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The comic first appeared on 26 July 1938 and was
published weekly. During the Second World War, The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks due to paper and
ink rationing. D.C. Thomson's other publications also suffered with the Oor Wullie and The Broons annuals falling victim
to paper and ink shortages. Paper and ink supplies were fully restored shortly after the end of hostilities and weekly publication
of The Beano and The Dandy soon followed. As of 2007, over 3000 issues have been published. The Beano is currently edited
by Alan Digby, who replaced Euan Kerr in summer 2006. Euan Kerr now edits the BeanoMAX, a version of the Beano for older readers.
Its iconic characters such as Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Minx, and The Bash Street Kids have become known to generations
of British children. Earlier generations will remember other notable characters which have been phased out, such as Biffo.
Some old characters have made a return like Lord Snooty.
The comics were distributed in some of the British colonies
or former colonies as well. Because they were sent by sea mail, they would go on sale some weeks after the date shown on the
cover. The comic holds the record for being the world's longest running weekly comic.
Comic books were an easy fit for 1930’s America.
They were cheap, easy to produce, and even easier to sell. With large booms in pulp, radio shows and comic strips, comic books
were the next logical step. It was the arrival of Superman in 1938 and Batman roughly a year later that heralded not only
the rise of superheroes, but the Golden Age of Comics.
The entry of the United States into World War II didn’t
halt comic book reading – if anything it accelerated it, with heroes were throwing down with the likes the Nazis and
dictators even before the bombs fell upon Pearl Harbor. Once the war began, comics weren’t just morale boosters –
they were part of the war effort like any other industry. Patriotic heroes like Captain America urged the purchase of war
bonds, and entire runs of comics were bough from the stands and scrapped for recycling to help overseas troops. Though such
sacrifices played their part in the “Greatest Generation”, they would have far-reaching ramifications on the comic
industry in later generations – nearly forty years later.
The 1950’s dramatically altered the superhero landscape.
Noted psychiatrist Frederic Wertham published “Seduction of the Innocent”, a book which pinned much of society’s
ills on comics. He alleged Batman and Robin were homosexuals, and Wonder Woman was not only a lesbian, but also a threat to
the woman’s place in the American household. Wertham’s scathing criticism caused comic book sales to plummet.
Grisly horror and crime comics like Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror were left crippled. The entire incident culminated
in a Comics Code Authority that oversaw comic book content, and as a result, comic books for the next decade were largely
sanitized.
Changes in technology furthered the development of the
comic. The invention of photoengraving in 1873 made newspaper illustration relatively inexpensive. In addition, the size of
the reading public grew, and at the turn of the nineteenth century, a wide range of comics became a staple in American life.
In 1892, James Guilford Swinnerton's strip for the San Francisco Examiner was among the first to include continuing characters
in a daily newspaper. In 1893, Joseph Pulitzer's New York World published its first full-page color comic, and in that
same year the New York Recorder also featured a color page of comics. By the early 1900s, regular strips were appearing in
the newspapers of major cities throughout the United States. Comics could be original or adaptations of literary works: in
1929, Harold Foster adapted Edgar Rice Burrough's 1914 Tarzan of the Apes for distribution by the Metropolitan Newspaper
Service.
Art, we all know this word but how many of us knows what
is art and what it contains inside it.Infact it has only a begining,it has no end.There are different type of priviliges and
occupations in this world and the companies attempting to get their goal to keep stay and being up in their field by using
art like marketing ,product promoting ,speech,communication etc.Art is not a profession it is a passion, art is a language
to communicate with others and it is a medium to express our imagination,emotions,concepts,ideas,feelings and have atlast
loud voice so that we can hear it's song.
Comic art is one of the medium which is not only entertain to children
but also could play a dynamic role to promote a story,screenplay, product and any kind of buisness with it’s funtionality,uses
and it,s effective and reflective modes.Many companies like confectionary,beverages and advertising based organisations are
getting benefits by it’s multidimensional results.For instance we should have a look at movies like 300,dark night,wanted,superman,spiderman
hulk etc.these movies are totaly based on comic art and not only made a history in entertaining world but also given a big
finacial business to the advertising and entertainment world.
Generally a comic book prepared by expert visualisers,illustrators(pencillers
& inkers)and expert digital colourists and they follows the story and illustrate it according to the scene.
