From Comics to Comic Books (1842–1936)

“The Burning of Mr. John Rogers,” a Puritan-era children’s book published in 1646, is believed to be where the earliest North American cartoon appeared. However, the format was not a printed book containing an illustrated narrative. This chapter examines the process that gave birth to books or magazines containing little other than comics, along with European influences on the field. It looks at the evolution of comics to comic books during the period spanning 1842–1936, first by focusing on the precursors such as those created by the Swiss Rodolphe Töpffer. It then discusses the publishing boom of the Jacksonian era, the impact of newspapers on comics, and the birth of comic magazines. It also describes the publishing of original comics and how the reprinting of syndicated comic strips spawned the comic book as a new medium.