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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Larry Hama, creator and writer of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a comic book that was published by Marvel Comics from 1982 to 1994. Based on Hasbro, Inc.'s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys, the series has been credited for making G.I. Joe into a pop-culture phenomenon. G.I. Joe was also the first comic book to be advertised on television, in what has been called a "historically crucial moment in media convergence." The series was written for most of its 155-issue run by comic book writer, artist, and editor Larry Hama (pictured), and was notable for its realistic, character-based storytelling style, unusual for a toy comic at the time. While most stories involved the G.I. Joe Team battling against the forces of Cobra Command, an evil terrorist organization, many also focused on the relationships and background stories of the characters. G.I. Joe was Marvel's top-selling subscription title in 1985, and was receiving 1200 fan letters per week by 1987. The comic book has been re-printed several times, and also translated in multiple languages.

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Anniversaries for June 2

1895: launch of The Little Bears, American comic strip created by Jimmy Swinnerton
1902: founding of Newspaper Enterprise Association, the oldest and longest-running comic strip syndicate in the world
1918: birth of Ruth Atkinson, American comics artist best known as co-creator of Millie the Model and Patsy Walker
1940: debut of The Spirit, influential American comic created by Will Eisner
1945: final appearance of Bungle Family, American comic strip created by Harry J. Tuthill
1945: birth of Michael Leunig, Australian cartoonist best known for Vasco Pyjama
1951: birth of Michael E. Uslan, American producer of the Batman films and the first instructor to teach an accredited course on comic book folklore at any university
1958: birth of Scott Rosema, American comics artist best known for illustrating stories for Warner Bros
1963: birth of Joe Gentile, American comic book writer and author, founder of Moonstone Books
1968: birth of Flemming Andersen, Danish comics artist best known for his work on Disney comics
1971: birth of Anthony Montgomery, American actor and graphic novelist, creator of graphic novel Miles Away

More June anniversaries / All Anniversaries...

General images

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

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

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

... 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 John Romita Sr. has been credited with introducing romance comic themes to Spider-Man comic books?
... that the Buddhist themes of David Bowie's 1967 composition "Karma Man" were compared to the Marvel Comics character Doctor Strange?
... that the first time The Witcher universe was portrayed outside the novels was in the 1993–1995 Polish comic book series of the same name?
... that Fabrizio Dori wants his comic book Il dio vagabondo to bring attention to an ancient Greek view of death?
... that M. Night Shyamalan's Old is based on a Swiss graphic novel that the filmmaker received as a Father's Day gift?
... 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 the writer of the 2022 comic book miniseries Poison Ivy, starring the eponymous Batman villain, described it as a "love story" that features "plant-based body horror"?

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Credit: Fox Feature Syndicate

The Junior comic books were published by Fox Feature Syndicate. This is the cover of the last issue published in July 1948, likely drawn by Al Feldstein.

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More did you know...

...that the fictional goat Koziołek Matołek has been a popular Polish children's literature character since first appearing in 1933?

...that Michigan State University Libraries has the largest catalogued collection of comic books in the world, with over 150,000 items?

...that as part of the DC Universe reboot, Justice League Dark has been launched featuring some of DC Comics' more bizarre and supernatural characters?

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Selected quote

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.