Many
comic companies have published the renowned writer's classic stories and converted into graphic novels like the invisible
man,time machine,20,000 leagues under the sea,king soloman's mines,master of the world,journey to the center of the earth
and have given a healthy and knowledgeable entertainment to the world.
There are many artists who have a big fame
by their great job and giving a good entertainment to the world by their stylish and fantasy art e.g boris vallejo,frank miller,alex
ross
,cartoonist pran and so on.At last we can say that art has no limites at all and we can share our thoughts and communicate
with others by using it's language.
British comics typically differ from the American comic
book in a variety of respects. Although historically they shared the same format size, based on a sheet of imperial paper
folded in half, British comics have moved away from this size, with The Beano and The Dandy the last to adopt a standard magazine
size in the late 1980s. Until this point, the British comic was also usually printed on newsprint, with black or a dark red
used as the dark colour and the four colour process used on the cover. The Beano and The Dandy both switched to an all colour
format in 1993.
Although originally aimed at the semi-literate working class, the comic eventually came to be seen
as childish, and hence was marketed towards children. In today's market in Britain comics intended for teenagers or adults
are considered to be more or less stretching the medium beyond its primary audience.
Historically, stories were of one
or two pages in length, although now last longer and continue over a number of issues and period of time.
Whilst some
comics contain only strips, other publications have had a slightly different focus, providing readers with articles about,
and photographs of, pop stars and television/film actors, plus more general articles about teenage life, whilst throwing in
a few comic strips for good measure.
Since the 1950s, it has been traditional that the most
popular comics have annuals, usually published just in time for Christmas, and summer special editions.
In British comics
history, there are some extremely long-running publications such as The Beano and The Dandy published by D. C. Thomson &
Co. Ltd, a newspaper company based in Dundee, Scotland. The Dandy began in 1937 and The Beano in 1938. They are both still
going today. The Boys' Own Paper lasted from 1879 to 1967.
The intellectual span of British comics over the years
has stretched all the way from the cheerfully moronic obscenities of Viz (adult) to the political awareness of Crisis (adolescent
to adult) and the sound educational values of Look and Learn (children's).
There has also been a continuous tradition
of black and white comics, published in a smaller page size format, many of them war titles like Air Ace inspiring youngsters
with tales of the exploits of the army, navy and Royal Air Force mainly in the two world wars, also some romance titles and
some westerns in this format.
The Beano comic is a British children's comic, published
by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.
The comic first appeared on 26 July 1938 and was published weekly. During the Second
World War, The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks due to paper and ink rationing. D.C. Thomson's
other publications also suffered with the Oor Wullie and The Broons annuals falling victim to paper and ink shortages. Paper
and ink supplies were fully restored shortly after the end of hostilities and weekly publication of The Beano and The Dandy
soon followed. As of 2007, over 3000 issues have been published. The Beano is currently edited by Alan Digby, who replaced
Euan Kerr in summer 2006. Euan Kerr now edits the BeanoMAX, a version of the Beano for older readers.
Its iconic characters such as Dennis the Menace, Minnie
the Minx, and The Bash Street Kids have become known to generations of British children. Earlier generations will remember
other notable characters which have been phased out, such as Biffo the Bear. Some old characters have made a return like Lord
Snooty.
The comics were distributed in some of the British colonies or former colonies as well. Because they were sent
by sea mail, they would go on sale some weeks after the date shown on the cover. The comic holds the record for being the
world's longest running weekly comic.
Spiderman comics have always been on high demand because
they are not only bought by children but also by adults who probably read them when they were kids as well. Spiderman
comics are a Marvel Comic original that made its debut in 1962 and was written and created by Stan lee and Steve Dikto.
In his first appearance in Marvel Comics Spiderman made his debut in a guest appearance spot, but would later have
his own comic line. The Spiderman character real name is Peter Parker a quite and unsure fellow, who after he is bitten by
a spider which had been used for experiments, which means basically the spider had been given different gene’s that
made it stronger, faster and could sense danger when it was near and this what transferred into the young Peter Parker and
transformed him to his alter ego the wise cracking, web sling Spiderman.
