American comic book

An American sequential-art publication that combines images and words to tell stories or present information, commonly as a stapled periodical or graphic novel.

Sequential art: Images arranged in sequence to convey information or tell a story. Comic books use ordered images and gaps between panels to make narrative time visible.
The Yellow Kid: A late nineteenth-century newspaper comic character created by Richard F. Outcault. Its popularity helped establish the commercial appeal of American comics.
Jerry Siegel: American writer who co-created Superman with artist Joe Shuster. His Superman stories helped define the superhero comic-book genre.
Superhero fiction: A genre centered on protagonists with extraordinary abilities, identities, or missions. Superhero fiction became the most internationally recognizable American comic-book genre.
Seduction of the Innocent: Fredric Wertham’s 1954 book arguing that comic books contributed to juvenile delinquency. Its claims intensified public pressure on the comic-book industry.
Comic strip: A short sequence of comic panels, often published in newspapers or magazines. Comic strips share sequential storytelling but usually occupy less space than comic-book stories.
Funnies on Parade: A 1933 promotional comic-book collection that helped establish the modern comic-book format. Its success encouraged publishers to issue original comic books.
Joe Shuster: Canadian-born American comic-book artist who co-created Superman with writer Jerry Siegel. His visual design established the look of an enduring American superhero.
Underground comix: Independently produced American comics that flourished outside mainstream publishing in the 1960s and 1970s. Their adult themes and creator control challenged mainstream publishing conventions.
United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency: A U.S. Senate subcommittee that held 1954 hearings on comic books and juvenile delinquency. Its hearings made comics a national political controversy.

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