Portal:Comics

Introduction

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 means of image-making in comics. Photo comics are 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 and comic albums have become increasingly common, along with webcomics.

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 as a plural when referring to works collectively (e.g. "Comics are popular reading material."). (Full article...)

Show new selections below (purge)

edit

Selected article

The Adventures of Tintin (Les Aventures de Tintin) is a series of comic strip narratives created by Georges Remi under the pseudonym Hergé (a reversal of his initials, R G, as pronounced in French). They first appeared in French in a children's supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle in 1929. Set in a painstakingly researched world closely mirroring our own, The Adventures of Tintin present a number of well realised characters in distinctive settings. The series has continued as a favourite of readers and critics alike for over 70 years. The hero of the series is the titular character, Tintin, a young reporter and traveller. He is aided in his adventures from the beginning by his faithful dog Snowy (Milou in French). Later, popular additions to the cast included Captain Haddock and other colourful supporting characters. The success of the series saw the serialised strips collected into a series of albums, spun into a successful magazine and adapted for both film and theatre. The series is one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century, with translations published in over 50 languages and more than 200 million copies of the books sold to date.

More selected articles

Read more

edit

Anniversaries for August 2

Unknown year: birth of Julio Ferreira, comic book artist and inker
Unknown year: birth of Joshua Middleton, American comic book artist
1904: birth of Reg Parlett, British comics author known for his work in Buster
1916: birth of Betty Bentley, American comic book letterer
1942: birth of Dave Hunt, American comic book artist and fine art painter, best known as an inker
1961: birth of Luc Cromheecke, Belgian comics artist and writer best known for Tom Carbon and Roboboy
1964: birth of Danny Hellman, American comics writer and artist known for publishing Legal Action Comics
1969: birth of John Layman, American comics writer and letterer
1970: birth of Kevin Smith, American comic book writer best known for Clerks
2004: death of François Craenhals, Belgian comics artist and writer best known for Chevalier Ardent and Les 4 As

More August anniversaries / All Anniversaries...

General images

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

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

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

... that John Romita Sr. has been credited with introducing romance comic themes to Spider-Man comic books?
... that a 1948 U.S. Supreme Court decision helped to protect comic books from government regulation and censorship?
... that John Byrne retold the origin of Superman in the 1986 comic book limited series The Man of Steel, 48 years after the character was created?
... that the Cook Opera House transitioned from opera to vaudeville to cinema before ending as a venue for strippers and dirty comics?
... that a graphic novel for teens was among the 10 most challenged books in the United States in 2023?
... that pages of Lewis Hancox's graphic novel were displayed in The Cartoon Museum of London?
... that circulation numbers for early comic books featuring Captain America remained close to a million copies per month, outstripping news magazines such as Time?
... that the 2003 graphic novel The Life Eaters, presenting an occult-driven, hypothetical Axis victory in World War II, has been discussed in the context of its portrayal of The Holocaust?

edit

Selected picture

Credit: Jennifer Graylock

The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting activities.

More selected pictures

Read more

edit

More did you know...

...that Len Lawson created several popular Australian comic book characters, including the "Lone Avenger" and the "Hooded Rider"?

...that Harvey Pekar described his collaboration with Heather Roberson on the comic book Macedonia as one of the best working relationships he has ever had?

...that an excerpt of Nick Bertozzi's The Salon containing a nude depiction of Picasso caused a comic book store owner to be charged with distributing obscene material to a minor?

More did you know facts

edit

Selected quote

In the early days, I was writing scripts for virtually all the books, and it was very hard to keep all the artists busy; poor little frail me, doing story after story. So I'd be writing a story for Kirby, and Steve Ditko would walk in and say, 'Hey, I need some work now.' And I'd say, 'I can't give it to you now, Steve, I'm finishing Kirby's.' But we couldn't afford to keep Steve waiting, because time is money, so I'd have to say, 'Look Steve, I can't write a script for you now, but here's the plot for the next Spider-Man. Go home and draw anything you want, as long as it's something like this, and I'll put the copy in later.' So I was able to finish Jack's story. Steve in the meantime was drawing another story.....Okay, it started out as a lazy's man's device...but we realized this was absolutely the best way to do a comic.....Don't have the writer say, 'Panel one will be a long shot of Spider-Man walking down the street.' The artist may see it differently; maybe he feels it should be a shot of Spider-Man swinging on his web, or climbing upside-down on the ceiling or something.

— Stan Lee, 1975

More selected quotes

More from Wikiquote

edit

Topics

edit

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.