. ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁com ics ▁has ▁followed ▁different ▁paths ▁in ▁different ▁cult ures . ▁Sch ol ars ▁have ▁pos ited ▁a ▁pre - history ▁as ▁far ▁back ▁as ▁the ▁L asc aux ▁cave ▁paint ings ▁in ▁France . ▁By ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 th ▁century , ▁com ics ▁fl our ished , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁western ▁Europe ▁( es pecially ▁France ▁and ▁Belg ium ), ▁and ▁Japan . ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁European ▁com ics ▁is ▁often ▁trac ed ▁to ▁Rod ol phe ▁T ö pf fer ' s ▁cart oon ▁stri ps ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁but ▁the ▁medium ▁truly ▁became ▁popular ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁following ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁stri ps ▁and ▁books ▁such ▁as ▁The ▁Advent ures ▁of ▁T int in . ▁ ▁American ▁com ics ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁mass ▁medium ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁with ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁newspaper ▁com ic ▁stri ps ; ▁magazine - style ▁com ic ▁books ▁followed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁super h ero ▁genre ▁became ▁prominent ▁after ▁Super man ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁Histor ies ▁of ▁Japanese ▁com ics ▁and ▁cart oon ing ▁() ▁propose ▁orig ins ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century . ▁Modern ▁com ic ▁stri ps ▁emer ged ▁in ▁Japan ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁and ▁the ▁output ▁of ▁com ics ▁mag az