Comic Books Genre

Books, magazines, and music are categorized according to their genre. There are different types of music such as rock and roll, country, classical, and jazz. Books are categorized as fiction, non-fiction, drama, romance, and horror. Comics are no different than books, magazines, and music on how they are categorized. There are different types of comics ranging from superhero to science fiction. The most popular type of comic book genre is superhero. What about each comic makes it a certain genre? There are different elements and characteristics that determine the type of comic.

Superhero comic books are easy to categorize and are the most well known. A superhero has to be the main character for it to fall under this genre. Superheroes are fictional characters that have superhuman strength and special abilities that are almost like a sixth sense for them. The life of a superhero and most comic stories are about them saving the world and keeping humans safe in their cities. Well known superhero comics are Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. Comics about everyday people without special powers or abilities that fight crime and keep people safe fall under the action genre. These comics are generally about police officers; real life superheroes. The themes and story plots between these two genres are similar, but the main difference is the distinction between a human and a fictional character with superhuman strength.

Another popular genre of comics that can be easy to categorize is science fiction. To be in this genre the comics must represent a theme about science or advanced technology such as time travel or flying cars. It is common for these comics to also take place in outer space. The stories often take place in the future and show what life would be like if we currently had use of the advanced technologies that the comics tell about. A well known science fiction comic that was also a movie is Star Trek.

For a comic to be in the horror genre they have to include anything and everything scary like zombies, vampires, monsters, and villains. These comics are usually dark and have gory pictures, like most horror movies. There is a lot of drama and suspense in this genre. Sometimes it can be confused with fantasy because vampires and zombies aren’t real. However, fantasy comics have a medieval type them with dragons, sword fights, and faraway lands. Both types have made up characters but horror is meant to scare you while you are reading it.

What genre of comic books do you enjoy reading?

Parts of a Comic Book

Different style elements are combined that make a comic book unique. It is more than just a bound copy of colorful pages and near indestructible superheroes, villains, aliens, and monsters. Without the different parts of a comic book, the books would look like any other paper back. People pick up a comic to read and see the bright pages, word balloons, and panels that illustrate the action and adventure they are about to embark on.

The first part of the comic book that should be worked on and completed is the script. The script is the written directions for how the comic will be put together. Also included in the script is the dialogue. The script often looks similar to a screenplay. There are two ways in which the script can be written. A full script includes the details of each story panel and how the plot will fold out. The second way to write the script is using the plot method. The plot method is less descriptive and more collaborative with the artist. The writer trusts the artist to fill in the details. Both of the script writing methods include the story, characters, and artists for the comic.

The pages of a comic are the part in the script where the writer tells what happens on each page. On the pages there are panels which are either rectangles or squares. This is where the writer puts the action of the script. These elements of a comic are like the blue print for the book. A splash page is used for dramatic effects. This is usually a panel that takes up the entire page and shows attention to a specific event or introduction to the story. If there is some type of explosion, you’ll usually see a splash page with flames and the word “Ka-boom!” on it.

The most unique part of a comic is the balloons. The balloons serve two purposes: one for showing the dialogue of characters, or words and the other for what the characters are thinking. The balloons are used to show where in the story dialogue or thinking is occurring. It is better to draw the action first and then add the balloons after. Drawing the balloons last is easier for editing purposes. If a comic is being drawn digitally on a computer, the balloons are easier to move around on the page and be placed where there is the most space on the page. There is often a third voice in a comic, or the narrator. The narrators can help move the plot along and give insight into what a character thinks or feels. To show the third voice, narratory blocks are used. They are the little rectangles or squares that we see on the pages. It is where you find special information about the story.

Smallville: Chloe Sullivan not Appearing in Comic Books

Smallville fans were more than just excited when it was announced last month that Chloe Sullivan will become part of the Superman comic books in issue number 674. Unfortunately, DC Comics Executive Editor Dan DiDio recently announced that the move from television to comic books isn't going to happen. Apparently fans were misled and are now out of luck.

