▁cons ensus ▁among ▁the or ists ▁and ▁histor ians ▁on ▁a ▁definition ▁of ▁com ics ; ▁some ▁emphas ize ▁the ▁combination ▁of ▁images ▁and ▁text , ▁some ▁sequ ential ity ▁or ▁other ▁image ▁relations , ▁and ▁others ▁historical ▁aspects , ▁such ▁as ▁mass ▁reprodu ction ▁or ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁rec urr ing ▁characters . ▁In cre asing ▁cross - pol lin ation ▁of ▁concepts ▁from ▁different ▁com ics ▁cult ures ▁and ▁er as ▁has ▁only ▁made ▁definition ▁more ▁difficult . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁and ▁trad itions ▁ ▁The ▁European , ▁American , ▁and ▁Japanese ▁com ics ▁trad itions ▁have ▁followed ▁different ▁paths . ▁ ▁Europe ans ▁have ▁seen ▁their ▁tradition ▁as ▁beginning ▁with ▁the ▁Swiss ▁Rod ol phe ▁T ö pf fer ▁from ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 8 2 7 ▁and ▁Americans ▁have ▁seen ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁their s ▁in ▁Richard   F . ▁Out ca ult ' s ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁newspaper ▁strip ▁The ▁Y ellow ▁Kid , ▁though ▁many ▁Americans ▁have ▁come ▁to ▁recognize ▁T ö pf fer ' s ▁preced ence . ▁ ▁Japan ▁has ▁a ▁long ▁history ▁of ▁sat ir ical ▁cart o ons ▁and ▁com ics ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁World ▁War   II ▁era . ▁ ▁The ▁u ki yo - e ▁artist ▁H ok us ai ▁popular ized ▁the ▁Japanese ▁term ▁for ▁com ics ▁and ▁cart oon ing , ▁, ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁Harry ▁" A "