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, 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...)

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Batwoman is the name of two fictional characters who act as female counterparts to the superhero Batman. The original Batwoman was created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff with writer Edmond Hamilton. This character appears in publications produced by DC Comics and related media beginning in Detective Comics #233 (1956). The character was introduced as a love interest for Batman to disprove allegations of homosexuality in response to the backlash from the book Seduction of the Innocent (1954). When Julius Schwartz became editor of the Batman-related comic books in 1964, he removed non-essential characters including Batwoman, Bat-Girl, Bat-Mite, and Bat-Hound. The modern Batwoman is written as being of Jewish descent and as a lesbian in an effort by DC editorial staff to diversify its publications and better connect to modern day readership. Batwoman's sexual orientation has been both criticized and praised by the general public and the character has been described as the highest profile gay character to appear in stories produced by DC Comics. Both incarnations of the character are written as the heiress of a family whose fortune is comparable to the wealth of Bruce Wayne.

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Anniversaries for September 23

birth of Dave Wielgosz, American comic book writer for DC Comics, known for Man-Bat
1915: birth of Charles Nicholas, American comic book artist best known as the first illustrator of the Quality Comics aviator character Blackhawk
1938: birth of Jean-Claude Mézières, French comics artist best known for Valérian and Laureline
1949: birth of Paul Ryan (cartoonist), American comic book artist
1956: birth of Dan Day, American comic book artist
1956: birth of Peter David, American comic book writer known for his work on The Incredible Hulk
1967: launch of Princess Tina, weekly British girls' comic published by the International Publishing Company
1970: birth of Trevor Scott, American comic book artist and inker
1982: death of Gene Day, Canadian comic book artist best known for his work on Shang-Chi
1987: death of Walter M. Baumhofer, American illustrator notable for his cover paintings seen on the pulp magazines of Street & Smith and other publishers
2004: the first Comics Salon, an international festival of Japanese culture, manga, anime, comics, games, sci-fi, fantasy and horror, is held in Slovakia
2012: end of Cul de Sac, American comic strip created by Richard Thompson

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General images

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

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

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

... that the author of the comic book Timeless Voyage was the leader of a UFO religion?
... that John Romita Sr. has been credited with introducing romance comic themes to Spider-Man comic books?
... that the comic book Nietzsche, se créer liberté tries to express Friedrich Nietzsche's personality visually?
... that a graphic novel for teens was among the 10 most challenged books in the United States in 2023?
... that a 1948 U.S. Supreme Court decision helped to protect comic books from government regulation and censorship?
... that Maystorm, a character from Ultimate X-Men, was initially created for a variant cover for the comic X-Men?
... that comic book artist Barry Windsor-Smith wrote, drew, inked, and lettered every page of his graphic novel Monsters by himself?
... that although Blizzard's franchise Overwatch is centered around video games, its lore is mainly told through animated shorts, comics, and novels?

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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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There were other Batman writers throughout the years but they could never capture the style and flavor of Bill's scripts. Bill was the best writer in the business and it seemed that he was destined to write Batman.

— Bob Kane

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