comic book, bound collection ofcomic strips, usually inchronological sequence, typically telling a single story or a series of different stories.

The first true comic books were marketed in 1933 as giveaway advertising premiums. By 1935 reprints of newspaper strips and books with original stories were selling in large quantities. DuringWorld War II comics dealing with war and crime found many readers among soldiers stationed abroad, and in the 1950s comic books were blamed for juveniledelinquency. Though the industry responded with self-censorship, some adventure strips continued to be criticized. In the 1960s comic books satirizing the cultural underworld became popular, especially among college students. By the turn of the 21st century, Japanese comic books (manga), with their great variation in content and effect, had achievedworldwide popularity, and comic “zines” represented a thriving subculture. Comic books are often used to deal with serious subjects.See alsographic novel.