Since its inception, television, like film and radio before it, has borrowed stories and characters from other media. This is a collection of examples of that borrowing from comics.

Comic strips

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Comic strips are a drawing or sequence of drawings that tells a story. Written and drawn by a cartoonist, such strips are published on a recurring basis (usually daily or weekly) in newspapers, on the Internet, and in some cases in magazines. For the purposes of this list, comic strips published over one or a number of pages in a specialised comic book or magazine are not included.

Examples of comic strips that have been translated to television include:

Source Publisher Series Format Broadcaster Year
Andy Capp Creators Syndicate Andy Capp Live action ITV 1988
Animal Crackers Animal Crackers Animated Syndicated 1997
Baby Blues Creators Syndicate
King Features Syndicate
Baby Blues Animated The WB 2000-2002
B.C. Creators Syndicate Curiosity Shop Animated ABC 1971
Beetle Bailey King Features Syndicate Beetle Bailey and His Friends Animated Syndicated 1963
Billy the Cat Billy the Cat Animated ABC 1996
The Boondocks Universal Press The Boondocks Animated Adult Swim 2005-
Dennis the Menace (US) Daily Ink Dennis the Menace Live action CBS 1959-1963
Dennis the Menace Animation Syndicated 1986-1988
Dilbert United Feature Syndicate Dilbert Animated UPN 1999-2000
Flash Gordon King Features Syndicate Flash Gordon Live action Syndication 1954-1955
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon Animated NBC 1979-1980
Flash Gordon Animated Syndicated 1996-1997
Flash Gordon Live action Sci Fi 2007-
Fred Basset Fred Basset Animated BBC 1976
Garfield Universal Press Syndicate
United Feature Syndicate
Garfield and Friends Animated CBS 1988-1994
Heathcliff Creators Syndicate Heathcliff Animated ABC 1980-1982
Heathcliff Animated Syndication 1984-1988
Marsupilami Raw Toonage Animated CBS 1992-1993
Marsupilami Animated CBS 1994
My Friend Marsupilami Animated Canal J 2000
Miss Peach Curiosity Shop Animated ABC 1971
Mother Goose and Grimm Grimmy Animated CBS 1991
Peanuts United Feature Syndicate The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show Animated CBS 1983-1985
Pelswick book series Pelswick Animated CBC Television 2000-2002
The Perishers The Perishers Animated BBC Television 1979
Popeye King Features Syndicate Popeye Animated 1960-1963
Popeye and Friends Animated 1976-1988
The All-New Popeye Hour Animated CBS 1978-1983
Popeye and Son Animated CBS 1987-1988
The Popeye Show Animated 2001
Prince Valiant King Features Syndicate The Legend of Prince Valiant Animated The Family Channel 1991-1994
Rupert Bear The Adventures of Rupert Bear Puppets ATV Network 1970-1977
Rupert Animated YTV 1991-1997
Rupert Bear, Follow the Magic... Animated Five (channel) 2006

Comic-books and magazines

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Comic-books and magazines are publications, generally published periodically in magazine form, containing sequential art in the form of a narrative. In general, the stories published in comic books take place over a number of pages; although in some publications aimed at children in the UK they are limited to one page.

Examples of characters and stories featured in Comic-books and magazines that have been translated to television include:

Source Publisher Series Format Broadcaster Year
Archie Comics Archie Comics The Archie Show Animated CBS 1968-1970
Archie's TV Funnies Animated CBS 1971-1973
The U.S. of Archie Animated CBS 1974-1976
Billy the Fish Billy the Fish Animated Channel 4 1990
Captain Pugwash Captain Pugwash Animated BBC 1957
The Crow The Crow: Stairway to Heaven Live action Syndication 1998-1999
Dan Dare Hulton Press
IPC Magazines
Dan Dare CGI Nicktoons UK 2002
Duckman Dark Horse Comics Duckman Animated USA Network 1994-1997
The Fat Slags
Harsh Realm Harris Publications Harsh Realm Live action FX Networks 1999-2000
Jeremiah Jeremiah Live action Showtime 2002-2004
El Pantera El Pantera Live action Canal 5 2007-
The Mask Dark Horse Comics The Mask: The Animated Series Animated CBS 1995-1997
The Maxx Image Comics The Maxx Animated MTV 1995
MPD Psycho Kadokawa Shoten MPD Psycho Live action 2000
Night Man Malibu Comics
Marvel Comics
Night Man Live action WGN Superstation 1997-1999
Painkiller Jane Event Comics Painkiller Jane Live action Sci Fi 2007
Roger Mellie Roger Mellie Animated Channel 4 1991
Jon Sable: Freelance First Comics Sable Live action ABC 1987-1988
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Archive Comics Sabrina the Teenage Witch Live action ABC
The WB
1996-2003
Sid the Sexist Sid the Sexist Animated Channel 4 1992
Spawn Image Comics Spawn Animated HBO 1997-1999
Spawn: The Animation Animated 2008
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DC Comics

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Below is a list of television series based on properties of DC Comics. This list includes Live action and animated series.

Animated series

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1966-1990

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1992-present

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Dark Horse Comics

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Marvel Comics

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Television series

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Live action

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Animated

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Forthcoming

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Live action

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  • Moon Knight (TBA, in development)[1]
  • Skrull Kill Krew (TBA, in development)[2]

Animated

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