122-507: Biotrog was a character in the Filipino comics magazine Kick Fighter . During the early 1990s, the video game Street Fighter was popular in the Philippines . A local publishing company (INFINITY) created a comics parody of the game entitled Kick Fighter . Biotrog created by Jojo Ende Jr. and Gilbert Monsanto was one of the characters that appeared in this weekly comics magazine. Biotrog
244-513: A mass medium in the early 20th century with the advent of newspaper comic strips; magazine-style comic books followed in the 1930s, the superhero genre became prominent after Superman appeared in 1938. Histories of Japanese comics and cartooning ( manga ) propose origins as early as the 12th century. Japanese comics are generally held separate from the evolution of Euro-American comics, and Western comic art probably originated in 17th-century Italy. Modern Japanese comic strips emerged in
366-427: A singular noun when it refers to the medium itself (e.g. " Comics is a visual art form."), but becomes plural when referring to works collectively (e.g. " Comics are popular reading material."). The comics may be further adapted to animations (anime), dramas, TV shows, movies. The European, American, and Japanese comics traditions have followed different paths. Europeans have seen their tradition as beginning with
488-414: A Beta Beam firing from both his eyes. When he got the chance, Biotrog used his silver mask to reflect the beam back to Biolante who was knocked unconscious, but was suddenly transported away by some unknown force (KF#67). Some time after, Biolante contacted Biotrog in order to finish their business once and for all. He told Biotrog the real reason why he hated him so much. He was Dr. Wang's first protege and
610-548: A combined circulation of over 2 million copies by the 1950s. Their characters, including " Dennis the Menace ", " Desperate Dan " and " The Bash Street Kids " have been read by generations of British children. The comics originally experimented with superheroes and action stories before settling on humorous strips featuring a mix of the Amalgamated Press and US comic book styles. The popularity of superhero comic books declined in
732-409: A conspicuous place for a victim to pick up. Other reports indicate that shuriken may have been buried in dirt or animal feces and allowed to harbor the bacterium Clostridium tetani —if the point penetrated a victim deeply enough, the bacteria transferred into the wound could cause a then-incurable tetanus infection. Shuriken are simple weapons, but their historical value has increased. Unlike
854-474: A defining factor, which can imply the exclusion of even photographic comics. The term manga is used in Japanese to indicate all forms of comics, cartooning, and caricature. The term comics refers to the comics medium when used as an uncountable noun and thus takes the singular: "comics is a medium" rather than "comics are a medium". When comic appears as a countable noun it refers to instances of
976-493: A dozen stories; they are later compiled in tankōbon -format books. At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, nearly a quarter of all printed material in Japan was comics. Translations became extremely popular in foreign markets—in some cases equaling or surpassing the sales of domestic comics. Comic strips are generally short, multipanel comics that have, since the early 20th century, most commonly appeared in newspapers. In
1098-409: A fire hose and blast the creature with water, dissolving it. Biotrog and Angel then brings the creature's remains back to the base for containment (KF#78). Several weeks later, Dr. Wang had come to the conclusion that the remains of No-face can now be safely disposed. With Biotrog, they went to the edge of town where they disposed the liquid remains of No-Face. However, an escaped prisoner happened upon
1220-404: A flame thrower lying around. He torched No-Face, not realizing that someone was trapped inside (KF#85). When Angel finds dried blood on the surface of No-Face's body, Dr. Wang decided to test the creature. During the tests the creature regained consciousness and for a while had the personality of its human host. Biotrog and Dr. Wang were shocked as the creature spoke but were even more shocked with
1342-472: A hidden corner of the room, Biolante was watching. The man was supposed to be dead after Biotrog cut his own arm when Biolante refused to let go and attempted to take Biotrog in a fall (KF#20). Biotrog and Dr. Wang were even the ones who laid him to rest. During his return, Biolante exhibited some sort of dual personality and ironically now wears a mask (Biotrog can now walk outside without his own mask). Biolante's return did not go unnoticed. To make sure that it
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#17328733289791464-603: A larger page size than used in many other cultures. In English-speaking countries, the trade paperback format originating from collected comic books have also been chosen for original material. Otherwise, bound volumes of comics are called graphic novels and are available in various formats. Despite incorporating the term "novel"—a term normally associated with fiction—"graphic novel" also refers to non-fiction and collections of short works. Japanese comics are collected in volumes called tankōbon following magazine serialization. Gag and editorial cartoons usually consist of
1586-622: A narrator, convey characters' dialogue or thoughts, or indicate place or time. Speech balloons themselves are strongly associated with comics, such that the addition of one to an image is sufficient to turn the image into comics. Sound effects mimic non-vocal sounds textually using onomatopoeia sound-words. Cartooning is most frequently used in making comics, traditionally using ink (especially India ink ) with dip pens or ink brushes; mixed media and digital technology have become common. Cartooning techniques such as motion lines and abstract symbols are often employed. While comics are often
1708-453: A needle traditionally used in Japanese leatherwork and armor manufacture. There are earlier mentions in written records, such as the Osaka Gunki ( 大阪軍記 , the military records of Osaka ) , of the standard knife and short sword being thrown in battle. Miyamoto Musashi is said to have won a duel by throwing his short sword at his opponent, killing him. Hira-shuriken generally resemble
1830-514: A particular school ( ryū ) or region that preferred the use of such shapes, and it is therefore possible to identify the school by the type of blade used. Shuriken targets were primarily the more exposed parts of the body: the eyes, face, hands, or feet. Shuriken, despite low mass, were capable of dealing lethal blows at short ranges. In some cases, shuriken were capable of partially disemboweling targets. Shuriken, especially hira-shuriken , were also used in novel ways—they could be embedded in
