Comics and Comic Book HistoryThe word comic derives from the Greek, ko-mikos , meaning 'pertaining to or of comedy' which only partially describes the wide array of comic genres that now exist in the twenty first century. The modern comic may really be seen to date back to the mid to late nineteenth century and the early twentieth. Their explosion in popularity in the UK, Europe, the US and beyond came with their broadening appeal to the younger reader. No longer was literacy the preserve of the wealthy, it was available to all, and children were eager to spend their money reading about new worlds and characters beyond their urban dreams. The modern notion of the comic relates to the progression of pictures in a narrative form, the art of storytelling through graphic images. This is where it differs strongly from other publications such as the satirical magazine. These may have employed stylised drawings for humorous effect, but an implicit commentary would be made in just one or two frames. These magazines primarily consisted of text, editorial and witty pieces The modern comic emerged as a graphics dominated form of literature aimed squarely at the youth market. With a consistent collection of characters and strips comprising numerous frames and dialogue, they marked a new stage in the comic's evolution. As comics in the US developed the market became more fragmented and the demand for attention grabbing shock value increased there were greater calls for some form of regulation which came in the form of the Comics Code Authority in 1954. The US comic market developed into a format where each comic was usually dedicated to one central character or group. Large publishers included DC and Marvel, although an independent comic culture has always existed. The classic titles include Superman and Action Comics, Spiderman, Batman and Detective comics, Thor, The XMen, Green Lantern, The Flash and many, many more. The UK market has for a long time had The Dandy and The Beano as its assumed classics, both comics with over half a centuries worth of pages under their belt. There are also plenty of comics that are aimed specifically at specific male or female age groups. The Japanese manga format comic established itself in the second half of the 20th century. Distinct drawing styles and lengthy self contained stories typify the manga comic. It has become hugely popular, both in its native homeland and abroad, where many titles may be found in range of foreign laguage translations. As children are now cross-media savvy, a thriving tie-in market has also grown up with the evolution of the TV character comic or the popular toy character comic. These normally come with a whole range of other branded goods. The market has also developed to address the demands of the collector and hobbyist, specific demands for genres and types of title. As an example, some of the late twentieth century Batman comics are far darker, adult orientated stories far removed from sixties storylines. The xplosion in collector editions, spin-off titles, rights licensing, film deals and non-comic merchandising over the past half century now make the publishers and their characters huge global brands in their own right. Resources Comics and Comic Code at Wkipedia Find cheap bargain comic boxes and other storage options for your modern, silver and golden age comics collection plus comic art collecting tips, links and general information with ComicBox.co.uk |
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