"Chloe is an exciting character on the television show, and we had hoped to work her into DC continuity," DiDio said in a recent conversation with Newsarama.com. "Unfortunately, the stars did not align properly, and even though we had announced it, she will not be appearing in any of the issues of Superman or Action Comics."

That was all DiDio had to say about Chloe's sudden disappearing act. It was probably some sort of rights issue, or that Superman writer Kurt Busiek just found no way of incorporating the teenage character into the adult world of Clark Kent. Initially, some fans were disappointed to hear that DC Comics wanted to repurpose the character, as they believed that Chloe's original traits was what made her memorable and special.

BuddyTV readers also reacted intensely to this issue, as they aired their thoughts through their comments. Gen717 said, ""Whoever this character is they chose to call Chloe in the comics is NOT our Chloe. They are basically going to strip her of everything I love about her, make her a different character and call her Chloe? No, I'm not buying a comic that grossly distorts a character I love. Sorry DC, but what on earth are you thinking?"

cecil44 shared the same sentiments, saying, "I'm actually really really disappointed at the DC version of 'Chloe'! They want to strip her off everything that makes Chloe Sullivan on Smallville such a special character! There is no way I would buy a comic book that distorts her character like this. The whole reason that Chloe is soo great and soo special is the fact that she's a reporter first and Clark 's best friend! But like someone else said, I guess we can't really know until we see how they will introduce her."

Well, we won't be seeing how Kurt Busiek and the DC Comics team will be introducing Chloe, as they already postponed the adaptation. Having seen their plans, Chloe might as well stay inside our television screens.

For more resources about Smallville or for the full story of Smallville: Chloe Sullivan Not Appearing in Comic Books please review http://www.buddytv.com

Question by Rachel: What comic book character should I dress up as?
Hello,
I am throwing a comic book costume party for my husband's 25th birthday. Everyone is coming dressed as a character from a DC or Marvel comic books...and I am not sure what I should be. I was thinking that I wanted to be Poison Ivy....but I kind of want to be someone that not every girl is going to think of....I don't want to be the third Poison Ivy of the night if ya know what I mean
Do you know any that would have fairly easy attires to put together myself? Thanks a lot!
Maybe Black Canary...I don't know though, I havn't seen anything that jumps "this is the most awesome idea ever" ....and I sopose I was kind of waiting for that.....

Best answer:

Answer by dogglebe
Dress up as a sexy Robin.

What do you think? Answer below!

Comic Books- Get Fun Filled Reading Experience

Comics are the books in which the story is presented with the help of cartoons and graphical illustrations alongwith written dialogues and comments. As the name itself suggest they have element of humour and pun in them. Comic Books are extremely catchy and attractive as they present a certain idea or story with the help of fancy illustrations and drawings. Cartoons have a unique preposition and they deal with the various sensitive subjects at times in a light and hilarious manner.

Many fictional characters have become excessively popular amongst the children and the teenagers. The super heroes like He-man, Super Man, Spider Man etc have evolved over the years in movies and 3D games, however they first appeared in the various comic series. It is a wrong notion that all the comics are humorous. There are a lot of books that are based on serious subjects and are also packed with action and drama. They are a favourite pass time for kids and youngsters. The craze for these books is quite high amongst the ardent readers. People are often having addiction for their favourite comic series.

Generally, the comic series have interesting characters and exciting plots. The adventures and fun of these characters is showcased in the books with the help of wonderful iteration and illustrations. The fun filled books cater with different subjects and situation. There are various characters that entice the readers from different age groups. While children read comics like TinTin, teenagers love to read the interesting stories of Archie. There are numerous comic books that have great stories.

Earlier the comic books were simply collection of comic strips that are funny and hilarious. Later on, comics that focussed on the social issues and other sensitive topics were also created. These books are completely entertaining and rejuvenating.There are several very famous comic series that are highly popular in the UK. "The Dandy" and "The 2000 AD and The Eagle" are among the all time favourite comics. There are a number of other comics that have gained great popularity amongst the young ones in the Europe. Asterix and Tintin have grown to become the best companions of the children in the free time.

Question by Curious College Student: How much would it cost to copyright an idea/ visual comic book character?
Or does it even cost money to copyright an idea or a comic book character?