1952-457: A postcard that contained the name "Roger" was found along with Biotrog. And because of his bionic body parts, Dr. Wang termed him Biotrog or Bio-Electronic Roger (KF#6) which was later retconned to Bio-Technological Roger (KF#50). With the help of Dr. Wang, Biotrog grew up to an honest and kind man. However, his face was so damaged that he had to wear a silver mask whenever he went out of their home. Although disfigured, he has overcome self-pity and
2074-763: A prolific body of work. Towards the close of the 20th century, these three traditions converged in a trend towards book-length comics: the comic album in Europe, the tankōbon in Japan, and the graphic novel in the English-speaking countries. Outside of these genealogies, comics theorists and historians have seen precedents for comics in the Lascaux cave paintings in France (some of which appear to be chronological sequences of images), Egyptian hieroglyphs , Trajan's Column in Rome,
2196-517: A secret formula called Formula 1700 which the War Claws stole after killing him. (KF#29) The two started out with an awkward relationship, Biotrog believing that he had no future ahead of him and had nothing to offer was being distant. Although they told each other about the tragic parts of their lives, the two did not know each other's secret identity (KF#38). When Angel learned the location of War Claws, she asked Biotrog for help. On this mission, Biotrog
2318-531: A similarly confusing history since they are most often not humorous and are periodicals, not regular books. It is common in English to refer to the comics of different cultures by the terms used in their languages, such as manga for Japanese comics, or bandes dessinées for French-language Franco-Belgian comics . Many cultures have taken their word for comics from English, including Russian ( комикс , komiks ) and German ( Comic ). Similarly,
2440-439: A single panel, often incorporating a caption or speech balloon. Definitions of comics which emphasize sequence usually exclude gag, editorial, and other single-panel cartoons; they can be included in definitions that emphasize the combination of word and image. Gag cartoons first began to proliferate in broadsheets published in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the term "cartoon" was first used to describe them in 1843 in
2562-623: A very clever individual and was able to vanish (KF#28). Some time after, Grey reappeared as a mysterious Black Ninja. Employing master level ninja skills, the ninja was able to defeat Biotrog and told him to blame his master if he is going to die. But before he could finally get to Biotrog, Dr. Wang, disguised as Red Ninja appeared and defeated him (KF#32). This however, did not stop Grey from going on with his path of revenge - kidnapping government officials and assassinating cops and businessmen. These activities did not go unnoticed to Biotrog, in fact, some of these have been done in front of him and Biotrog
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#17328733289792684-406: A way that one could read the 6-panel comic, flip the book and keep reading. He made 64 such comics in total. In 2012, a remake of a selection of the comics was made by Marcus Ivarsson in the book 'In Uppåner med Lilla Lisen & Gamle Muppen'. ( ISBN 978-91-7089-524-1 ) Shorter, black-and-white daily strips began to appear early in the 20th century, and became established in newspapers after
2806-410: Is a cyborg vigilante that prowls the crime infested city that he is in. Haunted by the murder of his parents, Biotrog patrols against organized crime and other super-powered beings. When he was still a child, Biotrog's parents were involved in an ambush. The story goes that Biotrog's father was a cop named Remy Summers who was working on a miscellaneous case. One night, someone called the precinct he
2928-626: Is able to help others. On one occasion, Biotrog's encountered a jumper. Believing that no one would ever love him because of his appearance, the man attempted to commit suicide. Biotrog was able to stop him though and upon learning the cause of the man's anguish, showed him his face. Upon seeing this, the man realized his mistake and decided to continue on living (KF#8). Throughout the comics, Biotrog crossed path with several nemesis - some are super-powered, some are normal human beings placed in not-so-normal circumstances. The following profiles these enemies and their encounters with our masked hero. Early on
3050-453: Is his enemy and not her. Angel offers that he return to the side of the law, but Biolate says that the law has no longer any room for him (KF#80). When it came to the time that Koji finally confronted Biotrog, Biolante was also there to inflict some damage. Unfortunately for Koji, Biolante doesn't want Biotrog to be killed by anyone rather that him so he watches Biotrog's back from Koji's attack. This doesn't mean that he didn't attack Biotrog in
3172-513: Is no consensus among theorists and historians on a definition of comics ; some emphasize the combination of images and text, some sequentiality or other image relations, and others historical aspects such as mass reproduction or the use of recurring characters. Cartooning and other forms of illustration are the most common means of image-making in comics. Photo comics is a form that uses photographic images. Common forms include comic strips , editorial and gag cartoons , and comic books . Since
3294-432: Is not the real Biolante and destroyed it. It was an android created by Biolante with the help of the alien that was bonded to him to lure Biotrog into a trap (KF#89). Not satisfied with his defeat, Biolante sent another android disguised as the late Mr. Grey to kill Biotrog. However, like the previous battle, Biotrog was able to realize the difference in his enemies and was able to defeat it (KF#90). Ironically, Biolante needed
3416-411: Is the incorporation of verbal content". Aaron Meskin saw McCloud's theories as an artificial attempt to legitimize the place of comics in art history. Cross-cultural study of comics is complicated by the great difference in meaning and scope of the words for "comics" in different languages. The French term for comics, bandes dessinées ("drawn strip") emphasizes the juxtaposition of drawn images as
3538-423: Is thrown in a number of ways, such as overhead, underarm, sideways and rearwards, but in each case the throw involves the blade sliding out of the hand through the fingers in a smooth, controlled flight. The major throwing methods are the jiki da-ho (direct-hit method), and the han-ten da-ho (turning-hit method). These two are technically different, in that the former does not allow the blade to spin before it hits
3660-411: The bō shuriken ( 棒手裏剣 , stick shuriken) and the hira shuriken ( 平手裏剣 , flat shuriken) or shaken ( 車剣 , wheel shuriken, also read as kurumaken ) . Shuriken functioned as supplementary weapons to the sword or to other weapons in a samurai's arsenal, although they often had an important tactical effect in battle. The art of wielding the shuriken is known as shurikenjutsu and
