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Encyclopedia > Minicomic

A minicomic is a small, creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding. These are a common inexpensive way for those who want to make their own comics on a very small budget, with mostly informal means of distribution. A number of cartoonists have started this way and gone on to more traditional types of publishing, while other more established artists continue to produce minicomics on the side. Minicomics can be even less mainstream than alternative comics. A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Wikibooks has more about this subject: Marketing Distribution is one of the 4 aspects of marketing. ... Cartoonist Jack Elrod at work. ... For the publisher Alternative Comics, see Alternative Comics (publisher). ...


The term was originally used in the United States and has a somewhat confusing history. Originally, it referred only to size: a digest comic measured 5.5 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall, while a minicomic was 5.5 inches by 4.25 inches. These sizes were convenient for artists using standard office supplies: a US letter page could be folded in half to make a digest, or in quarters for a minicomic. These comics were generally photocopied, although some that were produced in larger quantities used offset printing. An early and unusually popular example of this minicomic format was Matt Feazell's Cynicalman, which began in 1980 or Alfred Huete's award winning 'DADA' mini. (The earliest and most popular comics in mini- and digest sizes—predating not only the term minicomic, but even the standard comic-book format—were the anonymous and pornographic Tijuana bibles of the 1920s.) An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Comparison of the most common paper sizes. ... Offset lithography printing process Offset printing is a widely used printing technique where the inked image is transferred (or offset) from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface. ... Matt Feazell is a Hamtramck, Michigan comics artist, primarily working in minicomics. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The cover of a typical Tijuana bible. ...


Currently, the term is used in a more general sense which emphasizes the handmade, informal aspect rather than the format. By this loose definition, a single photocopied page folded in quarters would still be a minicomic, but so would a thicker digest-sized comic, or even a large, elaborate, and relatively expensive photocopied booklet with a silkscreened cover. Even some professionally printed and bound booklets are referred to as minicomics, as long as they are published by the artist and marketed in minicomic venues, but this usage is controversial. Screen-printing, also known as silkscreening or serigraphy, is a printmaking technique that creates a sharp-edged single-color image using a stencil and a porous fabric. ...


In North America and the United Kingdom, minicomics are currently rare in traditional "direct market" comic-book stores; they are often sold directly by the artist at book fairs or through the mail, ordered from websites, or handled by small bookstores and distributors that carry zines. In terms of production and distribution issues and their audience, minicomics—of all of the sizes and types mentioned above—have much more in common with each other, and with zines, than with any traditionally published comics; this may be the reason why the meaning of the term has shifted. North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Direct market in the comic book industry is the dominant distribution and retail network in North America and elsewhere in the market for English-language comics. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... A zine—an abbreviation of the word fanzine, and originating from the word magazine—is most commonly a small circulation, non-commercial publication of original or appropriated texts and images. ...


Minicomics in the American sense are a less popular form in Europe and Asia. In Europe, many small publishers produce small-format comics with much higher production values than the typical minicomic.


Minicomics typically have no editorial oversight, and both their content and quality varies over a huge range. Many of the creators of minicomics do not expect to make a significant amount of money, or even cover their costs, with the price they charge for their comics. These creators may see minicomics as a way to hone their skills or as a way to get their work seen by a larger audience, or may be drawn to the format for aesthetic reasons. Some observers have anticipated that the rise of webcomics would be the end of minicomics, but as of 2005 this does not appear to be the case. Webcomics, also known as online comics and internet comics, are comics that are available to read on the Internet. ...


In the United Kingdom the term "small press comic" is equivalent with minicomic reserved for those publications measuring A6 (105 mm × 148 mm) or less. See also: British small press comics A small number of British small press comics for sale at the Caption convention, 2005 British small press comics is a term used to describe comic books self-published by cartoonists and comic book creators within the UK. It also serves to describe the loose community of creators, publishers and...


Alternate meaning

The term minicomic also refers to the small comics that come in the packages of some toys.


Masters of the Universe Clash of the titans: He-Man and Skeletor face off on the cover of a vintage MOTU graphic novel. ...


The first MOTU toys did not have a TV series, and thus came with little story booklets (and later, comics) that showed the original background of the series (He-Man as a barbarian, Skeletor from another dimension, etc.). However, after the later sources (DC Comics and the TV series) started to change that background (He-Man as Prince Adam, for example) the comics began to reflect those changes. He-Man as seen in a DC comic from December, 1982, one of his earliest appearances and preceding the debut of his animated series. ... Skeletor is a fictional character in the toy, cartoon, videogame, and comic book series Masters of the Universe (MOTU), where he is the arch-enemy of He-Man, and the main antagonist of MOTU. Proclaiming himself Overlord of Evil!, he is the greatest threat to present day Eternia. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... // Prince Adam is a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe comic and cartoon series. ...


Super Powers The Super Powers Collection was a line of action figures based on DC Comics superheroes and supervillains that was created by Kenner Toys in the 1980s. ...


Kenner created a collection of action figures based on the DC Comics super-heroes and super-villains, called Super Powers. The first two waves of the collection came with minicomics which featured the character with which it came, one of the villains from the collection (who, obviously, was the antagonist of the story inside the comic) and other heroes featured in the collection.


Transformers Various Transformers toys. ...


The toys of Transformers Armada and Transformers Energon came with minicomics that featured the characters of the toylines. Transformers: Armada (Transformers: Micron Legend in Japan) is the title of the Transformers animated series and toyline which ran from 2002-2003. ... This is a partner page to Transformers Universes, listing the various comic and television series and specials that the Transformer toyline has spawned since its creation in 1984. ...


Marvel Megamorphs Mega Morphs was a comic book series which started on the 10th of August, 2005. ...


This was a toyline created by Toy Biz in order to compete with Hasbro's Transformers. The Megamorphs were transforming robots patterned on Marvel Comics super heroes. Each figure came with a minicomic featuring the Megamorph with which it came. All six minicomics formed a complete storyline. Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ...


See also

Captain Thunder, soon to be Captain Marvel, on the cover of the ashcan copy of Flash Comics #1. ... With almost each Masters of the Universe figure,there came a minicomic. ... This is a list of minicomics creators. ... With each Super Powers Collection figure of the first two wves, there came a minicomic. ... A miniature book is a very small book, sized from . ... Minicomics Co-Ops: The United Fanzine Organization, or UFO, is a co-op of minicomic creators that has existed since about 1968. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Minicomic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (763 words)
These creators may see minicomics as a way to hone their skills or as a way to get their work seen by a larger audience, or may be drawn to the format for aesthetic reasons.
Some observers have anticipated that the rise of webcomics would be the end of minicomics, but as of 2005 this does not appear to be the case.
The first two waves of the collection came with minicomics which featured the character with which it came, one of the villains from the collection (who, obviously, was the antagonist of the story inside the comic) and other heroes featured in the collection.
Sequential Tart: Hopelessly Lost (vol VI/iss 12/December 2003) (1570 words)
Minicomics are seen as the last refuge of cartoonists who aren't good enough to do anything else, or, at best, a stage beginning creators go through on their way to their assumed goal of making "real comics".
Unlike the digest, the quarter size minicomic can also be oriented in either direction, and "landscape" minis have a very different look and feel than those with a "portrait" orientation, another advantage for creators who like to experiment.
But unless you're totally in love with idea of a behemoth minicomic, it might be better to begin a series instead, with each issue in the 8-32 page range.
  More results at FactBites »

 

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