In general comic book characters will be more famous than their creators. And often more thanks to movie or animated cartoon adaptations.

* The only comic book creators to gain some notability among the general public are Creator/WaltDisney (who actually didn't have anything to do with them besides production), Creator/{{Herge}} (except in the USA), and Creator/StanLee (mostly in the USA). If you are a comics fan you're probably going to have heard of Creator/WinsorMcCay, Creator/ElzieSegar, Creator/CarlBarks, Creator/HarveyKurtzman, Charles M. Schulz, Creator/RobertCrumb, Creator/ArtSpiegelman, Creator/{{Moebius}}, Creator/FrankMiller and Creator/AlanMoore too. If you're into super hero comics Creator/JackKirby, Creator/BobKane, Creator/ChesterGould, Creator/StanLee, Creator/SteveDitko are the first names to namedrop. If you know {{Manga}} it will be Creator/OsamuTezuka. If you talk about BelgianComics it will be Creator/{{Herge}}, though in Europe Edgar P. Jacobs and Creator/AndreFranquin are well known too. French comics will be Creator/ReneGoscinny, Creator/AlbertUderzo and Creator/{{Moebius}}. Italian comics is Creator/HugoPratt. Typically comic book creators will usually be graphic artists, not people who only write scripts. One of the few purely comic strip writers to gain some fame is Creator/ReneGoscinny, but only in the field of FrancoBelgianComics.

* In the USA comics are seen as either {{Superhero}} stories and/or NewspaperComics ("the funnies"). These are typically seen as children's stuff or geek material. If some more artistically interesting or "adult" comics are needed people will automatically assume you're talking about UndergroundComics or a GraphicNovel. The only American comic book magazines to gain some notability are ''Creator/DCComics'' (best known for ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'', ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}''), ''Creator/MarvelComics'' (best known for ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'', ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' and the ''ComicBook/XMen'') and ''[[Magazine/{{MAD}} MAD Magazine]]''. The most famous American comics world-wide are usually ''ComicStrip/KrazyKat'', ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'', ''ComicBook/MickeyMouse'', ''ComicBook/DonaldDuck'', ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'', ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'', ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'', ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' and ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' to name the most iconic.

* In Europe the market is domineered by FrancoBelgianComics. These are typically adventure comics and even more perceived as children's stuff, despite also having a lot of comics aiming at a more adult audience. Worldwide ''ComicBook/{{Tintin}}'' and ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' are the most famous European comic strips. In France the most well known comic-book magazines are or have been ''Pilote'', ''Métal Hurlant'' (translated as ''Magazine/HeavyMetal''), ''Fluide Glacial'', ''L'Écho des Savanes'' and ''Hara Kiri'' (nowadays ''Charlie Hebdo''). In Belgium ''Tintin'' and ''Spirou'', with ''Ons Volkske'' and '''t Kapoentje'' solely in Flanders. In the Netherlands ''Eppo'' and the still enormously popular ''Donald Duck'' magazine. In the United Kingdom ''ComicBook/TheBeano''.
* BelgianComics: Worldwide ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' is the prime example, followed by ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'' ([[AdaptationDisplacement if they know it was originally a comic book at all]]) and ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke''. In many European countries and the francophone market ''ComicBook/BlakeAndMortimer'', ''ComicBook/GastonLagaffe'', ''ComicBook/SuskeEnWiske'', ''ComicBook/{{XIII}}'', ''ComicBook/{{Thorgal}}'', ''ComicBook/BillyAndBuddy'', ''ComicBook/BuckDanny'', ''ComicStrip/QuickAndFlupke'', ''Franchise/{{Marsupilami}}'' and ''ComicBook/{{Blueberry}}'' are well known. Within Belgium most of these titles are well known, but in Flanders people are most likely to name ''ComicBook/SuskeEnWiske'', ''ComicBook/{{Jommeke}}'', ''ComicBook/DeKiekeboes'' and ''ComicStrip/{{Nero}}'' as the first comics they think of. ''ComicBook/SpirouAndFantasio'' has a huge fandom as well, to the point of being run by Belgian artists multiple times.
* BritishComics: In the UK itself people will likely think of ''ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUK'' and ''[[ComicBook/TheDandy Desperate Dan]]''. Outside the UK the most famous British comics are ''ComicStrip/RupertBear'' ([[AdaptationDisplacement though in some circles it's only known for the Nick Jr. animated series]]), ''ComicStrip/BillyBunter'', ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'', ''ComicStrip/AndyCapp'', ''ComicBook/{{Storm|DonLawrence}}'' (which despite being drawn by an Englishman aims at the Dutch market) and ''ComicBook/VForVendetta''. {{Creator/Neil Gaiman}}'s ''{{ComicBook/The Sandman}}'' sometimes comes up as well.
* DutchComics: The most well known Dutch comic strip is ''ComicBook/TomPoes'', which is an institution in the Netherlands and was also popular in other European countries. ''ComicBook/{{Storm|DonLawrence}}'' has gained some fame, despite being drawn by a British artist, Don Lawrence. Within the Netherlands itself ''Erik De Noorman'', ''Kapitein Rob'', ''ComicStrip/PaulusDeBoskabouter'', ''ComicBook/JanJansEnDeKinderen'' and ''ComicBook/DeGeneraal'' are the best known.
* French Comics: Internationally definitely ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}''. In Europe and the franchophone language community ''ComicStrip/{{Becassine}}'', ''ComicBook/{{Blueberry}}'' are well known.
* German comics: ''Literature/MaxAndMoritz'', which is also historically important.
* Italian comics: ''ComicBook/CortoMaltese''.
* Spanish Comics: ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'' is probably the most well known Spanish comic strip both within and outside the country. ''ComicBook/{{Blacksad}}'' is also catching on.