3782-599: The New York World and later the New York American , particularly Outcault's The Yellow Kid , led to the development of newspaper comic strips. Early Sunday strips were full-page and often in colour. Between 1896 and 1901 cartoonists experimented with sequentiality, movement, and speech balloons. An example is Gustave Verbeek , who wrote his comic series "The UpsideDowns of Old Man Muffaroo and Little Lady Lovekins" between 1903 and 1905. These comics were made in such
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3904-516: The katana and other bladed weapons, antique shuriken are not often well preserved (although some are blackened in ash to prevent corrosion), largely due to their expendable nature. Modern commercially available shuriken, which are sold in Europe and North America , are often made of stainless steel . However, in many countries and jurisdictions, they are illegal to possess or carry, such as in Belgium ,
4026-471: The United States , western Europe (especially France and Belgium ), and Japan . The history of European comics is often traced to Rodolphe Töpffer 's cartoon strips of the 1830s, while Wilhelm Busch and his Max and Moritz also had a global impact from 1865 on, and became popular following the success in the 1930s of strips and books such as The Adventures of Tintin . American comics emerged as
4148-503: The 11th-century Norman Bayeux Tapestry , the 1370 bois Protat woodcut, the 15th-century Ars moriendi and block books , Michelangelo's The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, and William Hogarth 's 18th-century sequential engravings, amongst others. Illustrated humour periodicals were popular in 19th-century Britain, the earliest of which was the short-lived The Glasgow Looking Glass in 1825. The most popular
4270-634: The 1930s, at first reprinting newspaper comic strips; by the end of the decade, original content began to dominate. The success in 1938 of Action Comics and its lead hero Superman marked the beginning of the Golden Age of Comic Books , in which the superhero genre was prominent. In the UK and the Commonwealth , the DC Thomson -created Dandy (1937) and Beano (1938) became successful humor-based titles, with
4392-481: The 1980s, mainstream sensibilities were reasserted and serialization became less common as the number of comics magazines decreased and many comics began to be published directly as albums. Smaller publishers such as L'Association that published longer works in non-traditional formats by auteur -istic creators also became common. Since the 1990s, mergers resulted in fewer large publishers, while smaller publishers proliferated. Sales overall continued to grow despite
4514-467: The 1990s. Formal theories of manga have focused on developing a "manga expression theory", with emphasis on spatial relationships in the structure of images on the page, distinguishing the medium from film or literature, in which the flow of time is the basic organizing element. Comics studies courses have proliferated at Japanese universities, and Japan Society for Studies in Cartoon and Comics ( ja )
4636-681: The British humour magazine Punch . Webcomics are comics that are available on the internet, first being published the 1980s. They are able to potentially reach large audiences, and new readers can often access archives of previous installments. Webcomics can make use of an infinite canvas , meaning they are not constrained by the size or dimensions of a printed comics page. Some consider storyboards and wordless novels to be comics. Film studios, especially in animation, often use sequences of images as guides for film sequences. These storyboards are not intended as an end product and are rarely seen by
4758-775: The Chinese term manhua and the Korean manhwa derive from the Chinese characters with which the Japanese term manga is written. Academic journals Archives Databases Shuriken A shuriken ( Japanese : 手裏剣 , lit. ' hand-hidden blade ' ) is a Japanese concealed weapon used by samurai or ninja or in martial arts as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect. Shuriken are also known as throwing stars , or ninja stars , although they were originally constructed in many different shapes. The major varieties of shuriken are
4880-470: The Japanese term for comics and cartooning, manga , in the early 19th century. In the 1930s Harry "A" Chesler started a comics studio, which eventually at its height employed 40 artists working for 50 different publishers who helped make the comics medium flourish in "the Golden Age of Comics" after World War II. In the post-war era modern Japanese comics began to flourish when Osamu Tezuka produced
5002-446: The Mr. Grey murdered some people as an act of revenge . The people whom Grey killed have stolen from his family and have even raped his two daughters. Although Grey had first let the police handle the case, he found the wheels of justice too slow and had taken the law into his own hands. While on transport, Grey was able to perform an escape. And even though Biotrog pursued him, Grey proved to be
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5124-640: The Swiss Rodolphe Töpffer from as early as 1827 and Americans have seen the origin of theirs in Richard ;F. Outcault 's 1890s newspaper strip The Yellow Kid , though many Americans have come to recognize Töpffer's precedence. Wilhelm Busch directly influenced Rudolph Dirks and his Katzenjammer Kids . Japan has a long history of satirical cartoons and comics leading up to the World War ;II era. The ukiyo-e artist Hokusai popularized
5246-893: The US, daily strips have normally occupied a single tier, while Sunday strips have been given multiple tiers. Since the early 20th century, daily newspaper comic strips have typically been printed in black-and-white and Sunday comics have usually been printed in colour and have often occupied a full newspaper page. Specialized comics periodicals formats vary greatly in different cultures. Comic books , primarily an American format, are thin periodicals usually published in colour. European and Japanese comics are frequently serialized in magazines—monthly or weekly in Europe, and usually black-and-white and weekly in Japan. Japanese comics magazine typically run to hundreds of pages. Book-length comics take different forms in different cultures. European comic albums are most commonly colour volumes printed at A4-size ,
5368-425: The area. Thirsty from the police-chase, the prisoner drunk from the river where some of No-Face's remains rested. Moments later, the prisoner lost consciousness. When he awoke, he was shocked to see that he was transformed into No-Face. Along with the appearance, he also inherited No-Face's dislike towards Biotrog (KF#84). With No-Face's memories, he was able to find Biotrog's lair and attacked. Fortunately, Dr. Wang had
5490-468: The artwork in ink; a colourist ; and a letterer , who adds the captions and speech balloons. The English-language term comics derives from the humorous (or " comic ") work which predominated in early American newspaper comic strips, but usage of the term has become standard for non-humorous works as well. The alternate spelling comix – coined by the underground comix movement – is sometimes used to address such ambiguities. The term "comic book" has
