website=Guinness World Records|author=Rachel Swatman|date=26 June 2015|access-date=27 August 2020}}</ref>

On 5 August 2018, the ''Guinness World Records'' title for the "Largest comic book ever published" was awarded to the Brazilian comic book ''[[Monica's Gang|Turma da Mônica]] — O Maior Gibi do Mundo!'', published by [[Panini Comics|Panini Comics Brasil]] and [[Mauricio de Sousa|Mauricio de Sousa Produções]]. The comic book measures {{convert|69.9 by 99.8|cm|ftin|abbr=off}}. The 18-page comic book had a print run of 120 copies.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-comic-book-published|title=Largest comic book published|newspaper=Guinness World Records|access-date=2018-08-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221063117/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-comic-book-published|archive-date=21 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

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."<ref>{{cite web|title=「ゴルゴ13」がギネス世界記録に認定、ちばてつやや高橋留美子らもお祝い|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/435998|website=[[Natalie (website)|Natalie]] |language=Japanese|date=18 July 2021|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref> ''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.<ref name="year1968">{{cite web |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-11-16/golgo-13-author-saito-discusses-manga-hypothetical-ending |title=Golgo 13 Author Saito Discusses Manga's Hypothetical Ending |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=16 November 2013|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref><ref name="oldest">{{cite web |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-11-13/artists-celebrate-45-years-of-golgo-13|title=Artists Celebrate 45 Years of Golgo 13|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|date=13 November 2013|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Comics}}
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Cartoon]]
* [[Comic book archive]]
* [[Comic book convention]]
* [[Comic book grading]]
* [[Comic book therapy]]
* [[Comics studies]]
* [[Comics vocabulary]]
* [[Comparison of image viewers]]
* [[Direct market]]
* [[Free Comic Book Day]]
* [[History of comic books]]
* [[List of best-selling comic series]]
* [[List of best-selling manga]]
* [[List of comic book and superhero podcasts]]
* [[Pieces Project]]
* [[Webcomic]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book | last=Kern | first=Adam L. | title=Manga from the Floating World: Comic book Culture and the Kibyôshi of Edo Japan | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | publisher=[[Harvard University Asia Center]] | date=2006 | isbn=978-0-674-02266-9}}
* {{Cite journal | last=Inge | first=M. Thomas | title=Comics as Culture | journal=[[Journal of Popular Culture]] | volume=12 | issue=631 | year=1979}}
* {{cite news | last=Martin | first=Tim |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5094231/How-Comic-Books-became-part-of-the-literary-establishment.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5094231/How-Comic-Books-became-part-of-the-literary-establishment.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title=How Comic Books Became Part of the Literary Establishment | work=Telegraph | date=2 April 2009}}{{cbignore}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Comic books}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190729135331/https://comicbookinvest.com/ Comic book Speculation Reference]
* [http://www.crbd.eu Comic book Reference Bibliographic Datafile]
* [http://www.sequart.org Sequart Research & Literacy Organization]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110719050622/http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/specialcollections/comic.htm Comic Art Collection] at the [[University of Missouri]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180212004939/https://collectorism.com/blog/great-moments-comic-history-every-collector-know/ Collectorism – a place for collectors and collectibles]

{{Comics}}
{{Media series}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Comic Book}}
[[Category:Comics formats|Book]]
[[Category:Comics publications]]

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