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 image-making means in comics; Photo comics is a form that uses photographic images. Common forms include comic strips, editorial and gag cartoons, and comic books. Since the late 20th century, bound volumes such as graphic novels, comic albums, and tankōbon have become increasingly common, along with webcomics as well as scientific/medical comics.

The English term comics is used as a singular noun when it refers to the medium itself (e.g. "Comics is a visual art form."), but becomes plural when referring to works collectively (e.g. "Comics are popular reading material."). (Full article...)

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"A Death in the Family" is a 1988 storyline in the American comic book Batman, published by DC Comics. It was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Jim Aparo, with cover art by Mike Mignola. Serialized in Batman #426–429 from August to November 1988, "A Death in the Family" is considered one of the most important Batman stories for featuring the death of his sidekick Robin at the hands of his archenemy, the Joker.

Jason Todd, the second character to assume the Robin persona, was introduced in 1983 to replace Dick Grayson, who was unavailable for use at the time. Jason became unpopular among readers after 1986, as writers began to characterize him as rebellious and impulsive. Editor Dennis O'Neil was considering having Jason revamped or written out of Batman when he recalled a 1982 Saturday Night Live sketch in which Eddie Murphy encouraged viewers to call the show if they wanted him to boil a lobster on air. Inspired to orchestrate a similar stunt, DC set up a 900 number voting system to allow fans to decide Jason's fate.

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Anniversaries for June 5

1905: birth of Wayne Boring, American comics artist best known for his work on Superman
1911: birth of Vin Sullivan, American comics editor, artist and publisher best known for editing the first issue of Action Comics and drawing the first cover of Detective Comics
1942: birth of Frank Chiaramonte, American comics artist and inker for both DC Comics and Marvel Comics
1955: first publication of Lance by Warren Tufts, one of the last full page comic strips
1962: Amazing Fantasy volume 1 number 15, with the first appearance of Spider-Man was released, with a cover date of August 1962
1968: birth of Dave Lanphear, American comics letterer
1970: death of Jay Irving, American comic strip author best known for Pottsy
1982: first publication of Wow!, a British comic which ran for just over a year
1983: end of Latigo, American comic strip by Stan Lynde
1987: birth of Dan Mora, Costa Rican comic book artist
1987: Spider-man's Wedding performed live at Shea Stadium
1998: last appearance of King of Bandit Jing, Japanese manga created by Yuichi Kumakura

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General images

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

Image 1The French comic Les Pieds Nickelés (1954 book cover): an early 20th-century forerunner of the modern Franco-Belgian comic (from Bande dessinée)
Image 2The San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con in 2013 (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 3Phoenix Fan Fusion's 2017 convention in Phoenix, Arizona (from Comic book convention)
Image 4Image of bathers from the Hokusai manga (from History of manga)
Image 5Comic-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 6A Fallout Cosplayer photographed at a Comic Con in a Fallout Themed area (from Comic book convention)
Image 7Comic Con crowds in 2011 as seen from a helicopter (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 8
Comics artist Mœbius (2008), who achieved international renown through Métal Hurlant
(from Bande dessinée)
Image 9Hokusai Manga (early 19th century) (from History of manga)
Image 10During 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 11Convention crowd outside of Golden Hall in 1982 (from San Diego Comic-Con)
Image 12Cover to 27 December 1884 edition of Ally Sloper's Half Holiday. (from British comics)
Image 13Cover 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 14Japanese wood block illustration from 19th century (from History of manga)
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 18Close Hergé collaborator and magazine contributor Bob de Moor (from Bande dessinée)

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

... that the writer of Poison Ivy: Thorns felt the titular DC Comics character was "tailor made for [her] interests as a nature-loving, gay makeup enthusiast"?
... that open depictions of sexual acts were a defining trait of early works of josei manga ('women's comics')?
... 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 Steranko History of Comics has been described as the first piece of cultural analysis on American comic books?
... 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 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"?
... 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 until the 1970s, most shōjo manga (Japanese girls' comics) were written by men?

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San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego (as given on its website), and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con or "SDCC", was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by a group of San Diegans, which included Shel Dorf, Richard Alf, Ken Krueger and Mike Towry. It is traditionally a four-day event (Thursday through Sunday — though a three-hour preview night on Wednesday is open to professionals, exhibitors, and some guests pre-registered for all four days) held during the summer in San Diego, California, United States, at the San Diego Convention Center.

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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?

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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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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.