5612-776: The average weight from 35 to 150 grams (1.2–5.4 ounces). They should not be confused with the kunai , which is a thrusting and stabbing implement that is sometimes thrown. Bo-shuriken were constructed from a wide variety of everyday items, and as such came in many shapes and sizes. Some derived their names from the materials of which they were made, such as kugi-gata (nail form), hari-gata (needle form) and tantō -gata (knife form); some were named after an object of similar appearance, such as hoko-gata (spear form), matsuba-gata (pine-needle form); while others have names that are purely descriptive, such as kankyuto (piercing tool form), kunai-gata (utility tool form), or teppan (plate metal) and biao (pin). The bo-shuriken
5734-491: The brain's comprehension of comics is similar to comprehending other domains, such as language and music. Historical narratives of manga tend to focus either on its recent, post-WWII history, or on attempts to demonstrate deep roots in the past, such as to the Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga picture scroll of the 12th and 13th centuries, or the early 19th-century Hokusai Manga . The first historical overview of Japanese comics
5856-417: The city is an alien spacecraft containing the same alien specie that resurrected Biolante. Using their advanced technology, Koji was transported to the alien craft where his foot was replaced with cybernetic parts. The alien intended to make him his slave like Biolante to his brother. Koji refused and was able to escape, damaging the space craft and killing the alien creature in the process (KF#79). Biolante on
5978-412: The comics, Biotrog was plagued with mind-splitting head-aches whenever he remembers things from his past. He is haunted by a symbol depicting a Hawk's head—the symbol used by the syndicate that killed his parents (KF#6). On one occasion, Biotrog encounters a group having the same symbol. He confides this to Dr. Wang and they realized that the syndicate has two factions. The group that Biotrog encountered had
6100-453: The consequences of his actions. On Grey's deathbed, Biotrog learned about his final heroic acts (KF#42). Although believing the remorse of Mr. Grey to be true, Biotrog did not believe that the clever man would die that easily and on one night, visited Mr. Grey's grave. What he saw surprised him, Mr. Grey was there standing in front of his own grave. He confronted him but before they could exchange words, Ripper appeared. Unknown to them, Ripper
6222-472: The creature's molecular structure was so unstable that Biotrog's attacks and weapons had no effect. It was only by freezing the creature that it was finally stopped. Biotrog brought the creature back to their base of operations for containment (KF#17) but it was only a matter of time before the creature was able to escape. During the battle, Biotrog again was overpowered by the creature who used his sonic blasts. However, Biotrog discovered that aside from freezing
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#17328733289796344-415: The creature, it could also be defeated by fire. Using some explosive shurikens , Biotrog was able to defeat the creature (KF#55). Over the years, Biotrog has turned from a vigilante to an unofficial contact of the police. He has helped capture criminals and solve cases in the city. On one occasion Biotrog was asked to help in guarding the transportation of a murderer named Edmund Grey. Biotrog learned that
6466-413: The creatures new strength as it escaped. Dr. Wang had realized that the creature had a human host and asked Biotrog to find the creature (KF#87). During their encounter, Biotrog used nitrogen capsules to freeze No-Face. To his surprise the prisoner that No-Face bonded with asked for his help. He however could do nothing but bring back the frozen creature to their base as they still had no idea how to separate
6588-443: The dark arts. His prayers were answered by a dark deity who gave him telekinesis (KF#93). On a nightly patrol, Biotrog received a telepathic message from Biolante. And when they found each other, the two instantly fought. Biolante provoked Biotrog to chase him. Biotrog seeing the new quickness in his opponent became suspicious. His suspicions were confirmed, when Biolante was not affected by some gas he had released. He realized that it
6710-768: The definition of comics, a medium that has taken various, equally valid forms over its history. Morgan sees comics as a subset of " les littératures dessinées " (or "drawn literatures"). French theory has come to give special attention to the page, in distinction from American theories such as McCloud's which focus on panel-to-panel transitions. In the mid-2000s, Neil Cohn began analyzing how comics are understood using tools from cognitive science, extending beyond theory by using actual psychological and neuroscience experiments. This work has argued that sequential images and page layouts both use separate rule-bound "grammars" to be understood that extend beyond panel-to-panel transitions and categorical distinctions of types of layouts, and that
6832-399: The driver for their escape. While on the way, Bernard released a gas that knocked the robbers cold (KF#46). After some time, Biotrog came across a female vigilante called Angel who surprising saved him from a pinch (KF#10). The female ninja is after a foreign terrorist organization called War Claws. Surprisingly, Angel turns out to be another scientist named Dianne Mendoza. His father invented
6954-400: The early 20th century, and the output of comic magazines and books rapidly expanded in the post-World War II era (1945)– with the popularity of cartoonists such as Osamu Tezuka . Comics has had a lowbrow reputation for much of their history, but towards the end of the 20th century, they began to find greater acceptance with the public and academics. The English term comics is used as
7076-425: The eight newly recruited men as pawns (KF#62). The group's first task is to eliminate the vigilante known as Biotrog. Unknown to them, one of the group's member is really not in league with them. And as the two knights who were sent to kill Biotrog prepared to finish the task, ahurikens thrown from somewhere stopped them. And because of the diversion, Biotrog was able to stop and defeat them (KF#64). Some time after,
7198-508: The ensuing confrontation lost his left foot via Biotrog's cybernetic claws (KF#70-71). Unknown to them a new syndicate has been formed. Led by a man known only as the Black King, the group's membership is solely based on the pieces of the game of Chess. It includes the beautiful and dangerous Black Queen—whether she is the king's lover or just a follower is not known, two former bishops that have turned to crime, two sadistic killers as knights and
7320-582: The establishment of the Comics Code Authority self-censoring body. The Code has been blamed for stunting the growth of American comics and maintaining its low status in American society for much of the remainder of the century. Superheroes re-established themselves as the most prominent comic book genre by the early 1960s. Underground comix challenged the Code and readers with adult, countercultural content in