* In Japan all comics are {{Manga}}. The most famous Japanese comic books are ''Manga/AstroBoy'' and ''Manga/DragonBall'', both far better known as {{Anime}}.

* The comic book industries of other countries tend to be less well known. Still a few examples:
* ArgentineComics: Within the country ''ComicStrip/{{Mafalda}}'' is huge and definitely well known in the Spanish language world.

'''Specific small reference pools regarding comics'''

* {{Superhero}}es will be ComicBook/{{Superman}}, ComicBook/{{Batman}}, or ComicBook/SpiderMan. (Also, ComicBook/WonderWoman, the key female superhero, at least as a metaphor for "extraordinary woman".)
** Or [=superheroes=] that were filmed into a huge blockbuster movie adaptation. Or sometimes characters from the animated adaptations, such as ''{{WesternAnimation/Justice League}}''. For example, because John Stewart, who was African-American, was the only ComicBook/GreenLantern known to many non-comic readers, some people accused the live-action ''Green Lantern'' film of whitewashing by casting {{Creator/Ryan Reynolds}} as the lead role. They genuinely didn't realize John was only one of an entire group of characters (including men, women, aliens, and animals) to assume that mantle.
** If someone is referring to a hero who runs fast, it is almost always ComicBook/TheFlash.
** For that matter, the only comic books are [=superhero=] comic books and possibly manga.
* Supervillains?
** For Superman there's ComicBook/LexLuthor and...uhhh, maybe ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}? (And, briefly in the 1990s, Doomsday.) General Zod (from the second movie), or rarely some other Phantom Zone villain, might get the odd mention.
** Batman has ComicBook/TheJoker, The Penguin, The Riddler, ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face, and Poison Ivy. (The Scarecrow ''might'' get mentioned.) Before 1990, bet heavily on it being one of the first four. Killer Croc, Bane, Clayface, Mad Hatter, Man-Bat, Harley Quinn and Black Mask are also likely to show up. As for "loser villains" Killer Moth, Calendar Man, Kite-Man and Polka Dot-Man are the most likely ones to be named.
** Mr. Freeze in particular was a B-list villain until Paul Dini and Bruce Timm put him on the map in 1992 with incredibly excellent WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries episode "Heart of Ice" (which gave Freeze a backstory for the first time instead of just "A guy with a freeze gun who likes to rob stuff").
** The only enemy of the ComicBook/GreenLantern corp is ComicBook/{{Sinestro}}.
** The only Spider-Man villains are the [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Green Goblin]], ComicBook/DoctorOctopus, and ComicBook/{{Venom}} (and maybe the Lizard).
** The only ComicBook/XMen villains are ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, Mystique, Sabretooth, and Juggernaut.
** The only enemy of the ComicBook/FantasticFour is ComicBook/DoctorDoom (and sometimes ComicBook/SilverSurfer). ''Maybe'' ComicBook/{{Galactus}}, because of the movie, but movie!Galactus is a lot different from comic!Galactus.
* Supporting casts?
** For Superman, ComicBook/LoisLane, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, and ''maybe'' Ma and Pa Kent or Perry White. Good luck when it comes to ComicBook/LanaLang, Pete Ross, or Steve Lombard. [[ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog Krypto]] ''might'' also be recognized (thanks to his 2000s TV show). Unless one was a fan of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', {{ComicBook/Superboy}} is either "who?," "Superman when he was a boy," or assumed to be a reference to ''Series/{{Smallville}}''. Supergirl is always Kara Zor-El.
** For Batman, ComicBook/{{Robin}}, Alfred, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, and Commissioner Gordon. