Comics

Comics are the ninth art — a medium that combines the visual economy of painting with the narrative power of literature, delivered one panel at a time. Born in 19th-century newspapers and refined over more than a century, comics have produced some of the most recognisable characters in global culture. Superman debuted in 1938 in *Action Comics #1*; Tintin in 1929 in Belgium's *Le Petit Vingtième*; Astérix in 1959; Spider-Man in 1962. Today the form ranges from Marvel blockbusters to intimate graphic novels like Marjane Satrapi's *Persepolis* and Art Spiegelman's *Maus*.

Each tradition has its own flavour. American superhero comics — the Marvel and DC universes — gave the world Batman, Wonder Woman, the X-Men, the Avengers, and a billion-dollar cinematic machine. Japanese manga runs on a different economic and cultural logic, producing epics like *One Piece* (which has sold over 500 million copies), *Naruto*, *Dragon Ball*, and *Attack on Titan*. Franco-Belgian bande dessinée — Tintin, Astérix, Lucky Luke, Lucky Luke, Les Schtroumpfs — treats comics as literature, often in the *album* format of 48-page hardcovers. Indie and underground comics push the form into autobiography, politics, and avant-garde experimentation.

This subcategory covers the full world of comics: iconic characters, legendary artists and writers, publishing eras, movie adaptations, and the unique visual grammar that makes comics unlike any other medium. Whether you grew up reading *Tintin* on Sunday afternoons or queue for every new Marvel release, there's a panel here with your name on it.