7442-443: The fact that throughout early Japanese history there were many independent exponents of the skill of throwing long, thin objects. The earliest-known reference to a school teaching shurikenjutsu is Ganritsu Ryu, active during the 17th century. This school utilized a long, thin implement with a bulbous head, thought to be derived from the arrow. Surviving examples of blades used by this school appear to combine an arrow's shape with that of
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#17328733289797564-527: The first modern Japanese comic strip. By the 1930s, comic strips were serialized in large-circulation monthly girls' and boys' magazine and collected into hardback volumes. The modern era of comics in Japan began after World War II, propelled by the success of the serialized comics of the prolific Osamu Tezuka and the comic strip Sazae-san . Genres and audiences diversified over the following decades. Stories are usually first serialized in magazines which are often hundreds of pages thick and may contain over
7686-408: The ground, injuring those who stepped on them (similar to a caltrop ), wrapped in a fuse to be ignited and thrown to cause fire, or wrapped in a cloth soaked in poison and lit to cover an area with a cloud of poisonous smoke . They could also be used as a handheld weapon in close combat. There are reports of shuriken being coated with poison, intended either as a throwing weapon or to be left in
7808-406: The group baited Biotrog with a false tip so that they can capture him. Unfortunately for them, Biotrog wanted to be captured and as soon as he has escaped from his binds, Biotrog proceeded to take them out. However, Black King had an ace up his sleeves. He released some poisonous gas when Biotrog was close enough. He left Biotrog to die but soon discovered that that was a huge mistake. As it turns out,
7930-457: The hazards they are doing to the environment, the men just laughed at him and called him paranoid and mad. The scientists reasoned that they have already invented gadgets that will help clean the environment. Not known to them, a new mud-like creature emerged from the wastes that their new gadgets created. The creature encountered Biotrog while he was on patrol. Attacking him with sonic waves/screams, Biotrog had no choice but to fight back. However,
8052-439: The help of Biotrog when he was captured by a cult that attempted to sacrifice him (KF#93). Comics Comics are a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically takes the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons , captions , and onomatopoeia can indicate dialogue, narration, sound effects, or other information. There
8174-437: The late 1960s and early 1970s. The underground gave birth to the alternative comics movement in the 1980s and its mature, often experimental content in non-superhero genres. Comics in the US has had a lowbrow reputation stemming from its roots in mass culture ; cultural elites sometimes saw popular culture as threatening culture and society. In the latter half of the 20th century, popular culture won greater acceptance, and
8296-560: The late 19th century. New publications in both the Western and Japanese styles became popular, and at the end of the 1890s, American-style newspaper comics supplements began to appear in Japan, as well as some American comic strips. 1900 saw the debut of the Jiji Manga in the Jiji Shinpō newspaper—the first use of the word "manga" in its modern sense, and where, in 1902, Rakuten Kitazawa began
8418-412: The late 20th century, bound volumes such as graphic novels , comic albums , and tankōbon have become increasingly common, along with webcomics as well as scientific/medical comics. The history of comics has followed different paths in different cultures. Scholars have posited a pre-history as far back as the Lascaux cave paintings. By the mid-20th century, comics flourished, particularly in
8540-462: The lines between high and low culture began to blur. Comics nevertheless continued to be stigmatized, as the medium was seen as entertainment for children and illiterates. The graphic novel —book-length comics—began to gain attention after Will Eisner popularized the term with his book A Contract with God (1978). The term became widely known with the public after the commercial success of Maus , Watchmen , and The Dark Knight Returns in
8662-516: The medium, such as individual comic strips or comic books: "Tom's comics are in the basement." Panels are individual images containing a segment of action, often surrounded by a border. Prime moments in a narrative are broken down into panels via a process called encapsulation. The reader puts the pieces together via the process of closure by using background knowledge and an understanding of panel relations to combine panels mentally into events. The size, shape, and arrangement of panels each affect
8784-457: The mid-1980s. In the 21st century graphic novels became established in mainstream bookstores and libraries and webcomics became common. The francophone Swiss Rodolphe Töpffer produced comic strips beginning in 1827, and published theories behind the form. Wilhelm Busch first published his Max and Moritz in 1865. Cartoons appeared widely in newspapers and magazines from the 19th century. The success of Zig et Puce in 1925 popularized
8906-459: The organization, some of its members left with him (KF#15). On a usual night patrol, Biotrog encounters a mysterious red ninja who seems to challenge him for no reason at all. Although an enemy, the Red Ninja allows Biotrog to escape in order to help a woman in danger. Once the fight resumes, Biotrog is able to defeat him. However, before landing more blows on the, Dr. Wang stops the fight and reveals
9028-407: The other hand was turning a new leaf. While Biotrog was on patrol on another part of the city, Angel was battling the War Claws. Due to the sheer number of her opponents, Angel was defeated and captured. But before they could do anything else to the woman, someone appeared and took out her enemies. At first, Angel thought it was Biotrog but it turns out to be Biolante. He explains that it is Biotrog who
9150-494: The other hand, Biolante wants to be one-of-a-kind and wants to kill him (KF#11). Although unsuccessful in his attempts, Biolante appears whenever Biotrog is in danger – much to Biotrog's surprise. The man reasons that if Biotrog will be killed, he will be the one who does it (KF#19). The fights between the two have escalated so much that at one time, Biotrog cut his own arm in order to save himself from Biolante (KF#20). When Biotrog's master, Dr. Wang warned his fellow scientists about
9272-454: The popular conception of shuriken. They are constructed from thin, flat plates of metal derived from a variety of sources including hishi-gane (coins), kugi-nuki (carpentry tools), spools, and senban (nail removers). They often have a hole in the center and possess a fairly thin blade sharpened mainly at the tip. The holes derive from their source in items that had holes—old coins, washers, and nail-removing tools. This proved convenient for
