Comic book
A publication of sequential art with word balloons.
A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential panels representing individual scenes, often accompanied by descriptive prose and dialogue in word balloons. The term derives from American comic books that were once compilations of humorous comic strips, though later they featured stories of all genres.
- largest_market
- Japan
- us_canada_market_value_2016
- $1.09 billion
- largest_us_publisher_2017
- Viz Media
- best_selling_us_category_2019
- Juvenile children's fiction (41%)
Lore & Background
Comic books rely on organization and visual presentation, using panels, speech balloons, text lines, and characters. Speech balloons are convex containers connected to a character via a tail element. Creating a comic book involves writing, drawing, and coloring. In the United States, 'comic book' is used for periodicals and trade paperbacks, while 'graphic novel' refers to standalone books. The first known American prototype comic book was The Adventures of Mr. Proto-comics periodicals appeared early in the 20th century, with Funnies on Parade establishing the size, duration, and format of the modern comic book. Dell Publishing's 36-page Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics is considered the first true newsstand American comic book.
Reader's Guide
Comic books have evolved from reprints of newspaper strips into a diverse medium encompassing genres from superheroes to juvenile fiction and manga. The Modern Age runs from the mid-1980s to the present. Underground comix emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, reflecting counterculture and drug culture, with Frank Stack's The Adventures of Jesus credited as the first. Alternative comics arose in the late 1970s with specialty stores, including anthologies like Star Reach and Harvey Pekar's American Splendor.
Did You Know?
- The term 'comic book' derives from American comic books once being compilations of humorous comic strips.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a comic book as a literary form?
A comic book is a publication built from sequential art panels that depict individual scenes, typically paired with dialogue in word balloons and sometimes brief descriptive prose. The term originally described American compilations of humorous strips before the format expanded to encompass stories in every genre.
Which country has the largest comic book market?
Japan holds the largest comic book market in the world. For comparison, the combined US and Canadian market was valued at roughly $1.09 billion in 2016.
Who is the largest comic book publisher in the United States?
Viz Media held the top spot as the largest US comic book publisher in 2017, largely due to its extensive distribution of Japanese manga titles in the American market.
What is the best-selling comic book category in the US?
Juvenile children's fiction led US comic book sales, making up 41 percent of the best-selling category in 2019. This highlights how the form has long served young readers as a major audience segment.
How did the term 'comic book' originate?
The name traces back to early American publications that were essentially bundles of funny comic strips. As the medium matured, it grew to carry serious and fantastical narratives across all genres, but the original label stuck.
More in Literary Forms & Tropes 1-23
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record