The comic is a formula that has left a wide legacy to graphic design, cinema and literature. It is a narrative genre that gives all its importance to the art of illustration. It is true that today it has lost some relevance, and it makes perfect sense, since today it must compete against large media such as cinema, television, video games or the Internet. But it is known by all that all these media have drunk from this art. The aesthetics of superheroes, underground and classic comics have originated important consequences in the way of conceiving art and above all in giving expressive and symbolic importance to illustration as key piece of the imaginary world.

Below we will review the myths of the world of comics that have marked a before and after (there will be a second part, I am aware that there are missing characters and we will talk about them in successive posts):

Popeye: 85 years

Popeye Marine is a character that was developed by Elzie Crisler Segas and premiered on January 17, 1929 in The New York Times. Its name comes from the English term Pop-eye (bulging eye) and is due to the character's one-eyed eye. Curiously, this precursor icon of the heroes of the world of comics and especially his habit of eating spinach to gain strength, caused an increase in demand for this food among the population. So much so, that the Texan city of Crystal City (a city dedicated to the production of spinach) raised a statue in honor of this character.

Superman: 82 years

This mythical character was created between the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster in 1932. They sold their creation for $ 130 to Action Comics and that was when it began to gain popularity and appear in television, print, radio, film and video games. Of course, both creators canceled the contract in which they gave up the rights and have been involved in several disputes to recover them and declare themselves owners of the most popular character in the world of comics. Superman became the first city superhero with supernatural powers and of course he is one of the quintessential American symbols.

Batman: 75 years

He was born in May 1929 by the hand of the publisher National Publications. His parents are Bob Kane and Bill Finger although only the authorship of the first is recognized and it is owned by DC Comics. Despite being a superhero, he does not have supernatural powers but rather his potential lies in his intellectual abilities, using revolutionary scientific inventions to attack evil. He has become a popular icon and has sparked various mass phenomena from the batmany to controversies surrounding his alleged homosexuality (Fredrick Wertham argued in his book The seduction of the innocent that this character incited children to have homosexual fantasies, neither more nor less).

CatWoman: 74 years

Also owned by the DC Comics and created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, he becomes a dazzling character in the Batman comic strip (he made his first appearance in Batman # 1 around 1940). Her name is Selina and she comes from the lunar deity, Selene. The character was so successful that he soon gained independence by appearing in movies, series, and video games.

Captain America: 73 years

This character was devised by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in 1941, shortly before the United States entered the Second World War.Ideal with clear symbolism and representing the America of the time. It has evolved over time and adapting to society. Above all, it was reflected in the 60s, where movements such as the feminist movement or the growth of student revolts and the search for racial equality in the United States made the character evolve and others (such as Sharon Carter, the girlfriend of the character who became became an active and determined character) did too.

Zipi and Zape: 66 years

It started out as a humorous children's-style cartoon developed by José Escobar around 1948 only surpassed by Mortadelo and Filemón. It quickly gained fame, becoming one of the most representative comic strips in Spain. His legacy continues to the present. Without going any further, last year a film was released (real image version) entitled Zipi and Zape and the Oskar Santos marble club.

Snoopy: 64 years

The character debuted around the year 1950 and was created by Charles Schulz. Snoopy is a Beagle breed dog and was a peculiar character in his time, especially since he evolved over time. It went from being an ordinary dog ​​to a dog that walked on two legs and understood everything that humans could say. Snoopy achieved unquestionable fame and maintains it to this day, in fact it is the official mascot of the  NASA.

Mortadelo and Filemón: 56 years

These endearing characters were created by Francisco Ibáñez in 1958. A comic strip characterized by the continuous succession of gags that became famous internationally. In fact, it is published throughout Europe receiving a great reception especially in Germany. This repercussion jumped to other media such as cinema, video games or musicals.