9394-440: The primacy of sequences of images. Towards the close of the 20th century, different cultures' discoveries of each other's comics traditions, the rediscovery of forgotten early comics forms, and the rise of new forms made defining comics a more complicated task. European comics studies began with Töpffer's theories of his own work in the 1840s, which emphasized panel transitions and the visual–verbal combination. No further progress
9516-520: The primary outlet for comics in the mid-20th century. As in the US, at the time comics were seen as infantile and a threat to culture and literacy; commentators stated that "none bear up to the slightest serious analysis", and that comics were "the sabotage of all art and all literature". In the 1960s, the term bandes dessinées ("drawn strips") came into wide use in French to denote the medium. Cartoonists began creating comics for mature audiences, and
9638-559: The problems of defining literature and film, no consensus has been reached on a definition of the comics medium, and attempted definitions and descriptions have fallen prey to numerous exceptions. Theorists such as Töpffer, R. C. Harvey , Will Eisner , David Carrier, Alain Rey, and Lawrence Grove emphasize the combination of text and images, though there are prominent examples of pantomime comics throughout its history. Other critics, such as Thierry Groensteen and Scott McCloud, have emphasized
9760-493: The process. In the end, Koji decided to eliminate the two but by this time, Biotrog and Biolante decided to make their fight a draw and get rid of Koji instead (KF#86). To get back at Biotrog, Koji sold drugs while pretending to be Biotrog to damage his name. Biotrog was quick in thwarting his plans though, as when Koji thought that he had finally won, Biotrog appeared and defeated him (KF#91). Koji realizing that he isn't any match for Biotrog in his current state asked for help from
9882-403: The public. Wordless novels are books which use sequences of captionless images to deliver a narrative. "Comics ... are sometimes four-legged and sometimes two-legged and sometimes fly and sometimes don't ... to employ a metaphor as mixed as the medium itself, defining comics entails cutting a Gordian-knotted enigma wrapped in a mystery ..." R. C. Harvey , 2001 Similar to
10004-437: The remaining War Claws attacked. Leading the group is a woman named Poison Ivy whose main weapon is a fan that can eject blades at her opponents. The group attempted to take Formula 1700 from Dianne but Biotrog and Red Ninja were there to stop them. While Poison Ivy was busy dealing with Biotrog and Red Ninja, Dianne was able to change to her Angel armor. And together the three heroes defeated the group (KF#57). Unknown to them at
10126-618: The satirical and taboo-breaking Hara-Kiri defied censorship laws in the countercultural spirit that led to the May 1968 events . Frustration with censorship and editorial interference led to a group of Pilote cartoonists to found the adults-only L'Écho des savanes in 1972. Adult-oriented and experimental comics flourished in the 1970s, such as in the experimental science fiction of Mœbius and others in Métal hurlant , even mainstream publishers took to publishing prestige-format adult comics . From
10248-417: The shuriken user as the weapons could be strung on a string or dowel in the belt for transport, and the hole also had aerodynamic and weighting effects that aided the flight of the blade. There are a wide variety of forms of hira-shuriken, and they are now usually identified by the number of points the blades possess. As with bo-shuriken , the various shapes of hira-shuriken were usually representative of
10370-562: The study of comics. David Carrier's The Aesthetics of Comics (2000) was the first full-length treatment of comics from a philosophical perspective. Prominent American attempts at definitions of comics include Eisner's, McCloud's, and Harvey's. Eisner described what he called " sequential art " as "the arrangement of pictures or images and words to narrate a story or dramatize an idea"; Scott McCloud defined comics as "juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in
10492-488: The success in 1907 of Bud Fisher 's Mutt and Jeff . In Britain, the Amalgamated Press established a popular style of a sequence of images with text beneath them, including Illustrated Chips and Comic Cuts . Humour strips predominated at first, and in the 1920s and 1930s strips with continuing stories in genres such as adventure and drama also became popular. Thin periodicals called comic books appeared in
10614-489: The symbol in their chest while those that Dr. Wang saw ambush his parents had it in the left arm. It was during the night of the Summers' murder that the syndicate was divided. Iron Claw and his twin brother Ripper fought over the leadership of the organization. Ripper was the current leader of the syndicate but Iron Claw was ambitious. Ripper was finally able to defeat Iron Claw. Although wounded, Iron Claw survived. And as he left
10736-420: The target, while the latter requires that the blade spin . Other items such as hairpins, kogata (utility knife), and chopsticks were thrown in the same way as bo-shuriken , although they were not associated with any particular school of shurikenjutsu. The origins of the bo-shuriken in Japan are still unclear, despite continuing research. This is partly because shurikenjutsu was a secret art and also due to
10858-399: The term "Ninth Art" was coined, as comics began to attract public and academic attention as an artform. A group including René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo founded the magazine Pilote in 1959 to give artists greater freedom over their work. Goscinny and Uderzo's The Adventures of Asterix appeared in it and went on to become the best-selling French-language comics series. From 1960,
10980-428: The timing and pacing of the narrative. The contents of a panel may be asynchronous, with events depicted in the same image not necessarily occurring at the same time. Text is frequently incorporated into comics via speech balloons , captions, and sound effects. Speech balloons indicate dialogue (or thought, in the case of thought balloons ), with tails pointing at their respective speakers. Captions can give voice to
11102-415: The traitor in their organization fed Biotrog the antidote to the poison. Biotrog went after them and was able to stop their activities (KF#82). When a man turns up dead on a gallery, Biotrog investigates to find mud-like substance all over the crime scene - and only one creature comes to his mind, No-face. It seems that Biotrog was not able to fully destroy the creature with fire the last time they met and it
