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
editComic 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
editComic-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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- Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996, animated)
- Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997-1998)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003-present, animated)
- The Tick:
- Tintin:
- Hergé's Adventures of Tintin (1958-1962)
- The Adventures of Tintin (1991)
- WildC.A.T.s (1994-1995, animated)
- Witchblade (2001-2002)
- Dennis the Menace (1996)
- The Phantom (1961, only pilot episode)
- Batman:
- Batman (1966-1968)
- Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995, animated)
- The New Batman Adventures (1987-1999, animated)
- Batman Beyond (1999-2001, animated)
- The Batman (2004-present, animated)
- Birds of Prey (2002-2003)
- Blade (2006)
- Hulk:
- The Incredible Hulk (1978-1982)
- The Incredible Hulk (1982, animated)
- The Incredible Hulk (1996-1997, animated)
- Justice League:
- Justice League (2001-2004, animated)
- Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006, animated)
- Legends of the Superheroes (1979)
- Super Friends (1973-1986, animated)
- Superman:
- Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)
- The New Adventures of Superman (1966-1969, animated)
- Superman (1988, animated)
- Superboy (1988-1992)
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
- Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)
- Smallville (2001-present)
DC Comics
editBelow is a list of television series based on properties of DC Comics. This list includes Live action and animated series.
- Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)
- Batman (1966-1968)
- Batgirl (1967, only pilot episode; unaired)
- Shazam! (1974-1977)
- Wonder Woman (1975-1979)
- The Secret of Isis (1975-1977)
- Legends of the Superheroes (1979, two TV Specials)
- Superboy (1988-1992)
- The Flash (1990-1991)
- Swamp Thing (1990-1993)
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
- MADtv (1995-present)
- Justice League of America (1997, only pilot episode; unaired)
- Smallville (2001-present)
- Birds of Prey (2002-2003)
- Aquaman (2006, only pilot episode)
Animated series
edit1966-1990
edit- The New Adventures of Superman (1966-1969)
- The Adventures of Superboy (1966-1969)
- The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967-1968)
- The Batman/Superman Hour (1968-1969)
- Super Friends (1973-1986, under several names through its thirteen years of running)
- The New Adventures of Batman (1977)
- The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show (1979-1981)
- Kid Superpower Hour with Shazam! (1981-1982)
- Superman (1988)
- Swamp Thing (1990)
1992-present
edit- Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
- WildC.A.T.S (1994-1995)
- The New Batman Adventures (1997-2000, continuation of Batman: The Animated Series)
- Batman Beyond (1999-2002)
- Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)
- Static Shock (2000-2004)
- The Zeta Project (2001-2002)
- Justice League (2001-2004)
- Teen Titans (2003-2006)
- Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006, continuation of Justice League)
- The Batman (2004-Present)
- Krypto the Superdog (2005-2006)
- Legion of Super Heroes (2006-Present)
Dark Horse Comics
editMarvel Comics
editTelevision series
editLive action
edit- Spidey Super Stories segments on seasons 4 – 6 of The Electric Company (1974-1977)
- The Incredible Hulk (1977-1982)
- The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988, TV movie)
- The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989, TV movie)
- The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990, TV movie)
- The Amazing Spider-Man (1978-1979)
- The Amazing Spider-Man (1977, pilot episode presented as TV movie)
- Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978, episodes compiled as TV movie)
- Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1979, episodes compiled as TV movie)
- Spider-Man (tokusatsu) (1978-1979, Japanese)
- Mutant X (2001-2004)
- Blade: The Series (2006)
Animated
edit- The Marvel Superheroes (1966)
- Fantastic Four (1967 – 1968)
- Spider-Man (1967 – 1970)
- Fantastic Four (1978)
- Spider-Woman (1979 – 1980)
- Fred and Barney Meet the Thing (1979 – 1981)
- Spider-Man (1981)
- Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981 – 1983)
- The Incredible Hulk (1982)
- Pryde of the X-Men (1989, only pilot episode)
- X-Men (1992 – 1997)
- Iron Man (1994 – 1996)
- Fantastic Four (1994 – 1996)
- Spider-Man (1994 – 1998)
- The Incredible Hulk (1996 – 1997)
- Silver Surfer (1998)
- The Avengers: United They Stand (1999)
- Spider-Man Unlimited (1999)
- X-Men: Evolution (2000 – 2003)
- Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003)
- Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (2006 – Present)
Forthcoming
editLive action
editAnimated
edit- The Spectacular Spider-Man (March 2008, in production)
- Wolverine and the X-Men (Fall 2008, in production)
- Iron Man (Fall 2008, in development)[3]
- Hulk (TBA, in development)[3]