When Did Comic Books Start?

Comic books were introduced at different times in different countries. Though their strongest incarnations were in the United States and Japan, they appeared in numerous other nations as well ... in some cases, long before America caught on.

Japanese Comics

Japan was probably the first nation to develop comic books. Picture books depicting folk tales and legends were printed using wooden blocks in the late 1700s, forming the precursor to modern "manga" comics.

American Comics

Famous Funnies #1 is usually cited as the first American comic. It was published in 1934, though similar magazines were being produced several years earlier.

Other Nations

Great Britain's first comic book appeared in the 19th century: Ally Sloper's Half Holiday hit the streets in 1884. Similar comics also appeared in France, Belgium and Italy during this time.

Superheroes

Superhero comics are usually traced back to 1938 and the publication of Action Comics #1. That book featured the first adventure of someone you may have heard of: Superman.

Indie Comics

Indie or underground comics are self-published affairs, stressing experimental or taboo-shattering themes. They had been around for decades, but artist Robert Crumb is cited as crystallizing the genre with Zap Comix #1 in 1968.