11224-600: The trend towards a shrinking print market. Japanese comics and cartooning ( manga ), have a history that has been seen as far back as the anthropomorphic characters in the 12th-to-13th-century Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga , 17th-century toba-e and kibyōshi picture books, and woodblock prints such as ukiyo-e which were popular between the 17th and 20th centuries. The kibyōshi contained examples of sequential images, movement lines, and sound effects. Illustrated magazines for Western expatriates introduced Western-style satirical cartoons to Japan in
11346-491: The true identity of the Ninja —an android created to test Biotrog's skills. (KF#14) After answering a disturbance, Biotrog encounters a mysterious man wielding the same cybernetic claws as his. However, this one had a fiery disposition. Although the two fought, the man escaped. Upon consultation with Dr. Wang, Biotrog learns the man's name Biolante, the first bionic man created by Dr. Wang. Biotrog views him somewhat as brother. On
11468-612: The two (KF#88). Bernard receives a package from his parents. But as it turns out, this was an attempt on his life by his enemies in Japan. The package contains Ninja Death Powder, a substance that can cause instantaneous death to anyone who touches it. Biotrog offers his help but Bernard declines saying that Biotrog is needed where he is right now. Soon after, Bernard leaves to face his enemies in Japan (KF#76). While in prison, Koji had nothing in his mind but Biotrog. He wished to once and for all destroy his enemy. As if fate intervened, Koji's wishes were about to come true because hovering above
11590-434: The upper hand, Biolante soon revealed his trump card. The real cause of his resurrection was an alien entity that possessed his corpse. With this alien entity fighting with him, Biotrog's bionic strength was no match. It was only with the intervention of Dr. Wang that Biolante decided to stop and leave his revenge for another day (KF#61). Ripper invited an assassin named Koji to help him defeat Biotrog. But as it turns out Koji
11712-529: The use of speech balloons in European comics, after which Franco-Belgian comics began to dominate. The Adventures of Tintin , with its signature clear line style, was first serialized in newspaper comics supplements beginning in 1929, and became an icon of Franco-Belgian comics. Following the success of Le Journal de Mickey (est. 1934), dedicated comics magazines like Spirou (est. 1938) and Tintin (1946–1993), and full-colour comic albums became
11834-539: The viewer", a strictly formal definition which detached comics from its historical and cultural trappings. R. C. Harvey defined comics as "pictorial narratives or expositions in which words (often lettered into the picture area within speech balloons) usually contribute to the meaning of the pictures and vice versa". Each definition has had its detractors. Harvey saw McCloud's definition as excluding single-panel cartoons, and objected to McCloud's de-emphasizing verbal elements, insisting "the essential characteristic of comics
11956-406: The whereabouts of War Claws. Upon arriving on War Claws' hideout, Biotrog notices some familiar faces. He remembers the promise he has made to Mr. Grey and realizes that they are the enemies Grey has been searching for. Angel tells him that those were some former cops who has turned to crime. In the battle that ensued, Biotrog and Angel were able to wipe out the entire operations of War Claws. Biotrog
12078-424: The work of a single creator, the labour of making them is frequently divided between a number of specialists. There may be separate writers and artists , and artists may specialize in parts of the artwork such as characters or backgrounds, as is common in Japan. Particularly in American superhero comic books, the art may be divided between a penciller , who lays out the artwork in pencil; an inker , who finishes
12200-407: The wrong time and immediately asked everyone to get out. They were barely outside before a huge explosion from the room erupted (KF#58). The next time Koji made an attempt on Biotrog's life was when he had one of his men rescued by Biotrog from a supposed stab wound. The man while on transport to the hospital planted a bomb on Biotrog's motorcycle. Much to their dismay when Biotrog grew suspicious and
12322-447: The years following World War II, while comic book sales continued to increase as other genres proliferated, such as romance , westerns , crime , horror , and humour. Following a sales peak in the early 1950s, the content of comic books (particularly crime and horror) was subjected to scrutiny from parent groups and government agencies, which culminated in Senate hearings that led to
12444-437: Was Punch , which popularized the term cartoon for its humorous caricatures. On occasion the cartoons in these magazines appeared in sequences; the character Ally Sloper featured in the earliest serialized comic strip when the character began to feature in its own weekly magazine in 1884. American comics developed out of such magazines as Puck , Judge , and Life . The success of illustrated humour supplements in
12566-493: Was Bernard who posed as Biotrog while the latter was recovering from the incident and from the operation that Angel is performing. Bernard has earned the trust of Biotrog and has entrusted him with the duties. And according to Dr. Wang, Bernard was playful but he passed as Biotrog (KF#49). As Biotrog, Bernard uses the same weapon's as Roger. However, Bernard's cybernetic claws are releasable. This proves to be great assets in his battles as Bernard has no bionic parts (KF#51). Once Roger
12688-418: Was Seiki Hosokibara's Nihon Manga-Shi in 1924. Early post-war Japanese criticism was mostly of a left-wing political nature until the 1986 publication of Tomofusa Kure's Modern Manga: The Complete Picture , which de-emphasized politics in favour of formal aspects, such as structure and a "grammar" of comics. The field of manga studies increased rapidly, with numerous books on the subject appearing in
12810-441: Was able to fulfill his promise to Mr. Grey (KF#53) and Angel was able to retrieve the formula her father had developed. During one of Angel's speaking engagement as Dianne Mendoza, Biotrog and Red Ninja (Bernard Grey) was tasked to guard the scientists attending. Dianne was going to unveil the formula that was created by her father. According to her Formula 1700 is going to end all diseases. However, before she could continue, some of
12932-415: Was able to recover, Bernard gave the mantle of Biotrog back to him and turned his sights to the Red Ninja. Some time after the operation, Biotrog had some disturbing dreams where he was asked about who he was. The person who was asking said that who he was just some information he was told. Biotrog thought it was Biolante but was surprised to learn that who he was fighting was himself. They fought and Biotrog
13054-399: Was able to reform itself. Biotrog along with Angel goes back to crime scene to investigate further but soon finds out that Biotrog's initial hypothesis is true. Same as their battles before, Biotrog is powerless against the creature's physiology. He also cannot freeze the creature or use his explosive shurikens since the creature has captured Angel. As fate would have it, Biotrog is able to find
