European comics

European comics are comics produced in Europe. For historical and cultural reasons, British comics are considered by some to be different to other European comics. This is due to the existence of a well-established domestic market, which, some argue, more closely resembles the development of American comics.

Though many purely European comic books exist, the comic album is a very common printed medium. The typical album is printed in large format, generally with high quality paper and colouring, roughly A4-sized, approx. 21x30 centimetres (8.4x11.6 in), has around 40-60 pages, but examples with more than 100 pages are common. While sometimes referred to as graphic novels, this term is rarely used in Europe, and is not always applicable as albums often consist of separate short stories, placing them somewhere halfway between a comic book and a graphic novel. The European comic genres vary from the humorous adventure vein, such as The Adventures of Tintin and Asterix, to more adult subjects like Tex Willer and Thorgal.

History
The roots of European comics date back to 18th century caricatures (mocking others styles or behaviors) and illustrated picture books such as Wilhelm Busch' Max and Moritz. The early 19th century Swiss artist Rodolphe Töpffer is regarded by many as the "father of the modern comic" and his publication Histoire de M. Vieux Bois is sometimes called the first "comic book". Franco-Belgian comics, Spanish comics, and Italian comics are historically amongst the dominant scenes of European comics.