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The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art

Comics aren’t just for children, as some people might think. There are many comics written with adults in mind, and this is reflected in the depth and scope of the artwork. Comic strips are widely read around the world in newspapers, magazines, books and the internet. Some are created simply to make people laugh, some are made to entertain (often with storylines worthy of a novel) and there are some that make political or social commentary.
Comic strips have a surprisingly long and interesting history. For instance, there’s evidence of comics in China from as long ago as the 11th century BC! Comics have evolved over the years with advances in technology and the changing styles of art and graphic design, and are often at the cutting edge of design.
The culture of an artist’s country is often a big influence on their work, and consequently comic styles are different around the world. We present you over 50 examples of beautiful comic strip artwork, from places as diverse as America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Some interesting articles and resources are listed at the bottom of the post.
You may be interested in the following related showcases:

50 Beautiful Examples of Comic Strip Art

United States Comic Strip Art

Dilbert
Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character. Written and drawn by Scott Adams.
Dilb in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes is a comic strip written and illustrated by Bill Watterson, following the humorous antics of Calvin, an imaginative six-year old boy, and Hobbes, his energetic tiger.
Calvin in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Garfield
A classic by Jim Davis. Published since June 19, 1978. As of 2007, it is syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals and currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip.
Garf in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Imaginary Daughter
Imaginary Daughter is the story of a guy who we’ll be calling Father, and the kid that suddenly appears one day in his life, and who is a figment of his imagination. Created by Karchesky.
Karch in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Yo & Dude
A web comic strip about a cat, a dog and a bipolar conversation. What makes this comic strip really different is the way it is designed. Very unusual forms and colors for a traditional comic strip. Created by Eric Hews.
Yo in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Sourly Sweet
A serie comics that captured our attention with the way it is presented. A photo comic strip, created by [sdfv].
Ph in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Emily the Strange
Fictional alternative culture character created by Rob Reger.
Comic-34 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
X-Men
A team of superheroes from Marvel Comics.
Comic-50 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Hellboy
Created by Mike Mignola.
Comic-09 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
The Order of the Stick
Rich Burlew’s comic satirises role-playing games and the surrounding culture.
Comic-02 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Penny Arcade
Written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik, Penny Arcade satirises video game playing culture.
Comic-03 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Dresden Codak
In the words of the author Aaron Diaz – ‘An illustrated celebration of science, death and human folly’.
Comic-04 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Girl Genius
Ongoing comic book series turned webcomic telling the story of Agatha Hetrodyne, a student at Transylvania Polygnostic University, in an alternate history Victorian setting., Written and drawn by Phil and Kaja Foglio.
Comic-07 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Family Man
A graphic novel by Dylan Meconcis, about a confused young man in the middle of the Enlightenment.
Comic-08 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Clan of the Cats
The story of Chelsea Chattan who turns out to be a witch and a werepanther. Created by Jamie Robertson.
Comic-18 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Rob and Elliot
A webcomic drawn by Clay Yount and Hampton Yount. Rob and Elliot are roommates.
Comic-19 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art

European Comic Strip Art

European comic strip art is known for its stylistic richness and diversity.
Olle Berg
Olle Berg is a Swedish cartoonist. There are lots of comics on his website.
Comic-15 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Gummbah
A Dutch comic.
Comic-16 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Rogues of Clwyd-Rhan
A Dutch humorous fantasy comic.
Comic-17 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Adventures of Tintin
This famous Belgian comic book, by Herge, has been around for nearly 80 years.
Comic-40 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Asterix the Gaul
French comic books written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo (Uderzo continued the series after Goscinny’s death in 1977).
Comic-41 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Heinz
The famous Dutch comic book cat created by Rene Windig and Eddie de Jong.
Comic-42 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Serpieri Clone
Created by Italian Comic Strip Artist Paolo Serpieri.
Comic-43 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Milo Manara
Italian Comic Strip Artist Maurilio Manara uses the psuedonym Milo Manara and is best known for the erotic nature of his work.
Comic-44 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
The Metabarons
French comic book illustrated by Argentinian artist Juan Gimenez.
Comic-45 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Andrea Bruno
Italian Comic Strip Artist known for his dark, apocalyptic style.
Comic-46 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Persepolis
A French comic book written by Iranian Marjane Satrapi.
Comic-47 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Lapinot et Les Carottes de Patagonie
Created by prolific French cartoonist Lewis Trondheim.
Comic-48 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Les Innommables (The Unspeakables)
Created by Didier Conrad, a young cartoonist who help revolutionise Belgian comic book Spirou in the eighties.
Comic-49 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Not Funny (Nichtlustig)
Webcomic from Germany by Joscha Sauer.
Comic-01 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art

British Comic Strip Art

Strontium Dog
Created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra and published in 2000AD, a famous weekly British science-fiction comic book.
Comic-20 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Sinister Dexter
Created by Dan Abnett and Paul Johnson and also published in 2000AD.
Comic-21 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Monster Club
Created by Richard Emms and Theo Bain.
Comic-22 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Dennis the Menace
Cult comic book character from British comic The Beano, drawn by various artists since 1951.
Comic-23 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Scary Go Round
The bizarre escapades of Shelley Winters, by John Allison.
Comic-05 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Gunnerkrigg Court
Strange happenings at a school called Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell.
Comic-06 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art

