Even with the advent of electronic gaming and high technology alternatives, comic books still have the same appeal as they did thirty years ago - collectors of all ages go crazy buying and preserving them, and fans still love their uncomplicatedness. Read on to find out more about how the comic books we know today came to be, and see why millions of comic collectors just can't get enough.

Origin of comic books

The comic book story has two versions: some say that the first comics were made by Egyptians in the early days through wall art and other paintings, while other comic historians say the first comics were 'comic strips' - those three to four frames of short skits we see illustrated in newspapers.

The United States first saw comic books in 1896, around the time that publishing houses started pulling together comic strips from different newspapers and putting them into one book. The sales of these rather primitive comic books skyrocketed, prompting publishers to come up with fresh stories and characters in a comic format.

The comic book as we know it today - a soft cover glossy magazine type - gained popularity in the 1930's, when Action Comics introduced Superman to the world. Superman did so well that different publishers eventually created many other comic book characters, some are very popular to this day.

Types of comic books

Comic books today cover an assortment of subjects - there are even different genres, such as horror, sci-fi, fantasy, crime and real life. The format of comic books has changed over the years, and continues to change. There are now 'graphic novels,' that are thicker and more heavily bound. Graphic novels are comics with more mature content. Graphic novels can also be compilations of comic series.

Web comics are gaining popularity. This refers to both comic strips and comic books found on the Internet.