Best answer:

Answer by James
You cannot copyright an idea or a character. You can trademark character names and copyright particular drawings of a character or particular comics. If you hold a copyright on a comic, you can sue someone who substantially copies the characters in that comic.

What do you think? Answer below!

Fantastic Four Movie - Live Action Comic Book Heroes

The Fantastic Four became a popular super hero team after the release of their comic books via Marvel Comics in late 1960. Comic book lovers lost no time taking a liking to the four main characters, who gained super powers after being exposed to cosmic rays during a mission to outer space for the sake of science. Characters that would later be brought to life through live action in these movies.

Who is the Fantastic Four and why are they fantastic? Here's the who and why:

Reed Richards also known as Mister. Fantastic, who can stretch and reshape his body in inhuman ways

Susan Storm Richards also known as Invisible Woman, who is able to use light to make herself as well as others and objects around her invisible

Johnny Storm also known as The Human Torch, who can both control and project fire from his body. Additionally he is able to fly.

Ben Grimm also known as The Thing, who is transformed and has orange rock-like skin and super human strength.

In the film adaptations (The original movie and its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer) the characters were portrayed by actors Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, Micheal Chiklis and actress Jessica Alba.

The Fantastic Four movies were certainly long awaited by comic book fans that enjoy seeing their favorite stories come to life on the big screen.

Like most comic books, the Fantastic Four's success led to much media interest, bringing about animated television series, video games, action figures and other merchandise. Yet, the super foursome wouldn't hit the theaters until 2005; despite the fact that Constantin Film purchased character rights to make a film in the mid-1980's, and even released a low budget version of the Fantastic Four movies in the early 1990's, which would never receive an official release.

20th Century Fox Film Corporation would later pick up the rights to the film and attempt to give it the big budget adaptation comic book fans felt the characters and their story deserved. However, fans of the classic comic books and comic book based movie lovers, as well as critics gave mixed reviews to the first film and again to its sequel. The films were merely called decent in their best reviews. Still, there is talk of another film joining the Fantastic Four movies franchise. A reboot that may feature a whole new cast and give the fearsome foursome a facelift!

Question by Lucas: Who are the 4 actors who have been nominated for comic-book character roles?
I've heard from many sources that Heath Ledger is the only one of four people who have been nominated for an Academy Award for playing a role relating to a comic-book character. Can anyone please tell me who the other actors/actresses were, as well as their roles?

Best answer:

Answer by honky275
William Hurt was nominated in 2005 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "A History of Violence" - that movie was based on a graphic novel. That's the only thing close I can find so far....

I thought MAYBE Paul Giamatti for playing Harvey Pekar in "American Splendor" (based on a comic book) but it turns out he wasn't Oscar-nominated for that role.

Paul Newman was nominated in 2002 for Best Supporting Actor for "The Road to Perdition", another movie based on a graphic novel.

I'm assuming for the purposes of this question that graphic novel = comic book, though some may disagree.

Anyway, I can only find 2 of the other 3 people: William Hurt and Paul Newman.

What do you think? Answer below!

Comic Book Drawings

If you are into comic book drawings, here are some tips that can help you.

First of all, you have to develop a plot and a good setting. Even the most beautiful or impressive comic book drawings will not interest an audience long unless there's a nice story and background that supports them.

You have to create the background first, and the plot second. The background is important because it gives coherence to every story, no matter what happens. Important information in the background should be places, distances, means of transportation, countries (or kingdoms or any type of political structure), races (if any), level of technology, type and level of magic (or superpowers), etc.

Once you have all this background settles, your characters can maneuver within its laws and be consistent.

Now, when it comes to the actual drawing, there are many techniques. I recommend the following one.

Select a number of panels that you're comfortable working with. Although it doesn't mean you have to follow this format every single time, it'll get you used to a type of work that will let you make comic books drawings faster as well as to plan in advance how you'll tell your story.

Second, divide each panel into two planes. The first plane will have the characters doing the actions that you want them. The second plane will have the scenery against which your characters do their actions.