Spiderman comics became a big hit with
the kids as well as with adults and this spun into two cartoons. One cartoon was about Spidey on his own and the other was
him and iceman and was called the double duo, which actually was also a comic book. The cartoons then lead to a Spiderman
movie which would later be remade in early 2000 into the Spiderman movies which we have come to love. Spiderman also shares
the scene with other characters like Mary Jane Watson who is Peter Parkers love interest, then there his Aunt and off course
the bad guys like the green goblin and Dr. Doom as well as Doc Octopus. The suit of Spiderman has always been red and blue
but there was a time the suit changed to black in 1984 when an alien material or matter attached itself to Spiderman’s
suit.
Even with the emergence of popular entertainment outlets
such as the internet and satellite television, comic books have maintained an impressive market share of consumer spending.
There simply is no replacement for the unique way a comic can present a story and engage its readers. Because of this, comic
book collecting has also grown in recent years with a new generation of readers enjoying this rewarding hobby.
For
collectors who are just beginning, there are a couple of different approaches to take to the hobby. Some people are simply
fans of a particular hero or publisher. They purchase comics for their own entertainment and don't concern themselves
much with the after-market value of the publication. Other collectors concentrate on acquiring limited edition or rare comics
for the sake of achieving a return on their investment. This form of collecting usually requires an advanced knowledge of
the market as well as the necessary funds to make large purchases.
There are five distinct eras of comic book memorabilia.
The Platinum Age represent the oldest time period, dating between the 1800's and 1937. The Golden Age covers the years
of 1938 to 1955. Silver Age comic books are dated between 1956 and 1969, and the Bronze Age occurred between 1970 and 1979.
The Modern Age includes everything that was produced from 1980 through today. Each time period is unique and distinctive in
the way the publications were written, produced, and distributed. Obviously the older periods offer the most valuable items,
but there are still plenty of rare and limited comics to be found in the Modern Age.
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When D.C. Thomson's,
The Dandy Comic, was released on the 4th December 1937, it broke the mould on the way comics were to appear forever more.
Prior to The Dandy Comic, childrens comics were broadsheet in size and not very colourful. This is to take nothing away from
their content, but when compared to The Dandy Comic, and later on, The Beano Comic and The Magic Comic, these broadsheets
looked rather staid in comparison. Having said all that, the size wasn't exactly new. The story papers, which had been
going for many years, were already tabloid size, it was just new to comics.
Modern comics have several forms: the single-frame story,
in which one picture conveys the entire tale, relies heavily on familiar characterization and sequence of spatial relationships
within the frame; the gag strip, made up of three or four pictures with a joke in the last frame, such as Sad Sack (1942);
the serial strip, which shows a new piece of the story every day or once a week, such as Terry and the Pirates (created in
1934 by Milton Caniff); and the comic book, in which complete stories are contained within the pages, the first of which,
Funnies on Parade, was published by Procter and Gamble in 1933 and sold for ten cents. By the late 1940s, more than 50 million
copies of comic books were sold a month. The first comic strips were syndicated in 1914, and any small-town newspaper could
purchase them. By the mid-twentieth century, Chic Young's Blondie was the most highly syndicated comic strip in the world,
and Mort Walker's Beetle Bailey, which displayed an American irreverence to military authority, was syndicated in more
than fifty countries.
There are thousands of comic book characters in existence
from past to present. Many are well known while the majority are more obscure to the general public. And while top ten lists
are generally subjective and based on opinion, there are certain comic book characters that will be discussed in this article
that are worthy of that distinction by most standards. These are in random order.
Superman - There absolutely cannot
be a top ten list of comic book characters without the Man of Steel. He's one of the first (arguably THE first) superhero
to ever grace the four-color world, and thus his history is one of the richest. He's also one of the most popular in both
comics and worldwide as viewed by the general public. He represents truth, justice, righteousness and morality. And while
many find it hard to relate to him, those same people look up to his characteristics and admire his altruistic spirit.
Batman - Not quite so altruistic, but every bit as popular and loved is the Dark Knight. He may not always do the
right thing, or do it the right way, but his motives are always pure, and his intent is always clear. He's a thinking
man's hero, but he's also a warrior's hero. He's well rounded and complete, and a little bit gritty, and that's
why we like him.