13176-412: Was assigned to, looking for him. Thinking nothing about it, his friend (Bert Hanes - also Biotrog's godfather) told the caller that Remy had just left with his family for a vacation, unknowingly handing his friends' life to the hands of an evil syndicate (KF#18). And so, the family was ambushed by the syndicate's enforcers. They torched the car and left the family for dead. Not knowing that the young Biotrog
13298-421: Was caught in an explosion in order to save Angel. It is also in this mission, that Angel sees the man behind the mask. Biotrog was saved by his bionic parts but the doctors (not knowing Biotrog's history) said they could do nothing about his deformed face. It was during his time that Angel, volunteered to fix Biotrog's face with her technology. She would do this for the man he loves (KF#47). During this time, it
13420-413: Was clear that Biotrog would win the battle, Grey conceded (KF#40-41). Vowing to stop his revenge, he left the duty of bringing the rest of his enemies to justice to Biotrog. Though reluctant at first Biotrog accepted. Grey has seen the light and was really sorry about what he has done. While on prison, Grey learned about an escape attempt and reported to the authorities. The attempt failed and Grey suffered
13542-463: Was defeated, his mask punched away from his face. He told him that Biotrog had forgotten who he really was. The other Biotrog removed his mask and revealed Roger's originally deformed face. He said Biotrog hid his true appearance and asked him if they are still same person. They fought again and the other Biotrog destroyed his bionic parts, leaving him helpless and unable to move. Some time after, Angel tells Biotrog that she received information regarding
13664-399: Was doing and that he had a sick sense of honor and justice (kF#36-37). The final battle between the two occurred when Grey tricked Biotrog and was able to capture him. Although, he did not want to hurt the innocent, he viewed Biotrog as a threat. However, it was Grey who was tricked as it was the Red Ninja posing as Biotrog who he has captured. Biotrog appeared shortly and they fought. When it
13786-521: Was established in 2001 to promote comics scholarship. The publication of Frederik L. Schodt 's Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics in 1983 led to the spread of use of the word manga outside Japan to mean "Japanese comics" or "Japanese-style comics". Coulton Waugh attempted the first comprehensive history of American comics with The Comics (1947). Will Eisner's Comics and Sequential Art (1985) and Scott McCloud 's Understanding Comics (1993) were early attempts in English to formalize
13908-467: Was introduced to Roger soon after his rescue. He grew up and was assigned as an assassin for an international intelligence unit. He was loyal but as soon as he failed a mission, he was sent to jail and cast aside even by Dr. Wang, a person he views as a father. He also told Biotrog that Dr. Wang erased all of Biotrog's memory regarding him. But before any more explanation can happen, Biolante was not able to contain his anger and attacked. Although Biotrog had
14030-570: Was made until the 1970s. Pierre Fresnault-Deruelle then took a semiotics approach to the study of comics, analyzing text–image relations, page-level image relations, and image discontinuities, or what Scott McCloud later dubbed "closure". In 1987, Henri Vanlier introduced the term multicadre , or "multiframe", to refer to the comics page as a semantic unit. By the 1990s, theorists such as Benoît Peeters and Thierry Groensteen turned attention to artists' poïetic creative choices. Thierry Smolderen and Harry Morgan have held relativistic views of
14152-544: Was not on the motorcycle when Koji detonated it (KF#46). This caused Biotrog to finally decide to take out Koji and the remains of Ripper's syndicate. With the help of Red Ninja, they were able to trick Koji into thinking that they were going to infiltrate his stronghold. Koji decided to blow his hideout when Biotrog and Red Ninja were sure to be inside. And while Koji and his group waited outside contemplating their victory, Biotrog and Red Ninja appeared with some cops in tail. Not accepting defeat, Koji challenged Biotrog and during
14274-436: Was really Biolante who mas running amuck, Biotrog (as Roger) and Bernard went and visited Biolante's resting place. The grave was dug up or someone dug out of the grave. Soon after, the two were attacked by Biolante who at that time did not recognize either of them. He told them to tell Biotrog that he is issuing a challenge (KF#66). When Roger returned as Biotrog, the two finally squared off. Biolante exhibiting some new moves and
14396-496: Was still alive. Unknown to the gunmen a Chinese ex-monk turned scientist, Dr. Wang, witnessed what has transpired. The man was there looking at the site of his new lab and has heard the explosion they have caused. And while the culprits escaped, Dr. Wang was able to save Biotrog. Biotrog's face was badly damaged though. And his (right) arm and legs were amputated in order to save his life. Dr. Wang however, replaced this damaged body parts with high-tech cybernetic artificial organs. Only
14518-516: Was taught as a minor part of the martial-arts curriculum of many famous schools, such as Yagyū Shinkage-ryū , Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū , Ittō-ryū , Kukishin-ryū , and Togakure-ryū . A bo-shuriken is a throwing weapon consisting of a straight iron or steel spike, usually four-sided but sometimes round or octagonal in section. Some examples have points on both ends. The length ranges from 12 to 21 cm (5–8.5 in) and
14640-424: Was there to destroy the remains of Mr. Grey as payback. Though at odds with Iron Claw at one time, Ripper wanted to avenge his brother's death (KF#43). Ripper attempted to attack Grey but the man proved to be battle ready. He then revealed that he is in fact, not Edmund Grey but Bernard - Grey's twin (KF#42). Bernard is also clever like his brother. On one occasion he has helped deal with kid bank robbers by posing as
14762-408: Was there to not only kill Biotrog but also kill Ripper himself. A task which he accomplished flawlessly. And using intimidation, Koji was able to take control of Ripper's organization. The next day, Biotrog was called by the police to help investigate a crime scene. Upon arriving Biotrog was shocked to find Ripper's dead body hanging on the wall. Red Ninja who tagged along noticed that the wall clock had
14884-455: Was unable to stop Mr. Grey (KF#35). On one occasion, Iron Claw was able to contact Mr. Grey and offered an alliance against Biotrog. With Grey's brains and Iron Claw's resources the two proved to be a good team and was successful in capturing Biotrog. However, once Biotrog, Grey and Iron Claw was in same room, Mr. Grey betrayed Iron Claw, saying that the reason he brought Biotrog was to get rid of Iron Claw. This revealed that Grey believed what he
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