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 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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Logo of the 1962 comic book series The Incredible Hulk

The Hulk is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in the comic book series The Incredible Hulk in 1962. The Hulk's first appearance in a video game was the 1984 graphic adventure computer game Questprobe featuring The Hulk, and the character began making appearances on home and handheld consoles a decade later. An earlier game was originally planned by Parker Brothers for the Atari 2600 in 1983, but was canceled in the midst of the video game crash. Several companies have developed games based on the Hulk, including Adventure International, Probe Entertainment, Attention to Detail, Radical Entertainment, Edge of Reality, and Amaze Entertainment. The Hulk's standalone titles are often action games that pit the Hulk against supervillains in a beat 'em up format, with his human alter ego Bruce Banner occasionally appearing for stealth or puzzle elements. Apart from his standalone titles, the Hulk also appears in several other Marvel titles within an ensemble cast; in these appearances, he is occasionally accompanied by members of his own supporting cast, such as his archnemesis Abomination and his cousin She-Hulk.

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Anniversaries for May 2

1912: death of Homer Davenport, American political cartoonist and writer
1912: birth of Marten Toonder, influential Dutch comics creator best known for Tom Puss
1922: birth of Doug Wildey, American comic book artist best known for continuing Tarzan
1922: launch of Bulletje en Boonestaak, one of the first very successful Dutch newspaper comic strips
1944: birth of Howard Cruse, American alternative cartoonist known for the exploration of gay themes
1947: death of William Moulton Marston, American comic book author, creator of Wonder Woman
1955: birth of Jerry Scott, American comic book creator best known for Zits and Baby Blues
1962: birth of Ryan Brown, American comic book artist best known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
1964: birth of Glenn Herdling, American author, comics writer, and editor, known for Marvel Comics' Namor the Sub-Mariner series.
1966: death of John Forte, American comic book artist best known for his work on Legion of Superheroes
1968: birth of Liam Sharp, British comic book artist
1981: birth of Simon Spurrier, British comic book writer
2007: end of DC Comics' 52 weekly comic book limited series
2017: death of Jay Disbrow, American artist and writer, remembered for his pre-Code horror comics

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General images

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

Image 1BD artist Mœbius (2008), who achieved international renown through Métal Hurlant (from Bande dessinée)
Image 2The San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con in 2013 (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 5Cover to 27 December 1884 edition of Ally Sloper's Half Holiday. (from British comics)
Image 6Phoenix Fan Fusion's 2017 convention in Phoenix, Arizona (from Comic book convention)
Image 7Comic Con crowds in 2011 as seen from a helicopter (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 8A Fallout Cosplayer photographed at a Comic Con in a Fallout Themed area (from Comic book convention)
Image 9Cover 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 10Japanese wood block illustration from 19th century (from History of manga)
Image 11A page by Rodolphe Töpffer, whose work is considered influential in shaping the comics form. (from History of comics)
Image 12Comic-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 13Sequential depictions on Trajan's Column in Rome, Italy (from History of comics)
Image 14Hokusai Manga (early 19th century) (from History of manga)
Image 15Convention crowd outside of Golden Hall in 1982 (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 16Image of bathers from the Hokusai manga (from History of manga)
Image 17Close Hergé collaborator and magazine contributor Bob de Moor (from Bande dessinée)
Image 18During panels at comic book conventions, the audience is sometimes invited to line up and ask questions using a dedicated microphone. (from Comic book convention)

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

... that open depictions of sexual acts were a defining trait of early works of josei manga ('women's comics')?
... 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 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?
... 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 although Blizzard's franchise Overwatch is centered around video games, its lore is mainly told through animated shorts, comics, and novels?
... that Tina Leung dressed as her comic book alter ego when accepting an award for the House of Slay?

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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.

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More did you know...

...that while Al Jaffee (pictured) created the comics character Ziggy Pig, it was Stan Lee who named him?

...that after 25 years of aging in real time, John Constantine is getting younger?

...that The Punisher can be distinguished from other beat 'em up games by its frequent use of firearms?

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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

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