Comic book drawings use these two planes for different effects. One of them is that the second plane will let you give an idea of the place where the action takes place without so much detail. For example, if you want to draw a crown, only the people in the front have to be somewhat detailed. Another technique common in comic book drawings is using the second plane for effects. For example, if the second plane looks blurry, it'll make it seem that the characters in the first plane are moving fast.

Another thing you have to take into consideration when making comic book drawings is scale. Some people forget to make characters consistent in relation to other characters. In your comic book drawings, if a short character reaches the chin of a taller character, it must never reach higher or lower than that.

Finally, another important thing when making comic book drawings is patience. When we show our comic book drawings to others, we usually expect and instant reaction from them. However, it might take some time and several tries until we make something that appeals to people and can develop into a long series.

Hollywood discovers teen girls’ true grit
LOS ANGELES — “I am about to embark on a great adventure,” says the hero, tucking a Colt revolver into a flour sack, donning a wide-brimmed Stetson and riding out into the wilderness on the trail of a killer. Smart, stoic and purposeful, this avenger is a stock Western-movie protagonist in every way but one — Mattie Ross, the central character in “True Grit,” is a 14-year-old girl.
Read more on Times Leader

Comic Book History

In the United States, the first comic book was published in 1934. Ever since the first comic came out, the leading producer has been the United States. The first comics were similar to the comics found in early newspapers; however, they were published as their own books. The first comic books were mostly about adventure stories and depicted some type of superhero character. Historians break up the history of American comic books into different eras. There are four eras starting with the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age, and the Modern age of comic books.

The Golden Age of comics is said to have last from the 1930s to the late 1940s. During this time, comics became main stream and readers were introduced to superheroes such as Batman, Captain America, and Wonder Woman. Superman was the first known superhero and made his debut in 1938. After Superman, almost all comics featured a superhero, and the Golden Age is classified by their appearances. World War II had a big impact on the popularity of the superhero comic books during this era. What made them so popular was showcasing that good triumphs over evil. There were even some comic books that showed characters punching Adolf Hitler.

The Silver Age of comics was more about commercial success and artistic advancement. The Golden Age proved that comics were popular and readable, and the Silver Age maintained that success. This ere lasted from the mid 1950s to the early 1970s. During this time, comics were blamed for juvenile crimes occurring more frequently. As a result of this, comic sales went down and writers had to rethink their story plot. Comics started to represent authority. The characters went through a dynamic change and the stars of the comics started to appear as aliens and other science fiction characters. Also during this time, underground comics made for adults started to emerge.

The Bronze Age lasted from the 1970s to the mid 1980s. The look of the comic book didn’t change during this era, however, the story plot changed dramatically. Although the pages and pictures were bright and colorful, the story line was more dramatic, realistic, and dark. Real world issues were brought to attention in the comics of this era. Drug use was an issue addressed. The comics became more mature and life like.

The Modern Age of comic books started in the 1980s and continues on in to the present. In addition to the characters in comics, the writers are also more recognizable. There are more publishing houses that produce comics and there are independent comic books too. The larger publishing houses became more commercialized. The characters also change during this era. They are now more complex, show self doubt, and the villains are darker.

Book By You Announces Personalized Same-Sex Romance Novels
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Read more on Marketwire

