The Advent of ComicsWith the development of the printing press (1450) came a

relatively inexpensive form of mass communications. This gave

artists the chance to reach a larger audience with a more

immediate and direct art form (compared to painting). Thus,

the cartoonist was born.

William Hogarth, Battle of the Pictures, 1744

Archibald Henning, cover for Punch Magazine, published in England beginning in 1841

George Criukshank, The Toothache, 1849

Richard Felton Outcault, The Yellow Kid, 1895Considered the first “comic strip”. He also invented the “speech bubble.

Chinese, How China is Made, no date, reprinted 1893

Fontaine Fox, The Terrible Mr. Bang, 1910

Gustav Verbeek, comic in New York Herald, 1906

Comics in the Mainstream

Mainstream comics were published in the newspapers and by small

publishing companies like D.C. and Marvel. They were made for mass

consumption and therefore followed certain self imposed boundaries for subject matter. There was even a

Comics Code, which was similar to the labeling of lyrics on CDs, which

some publishers followed.

Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster, Superman, 1938

Bill Everett, Submariner, 1939

Walter Kelly, Pogo, characters invented in 1941

Spiderman, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, first appeared in 1962. First teenager to be seen as superhero in his own right.

Manga,Anime and ManhuaAfter World War II the form in Japan, known as manga started to modernise. The lifting of a ban on non-propaganda publications, allowed Osamu Tezuka to re-energise both the content of manga and the style of its presentation Tezuka's first book work was an updating of Treasure Island, appropriately titled New Treasure Island (1947).

from The New Treasure Island by Tezuka Osama, 1947

Anime (Japanese)

Manhua (Chinese)

Manhua (Chinese)

Alternative and Underground Comics

Underground Comics (or "Comix," with the X understood to signify X-rated material) include strips and books heavily dosed with obscenity, graphic sex, gory violence, glorification of drug use, and general defiance of convention and authority. All are either self-published or produced by very small companies which choose not to follow the mainstream Comics Code. Some undergrounds are political, carrying eco-awareness, anti-establishment messages, and general revolutionary overtones.

Joe “Jaxon” Jackson – considered the first “Underground comic artist.

Robert Crumb

R. Crumb

R. Crumb,

Robert Crumb

R. Crumb

R. Crumb, Heros of the Blues Trading Cards

Rick Griffin

Rick Griffin

Rick Griffin

Rick Griffin

Spain Rodriquez

Spain Rodriquez

Spain Rodriguez

S. Clay Wilson

S. Clay Wilson

S. Clay Wilson

Art Spiegelman

Art Speigelman

Art Speigelman, No Towers

David Mazzuchelli

Jhonen Vasquez, from Johnny the Homicidal Maniac

Jhonen Vasquez, from Johnny the Homicidal Maniac

Jhonen Vasquez, from Johnny the Homicidal Maniac

David Sandlin, Sin

Mark Beyer

Renato Silva

Terry Moore, from Strangers in Paradise

Women in Comics

Dale Messick

Judith Hunt

Women’s underground comix

Trina Robbins

Pat Moodian

Lee Marrs

Lora Fountain

Julie Doucet

Sexism in Comics

Racism in comics

From Tom and Jerry

From Disney

From Disney

Will Eisner

Propaganda from WWII

Propaganda during WWII

Propaganda from WWII

From the Iraq War era

Gallery Artists who’ve been influenced by the comics

Some contemporary “fine” artists, especially Pop artists from the ’60s were influenced by the comics. Trying to break away from the ultra-serious artists who made “high art” these artist saw the popular, temporary, “throw-away” nature of the comics as a way to bring art back down to earth.

Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein

Tom Wesselmann, Bedroom Face with Orange Wallpaper, 1987

Jim Nutt

Raymond Pettibon

Raymond Pettibon

Mark Ryden

Greg Mars, Floater

Chris Mars

Sandow Birk, Skater

Greorganne Dean, Sorry

Alex Grey, Artist as Painter (Man)

Alex Grey, Artist as Painter (Woman)

Gary Panter