Spider-Man - The boy next door; the everyman; the geeky kid a great majority of us can relate
to who overcomes the odds and becomes something great. Spider-Man gives us hope that we can achieve that same greatness in
our own special ways. He truly is a standard bearer and a true hero to the core, always trying to do the right thing, but
many times messing it up horribly, thus proving he's still human, and thus endearing him more and more to our hearts.
Lex Luthor - The arch-nemesis of the 'Blue Boyscout', Superman, Lex Luthor is all kinds of evil wrapped up
in money and a well pressed, expensive suit. He's diabolically clever and vicious, and he never lets Supes sleep on the
job. Cementing his legacy as one of the greatest villains of all time, Luthor wins our allegiance for the depth of his character
and his driven purpose.
Captain America - Maybe not as popular in modern times as he was in the days of World War
II when he first appeared on the comic scene, but still a symbol of America and classic comics from the Golden and Silver
ages. Captain America is displaced and so he views the world a bit differently than the rest of us. He sees things the way
they should be in his mind, which isn't always the most popular point of view. He's often portrayed as a boy scout,
but truthfully he's much deeper than that, and that's where the appeal lies.
Wolverine - Overused or not, Logan is one of the most
popular comic book characters in existence today. When he first burst onto the scene in the revitalized X-Men he quickly gained
an everlasting fan base because of the difference he brought to the table. He's not your typical do-gooder hero, though
he always does fight for the right causes. He's temperamental, at times insecure, rude, crude and unpredictable. He's
a loner with a heart of gold and a penchant for violence. He's an anti-hero who takes no crap, but at the same time he
deeply cares about those he surrounds himself with. And it's those complexities that make him stand out in our minds.
Wonder Woman - The first widely received female superhero, Wonder Woman is by far the most popular female comic book
character to date. She comes from a world where women are dominant, which gained her popularity early on in the women's
liberation movement. She stands head-to-head and toe-to-toe with any male superhero, and she shows them up oftentimes. She's
a strong, beautiful, intelligent and yet still feminine heroine with a costume that has become more than iconic.
The Joker - The thorn in Batman's side rightly deserves a place on this list for his epic battles with the 'Caped
Crusader'. Of all comic book characters in the superhero realm, there is none quite like the Joker. He's maniacal,
insane, and ruthless, yet charming, smooth and debonair at the same time. He's a mass murderer and a child killer, and
he's obsessed with Batman. He's just too crazy not to love!
The Flash - If underoos and t-shirts are any
indication, The Flash is one of the most noticeable and popular iconic comic book characters of all time. He's a fan-favorite
of comic readers and non-comic fans alike. He's known worldwide and his trademark red costume with the white circle and
yellow lightning bolt are instantly recognized. But more than appearance, it's his powers and his wit that land him on
this list. He's one of the original comic relief superheroes in the genre with his sarcastic and humorous banter that
rivals that of Spider-Man. And who doesn't love super speed powers? He's the best at what he does.
The
Incredible Hulk - Mr. Green Genes himself has to make this list merely for his iconic status in the world of comics and beyond.
He's a classic hero that has gained notoriety through comics, television and film. And with the popularity of the second
Hulk film that just released, his star will only continue to rise. Couple that with the massive success of Planet Hulk and
the Incredible one is a force to be reckoned with. Whether it’s his intense power, or the dynamic between that power
and the weak, but intelligent alter-ego Bruce Banner, we love him no matter what.
There are many other comic book
characters that could have easily made this list, like Magneto, Iron Man, Robin, Green Lantern, Professor X and so many others.
The names represented above, though, are undoubtedly some of the greatest comic book characters ever created.
Looking for rare and collectible comic books? Whether
you are a seasoned collector of Golden Age comics or just starting with some recent back issues, finding the comic you want,
when you want it could be a daunting task.
Where to Find Comics
The two best places to find comics are the
Internet and the world famous San Diego Comic-Con. Visiting the local comic store is still an option, but your changes of finding that Amazing Spider-Man #1 is slim.
In this article, we'll focus on how to find comics on the Internet. Specifically, vintage comics that are at least ten
years old. In general, comic searches will be focused on ages: Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age and Modern.
Surprisingly,
the large search engines, such as Google, are not the best place to look for comics. The results you'll find will be to
dealer sites, but not to their constantly changing inventory. Your search will be focused on the following categories: comic
book specific search engines, auction sites, dealer sites, classifieds and forums.