Russian Comic Strip Art

Krokodil
The Soviet comic from 1965.
Krok in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Masjanja
The legendary Russian comic, created by Oleg Kuvaev.
Mas in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
How The Very First Medicines Were Invented
From comic book magazine Arbuz.
Comic-24 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Where’s Daddy?
Also from comic book magazine Arbuz.
Comic-25 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Neo Ark
Created by a Russian Comic Strip Artist known as GrimJim.
Comic-26 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Pixon and Gigo
Also created by the Russian Comic Strip Artist known as GrimJim.
Comic-27 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Dark Warrior
A Russian comic book for adults.
Comic-28 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Milky Girl
The protagonists in Milky Girl are always women.
Comic-29 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art

Chinese Comic Strip Art

Chinese Hero
Created by Hong Kong artist Ma Wing Shing, the artistic style of this comic book led to the modern day look of Manhua – the name for Comic Strip Art produced in China. The earliest known Manhua drawings date from the 11th century BC in the form of stone reliefs.
Comic-30 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
DevaShard
Written by a Chinese artist known as Zen, DevaShard is inspired by an Indian mythological text called the Mahabharata.
Comic-31 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
The Ravages of Time
An on-going Chinese manhua series re-telling the events in the Three Kingdoms Period of Chinese history.
Comic-32 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Created by Andy Sett and based on the film of the same name.
Comic-33 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art

Latin American Comic Strip Art

Gaturro
Argentine comic strip created by cartoonist Cristian Dzwonik.
Comic-35 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Mafalda
Famous Argentina comic strip by Argentina Comic Strip Artist Joaquin Salvador Lavado. The first comic strips appeared in 1962 in Argentine newspaper Clarin.
Comic-39 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
La Cucaracha
Created by Mexican-American artist Lalo Alcaraz and focuses on Latino culture and politics.
Comic-36 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Clemente
Created by Carlos Loiseau and published in Argentine newspaper Clarin.
Comic-37 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Ariel Olivetti
Argentina artist Ariel Olivetti created comic strips in Argentina such as El Cazador de Aventuras (The Adventure Hunter) and went on to become an illustrator for Marvel comics.
Comic-38 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art

Japanese Comic Strip Art

Japanese Comic Strip Art, also known as Manga (the Japenese work for comics and print cartoons), has a long and complex history. The modern version of the art form emerged after World War II.
Naruto
Written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto.
Comic-10 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Bleach
A Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tite Kubo.
Comic-11 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
One Piece
Written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D Luffy and his ragtag crew of heroic pirates.
Comic-12 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Kekkaishi
Created by Yellow Tanabe, the story of teenagers Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura who defend their school from spirits drawn to the sacred land it’s built on.
Comic-13 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Atashi no Sentaku
A cheezy love story from Dream Manga Group.
Comic-14 in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Sinfest
A more conventional comic strip, created by Tatsuya Ishida/Museworks.
Sinf in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Megatokyo
A popular online webcomic (manga), created by Fred Gallagher.
Megatok in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art

Web Comics

Blaugh
The (Un)official comic of the blogosphere – colorful, satirical, and comical. Brad Fitzpatrick is bLaugh’s artist, and Chris Pirillo is its creative writer.
Bl in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
PC Weenies
A comic strip about computers, technology and design. Krishna M. Sadasivam (pronounced Sah-DAS-eh-VHAM) is the creator of The PC Weenies.
Pcw in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
ExtraLife
The comic is updated three days a week and continues to this day. The comic itself sometimes features regular characters, but often is more about the subject matter and less about who is there to portray the subject. A comic strip created by Scott Johnson.
Extralife in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
SMBC Comics
A comic about life and relationships, by Zach Weiner.
Court in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
OK/Cancel
OK/Cancel is a comic strip collaboration co-written and co-illustrated by Kevin Cheng and Tom Chi. The subject matter focuses on interfaces, good and bad and the people behind the industry of building interfaces – usability specialists, interaction designers, human-computer interaction (HCI) experts, industrial designers, etc.
Okc in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
xkcd
A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. Created by Randall Munroe.
Xk in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Gaping Void
“Cartoons drawn on the back of business cards”. A very minimalistic, yet beautiful comic strip that always gives you something to think about. Created by Hugh MacLeod.
Hr in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
The Joy Of Tech
The Joy of Tech is a comic about technology and pop culture. The comic focuses on Apple-related news and recent developments in technology. Created by Nitrozac and Snaggy.
Mac in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Geek & Poke
A comic about technology, created by Oliver Widder from Hamburg, Germany.
Tw in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
The Laugh-Out-Loud Cats
The Laugh-Out-Loud Cats comic, regularly created by Ape Lad.
Lol in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art
Gamebrit Comics
A comic focused on the gaming culture.
Gamebrit in The Celebration Of Cartoons and Comic Strip Art