▁el ites ▁sometimes ▁saw ▁popular ▁culture ▁as ▁threaten ing ▁culture ▁and ▁society . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁popular ▁culture ▁won ▁greater ▁accept ance , ▁and ▁the ▁lines ▁between ▁high ▁and ▁low ▁culture ▁began ▁to ▁bl ur . ▁ ▁Comics ▁never theless ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁st ig mat ized , ▁as ▁the ▁medium ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁entertain ment ▁for ▁children ▁and ▁ill iter ates . ▁ ▁The ▁graph ic ▁novel — book - length ▁com ics — beg an ▁to ▁gain ▁attention ▁after ▁Will ▁E is ner ▁popular ized ▁the ▁term ▁with ▁his ▁book ▁A ▁Cont ract ▁with ▁God ▁( 1 9 7 8 ). ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁became ▁widely ▁known ▁with ▁the ▁public ▁after ▁the ▁commercial ▁success ▁of ▁M aus , ▁Watch men , ▁and ▁The ▁Dark ▁Knight ▁Returns ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century ▁graph ic ▁nov els ▁became ▁established ▁in ▁main stream ▁book st ores ▁and ▁libraries ▁and ▁web com ics ▁became ▁common . ▁ ▁Franco - Bel g ian ▁and ▁European ▁com ics ▁ ▁The ▁franc oph one ▁Swiss ▁Rod ol phe ▁T ö pf fer ▁produced ▁com ic ▁stri ps ▁beginning ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁and ▁published ▁theories ▁behind ▁the ▁form . ▁ ▁Cart o ons ▁appeared ▁widely ▁in ▁newsp apers ▁and ▁mag az ines ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁success ▁of ▁Z ig ▁et ▁Pu ce ▁in ▁ 1