7 Best (and WORST) Comic-Book Movies

Comic books has some interesting series of stories and because of its popularity, some of these comic book stories also have film adaptation also. In addition, of course some of them come unwanted while others are highly appreciative.
The Best Comic Books Movies Ever
American Splendor  - this comics book based film is a biopic film that talks about the comic books author Harvey Pekar. However, despite of it, the film also adapts the comic book's dramatization of the author's biography. The film received highly positive reviews from critics. The film's numerous awards and nominations are just a few of the evidences that the movie really is of high quality. A few of the awards won include the Dramatic Film grand prize award at the Sundance Film Festival.
Persepolis – based on the autobiographical novel of the same title the Persepolis is French animated film. The film received various positive reviews and some of the critics consider it as a coming-of-age take that has the ability to manage to be both harrowing and excited. A few of the governments provides numerous comments, some parents complains of its obscene contents, but the movie in overall was a huge success.
Superman: The Movie – who does not know Superman? Its seems like everybody knows superman and when this known comic character had a film adaptation, like the success of the comic book, the film also gets the attention of many viewers worldwide. The movie stars various known actors including Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Jackie Cooper, March McClure, Valerie Perrine, and Ned Beatty as Superman. The film is highly acclaimed by critics and was once of the top grosser. In the film, Superman disguised as the TV reported Clark Kent that had a romance with Lois Lane.
Spider-Man 2 – if you have known Superman, then you definitely had known Spiderman as well. This American superhero film is based on the Marvel Comic character Spiderman and was the second movie in the Spider-Man film franchise. With Peter Parker as the main character, the Spiderman 2 movie was a highly acclaimed movie by critics. Some find Alfred Molina as a pleasingly complex villain. The film's special effects were great and the film has improved drastically in almost every way as compared to its predecessor. In the movie, star Peter Parker is struggling in keeping his crime-fighting duties and normal life balanced.

The worst comic-book movies
Catwoman –stars Halle Berry, the film that was based on DC Comics character Catwoman. The viewers and reviewers poorly accepted the film. According to different reviewers, the film failed to provide its audience the sense of what the character experienced, as she was transformed into a Catwoman. This incompleteness leaves the audience hanging thinking why the character transforms. The film was listed as one of the worst movie made ever and became one of Roger Ebert's most hated films. Many also have suggested that Berry should return her 2002 Academy Award as penalty.
Batman and Robin – we all know Batman and we love George Clooney. However, despite of the known comic character and actor, the movie still receives poor critical acclaim. The movie's failure was blamed on Warner Brother's decision to fast track production, which resulted the producers to create a batman movie with less torture and more heroic actions. However, many of the viewers have accused the addition of the possible homosexual innuendo in the storyline causes the film's failure. The film has random amount of rubber nipples and some close-ups of the dynamic duo's butts and Bat-crotches. The star Clooney even said that the franchise might have been killed and called it a waste of money.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze – teenage mutant Ninja Turtle is undoubtedly every child favorite comic character. This movie is definitely not for adults as this was made for the kids. However, the movie's awful dialogue made it even more unbearable for adults. In addition, the turtles show a dopey and casual attitude towards physical violence making it not an ideal movie for your little ones, as it does not make the turtles a good role model to your kids.

Question by Comic Book Guy™: What comic book character do you identify with the most?
For me, it has to be Newspaper Stand Dude from "The Awful Alleys of Amityville". I mean... it's totally obvious what we have in common. We both sell quality printed material, are both highly intelligent, and are more knowledgable about pop culture than any of you Yahoo! Answers clowns put together. But enough about me... which comic book character are YOU?

Best answer:

Answer by George Washington
Batman as I can be very moody sometimes.

Give your answer to this question below!
STAGE TO SCREENS: Jeffrey DeMunn, a Star of TV's "The Walking Dead," Brings Fresh Life to Willy Loman
Tony nominee Jeffrey DeMunn, of Broadway's K2 and The Price, begins his career's second act with Arthur Miller and a hit TV series.
Read more on Playbill via Yahoo! News

Original Comic Art ? Living Legacy Of Comic Books

Most of us are very familiar with comic books and comic characters. For those who take a deeper interest in comics, the characters may seem as real as people in their lives. And they know the personality of the character very well. They in fact become so familiar with the character that they can anticipate the things that the character says and they can even mimic some of the character's comic expressions. In a sense the comic characters can seep into the lives of the character's fans as much as another human being can do.

And yet amongst all these people who avidly follow the stories of their favorite comic characters, few are aware that they can own an original piece of comic art of their favorite character. And if they choose to acquire one they can come the closest possible to meeting the comic character in reality.

When one reads a comic book, even with devout interest one tends to skim over it. It is not the reader's fault because the comic book is a format that was originally intended for light and quick reading. The expressions are easy to grasp and the text is worded in manner that is easy to read and understand. And yet if one were to pause and stare at the drawing for a while one would be able to appreciate it in much more detail. And this is just what one can do with the mass-produced version of the comic art.

If you were to acquire and study an original comic art you would be able to see much more detail of the drawing. For one the art is much larger than the art reproduced in the comic books you read. You will be able to see the huge talent of the comic artist and how those expressions that you love are brought about by the artist's master strokes. If you choose to display this original artwork in your home it would become a conversation piece that would be admired by your friends.

The best part is, original comic art is quite accessible and not expensive. You can go online, find and purchase the original artwork of an artist that you admire. You can learn more at www.sketchmaven.com

Can a Comic Book Hero Explain Retrograde Mercury?

To begin with, let's set the record stright: Mercury is not the only planet to go retrograde. We hear about it a lot because it happens 3 times a year, but actually every planet and asteroid except for the Sun and Moon go retrograde at one time or the other. It is actually rare for there to be a time when we aren't experiencing some retrograde or the other. Every planet from Mercury which is closest to the Sun all the way out to Pluto and Ceres at the outer edge of our solar system goes retrograde. And so do all the Astroids, like Chiron, Vesta, Sedna, Pallas and Juno.

We can better understand retrograde Mercury by taking a favorite comic book character as an example - let's say Zorro with a capital Z. When the planets change directions (and they all do) they make a kind of "moonwalk" in the sky as they appear to zig backwards in their orbit.

These Mercury Retrogrades (and Mars, Venus, Pluto, Chiron or Jupiter Retrogrades). Are zig-zags that the planets make in the sky and they take various amounts of time. A retrograde of Mercury takes 3 weeks, but larger planets like Pluto or Saturn spend up to 6 months or longer in retrograde motion. But just looking at retrograde is to overlook some of the most important elements of the retrograde cycle. That's a lot like eating the frosting and ignoring the cake. Since we want to have our cake and eat it too - we need to understand the whole picture. The picture that retrograde makes starts weeks or months before the retrograde begins, and ends the same amount of time AFTER the retrograde ends. It is a three part process.

The three distinct parts of a mercury retrograde, or other planetary retrograde cycle each have a different character and meaning. Taking one without the others means missing some of the most important pieces of the puzzle. These three phases are 1) the pre-retrograde phase - called Entering the Shadow 2) the Retrograde Phase and 3) the post-retrograde phase - called Exiting the Shadow. Part one is like when Zorro draws the first part of his signature Z. It begins when the planet hits the degree it will return to at the very end of Retrograde. During the Retrograde time the planet appears to move backwards - all the way to the same degree where it began. This resembles the second / slash that Zorro draws with his blade when making his signature as it returns to the same level that the Z began at. Finally the planet changes directions again and makes it's final pass across the same degrees that it has crossed twice already - first when entering the shadow, then in retrograde, and now finally as it is exiting the shadow. And this resembles Zorro's final sword stroke as he finishes off the last flourish of the Z and moves on to new things.

To illustrate what happens during a Mercury Retrograde cycle, just imagine that our Hero Zorro is out and about, doing what he does when he spies a problem. He quickly get's into his "superhero" outfit. We can think of this preparation time as entering the Shadow. Then he runs off and fights the bad guys. We can think of this time as Retrograde, because he has come back to a situation in order to fix it. Finally he turns the bad guys over to the authorities and gets back into his street clothes; which we can compare to the phase of leaving the shadow. Job well done! And he moves on to other things.

By understanding this deceptively simple concept we can see how to make use of any mercury retrograde, or retrograde of Saturn, Mars, Venus, Pluto and even the Astroids. At least we begin to understand how to use the "foreshadowing" period to gain insight as to what we will be reviewing and making changes to during the actual retrograde. This allows us to prepare for what may be coming. Each planet has it's own domain however and they all mean different things. To learn how to make use of the current Mercury Retrograde (or other retrograde planet) cycle visit: http://www.astrologychick.com/RxMercury.shtml

The 'voice of the Simpsons', Hank Azaria, talks about how he came up with Professor Frink, Comic Book Guy, and meeting Jerry Lewis.
Video Rating: 4 / 5