Comic Books: Key Information
Comic Books: Key Information
Key information:
Dating back to the 18th Century
comic books have been around
for a while, its antecedents date
back to the Middle Ages.
Comics have been in existence since the end of the 19th century, but it was after the depression that the popularity
of newspaper cartoons expanded into a major industry.
The precise era of the Golden Age is disputed, though most agree that it was born with the launch of Superman in
1938. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman is possibly the most recognizable comic book character to
this day.
The success of Superman spawned a series of spin-offs and created a whole new genre of characters with secret
identities, superhuman powers and colorful outfits the superhero. Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, Plastic
Man, Green Lantern and Flash were amongst those who followed.
The sales of comic books increased markedly during World War II. Captain America, a superhero whose entire
creation was based on aiding the countrys war effort.
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Key features
Comic Books have dated back to the Middle Ages
Comics consist of comic art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent
individual scenes.
Comics were first popularized in the United States during 1930s
2 Key Artists
Katsuhiro Otomo
Key information
Katsuhiro Otomo is a Japanese Manga artist, screenwriter and film director. He is best known as the creator of
the manga Akira and its animated film adaptation. Echoing the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
Otomo opens Akira with the detonation of a mysterious bomb over Japan, triggering a Third World War.
Otomo started working on manga in the late 70's almost all manga was gekiga (dramatic pictures) or sports
manga nothing to do with science fiction which he loved. First manga created called domu was inspired by
gundams (Japanese robots) and the release of the star wars film.
http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/article/katsuhiro_otomo
Born in 1954, Otomo sought to evoke this volatile period he knew well in the future-world of Akira. I wanted
to revive a Japan like the one I grew up in, after the Second World War, with a government in difficulty, a
world being rebuilt, external political pressures, an uncertain future and a gang of kids left to fend for
themselves, who cheat boredom by racing on motorbikes. He also pays tribute to his childhood favourite
childhood manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, the giant robot classic Tetsujin 28 Go (1956-66)
http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/article/katsuhiro_otomo
Key features
Otomo is best Known for the creation of the manga Akira
His most famous work: Akira, took eight years to complete and culminated in 2000 pages of
artwork
Otomo wanted to revive a Japan like the one he grew up in, after the Second World War.
First Manga created called domu was inspired by gundams (Japanese robots) and the release of the
star wars film.
Katsuhiro Otomo
Akira Front Cover Katsuhiro Otomo
Akira Tetsuo on Throne
1988 Akira Manga
1982
2 Key Artists
Brian Bolland
Key information
While at art school, Bolland drew and self-published a couple of fanzines and sent work to underground
magazines. In 1972 he met Dave Gibbons who provided him with his first regular work: "Powerman". It was
Gibbons who introduced Bolland to 2000 AD. When another artist dropped out, Bolland was called in to
complete a Judge Dredd story in issue 41 and soon was established as a regular artist on the series. Bolland's
early work on Dredd was much influenced by Mike McMahon who was regarded as the senior artist on the
strip and would redraw characters or panels if he was not happy with them. Bolland's distinct abilities with
subtle facial expression, dramatic lighting and the dynamic composition of page layout soon began to emerge.
Bolland's memorable contributions included the introductions of Judge Death and Judge Anderson. In between
Dredd assignments Bolland drew horror strips for the "House of Hammer" anthology and stories for Doctor
Who Weekly.
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Len Wein brought Bolland to the US market as the artist on DC's Camelot 3000 12-issue limited series, with
Mike Barr (dealing with the return of King Arthur to save England from an alien invasion in the Year 3000),
and on the Batman graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke, written by Alan Moore. However, Bolland is much
more famous as a cover artist; he has contributed covers in many cases to complete runs/arcs to some of
the more famous landmark comics of recent years. Examples of his work include the whole second and third
volumes of Grant Morrison's The Invisibles, a large run of Animal Man (covering the tenures of Morrison, Peter
Milligan, Tom Veitch and Jamie Delano), and assorted issues of Tank Girl, The Flash, Superman, Green Lantern,
Wonder Woman, Batman (esp. Batman: Gotham Knights), and many more.
http://comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=173
Key features
Bolland became part of the 'British invasion' era, in which American comic creators snapped up British
designers.
Bolland introduced 2 huge characters to the 2000 AD universe, Judge Death and Judge Anderson
He Met Dave Gibbons in 1972 who gave him his first actual job then got him to the gateway of 2000
AD.
Brian Bolland
Brian Bolland
Judge Dredd
The Joker
Judge Dredd the
The Killing Joke
Complete Brian Bolland
1988
2013
The Killing Joke.
Brian Bolland
Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd the
Complete Brian Bolland
2013
Book of Comix
Manning
Akira Chapter 1 Page 1
Manga usually follows the traditional style as found in Japan. Japanese Manga is to be read from the
right side to the left, opposite of traditional American books. Not only do you read the pages from right
to left, but you also read the panels and text from right to left.
.
Kaneda
designed by Syd Mead. However, the design of the bikes in Tron are wide, so Otomo decided to halve
them and used that as an initial basis.