Comic Search Engines
Your
best bet for one-stop shopping is a comic book search engine. This type of website will search as many sites on the Internet
that it can find and present the compiled results to you without you having to visit multiple sites.
The largest,
ComicSeeker.com (http://www.comicseeker.com), is simple to use. You type in the title of the comic you are searching for and the optional
issue number. The results are then presented from various sites on the Internet. When you find the comic you want, you go
from ComicSeeker.com to the site where the comic book if for sale.
Auction Sites
Ebay. Of course, there are
other auction sites out there, but for sheer volume, Ebay (http://www.ebay.com) is the leader. On any given day, there are thousands of comics for you to purchase. If you do buy from
Ebay, use caution when selecting a seller and always check their feedback. It is not uncommon for the comic you purchase to
be in a lower grade than described. There are honest sellers and feedback is the best way to weed out the bad ones.
There are some comic book specialty auction sites. The largest is Heritage Comics (http://www.heritagecomics.com) based
in Texas. You can also bid at Vault Auctions, Hakes and OnlineComicBookAuctions.com.
Dealer Sites
Most of
the major and minor comic book dealers now have websites. Some have their own search engine, making it easy for you to search
their inventory. Some even let you specify a specific grade that you are searching for. Others aren't quite as advanced
yet and require you to click from page-to-page to look through their inventory.
The largest dealer site isn't
really a dealer, but a consignment/exchange: ComicLink (http://www.comiclink.com). At ComicLink, you will probably find the most active trading of Gold, Silver and Bronze age comics on the Internet.
Classifieds
Comics are not usually sold through online classified sites, but sometimes you can get lucky. As with the auction site category,
the classified category is dominated by one major site, Craigslist.
Craigslist (http://www.craigslist.org) operates several local versions, so it is best to stick to searches at your local site as the
comic seller may not want to ship to you. Our tip for searching Craigslist is not to search. They have deployed a new technology
call RSS/XML. If you have downloaded the Firefox web browser, it is easy to take advantage of this technology.
First,
go to your local Craigslist and type the term comics in the search box and select the For Sale section. When the results page
loads, you will notice a small icon in the right side of the location bar of Firefox. Click this and the feed will now be
saved as a Live Bookmark. From now on, you can instantly see all posts at Craigslist with comics in the description.
Forums
Community forums are a great way to buy comics from other comic collectors. Some forums have specific topic
areas just for people who are selling comics. However, the best tactic is to simply be active in the forum and keep your want
list in your post signature.
Some popular forums are CGC Boards, CBG Extra and About.com Comics.
Conclusion
With so many options on the Internet, it shouldn't take you
long to find the exact comic book you are searching for. By using this multi-tier strategy, you should be able to find multiple
copies of the comic you want and purchase based on grade and price. Good luck and have fun.
I don’t know if you feel the same about comic books
like I do, but one thing is for sure, I have held on to my first ever comic book for a very long time and I believe now it
will probably cost you quite a penny especially since it is mint condition and it is a first series. When shopping for a comic
book it is good to learn all you can on that comic especially if it is the rare or hard to find kind.
Apart from
superheroes I have always loved comics like Archie, Jughead and the rest of the gang. I was also a big fan Josie and the pussycats
and off course the DC comic’s collection as well as Marvel comics. Many people do not know the value of their comic
books and how much they can get for them if they have kept them in prime condition. In fact most time people just leave their
comics lying around in their homes without ever thinking that if they needed another one and had kept the one they had in
good condition they would be able to trade it in for another. This kind of trade is offered by several comic book stores.
The older your comic the more value it has and the more
care you have to give it especially if it is a first edition or a very rare copy. Many a times you will find such comics in
auctions or if you really want to luck out look for yard sales where people are moving out because you will find people are
either selling their comic book collection at a very low price or giving them away for free. Always have them appraised. The Grade of a comic is the condition that
it is in. This is determined by many different factors. There is the cover of the comic. Is it creased, torn, or even attached?
The inside of the comic is also very important. Is the color faded or yellowed? Coupons that have been cut out will drastically
decrease the value. But don’t worry too much. Even if a comic book is relatively worn, if it is a comic book that is
rare, has the first appearance of a character, very old, or highly sought after, then it very well could still be worth a
good deal of money. But be careful, rating a comic can be very subjective.
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