Most people may already heard of the prehistoric paintings in caves and Egyptian hieroglyphics, but they probably never know that all of those juxtaposed images are associated with comic books.

In beginning of XXth century, people began to search new ways of graphic and visual communication and expression. In 1896, Richard Fenton created the comic book Yellow kid which is known as the first comic book. Richard also introduce a new element: the balloon, a space where he wrote what the characters said, and pointed to their mouth with a "tail", to public. Other precursors can be mentioned are Swiss Rudolph Topffer, German Wilhelm Bush, French George Colomb and some others. Some of those day's creation, which mostly about children and pets frolics, can be read until to day.

Then there comes the Golden Age. In the 30's, Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon, Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, and Hal Foster's adaptation of E.R.Borroughs' Tarzan were those days' paradigms. At the same time, in other places besides U.S.A., like France and Belgium, there were great comic books e.g. Belgic Herge's Tintin.

As result of burst of The Golden Age, Super-hero, a typically American comic, got on their feet, with Siegel and Shuster's Superman. In the period 1904-1945, based on superman's model, more then four hundreds super-hero were created. But only handful of them survived, which include Bob Kane's Batman and C.C.beck's Caption Marvel.

The book The Seduction of the Innocent, written by Psychiatrist Frederic Whrtham, caused the greatest witch-hunt of comic in 50's. This book accused comic books of causing youth corruption and juvenile delinquency. To rule on what could appear and in the pages, Comics Code was created. In those hard days, the well known Peanuts, a strip about a group of children, was born. At the same period in Europe, the French Asterix by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo become the masterpiece. Even today, Asterix is still the top-one best seller in French.

In the late 60's, comic make their step to adult's world. French Barbarella, ArgentineMafalda and others works, it could be seen sex, violence intellectual insight.

From that time, comic have come to the stage people see today. It have been a special way to communicate and express one's feeling, just as what it was created for!

Done by Yeo Peirong

Back to History

Home / Introduction / History / Survey / Article / Books / Art / About us  / Guest book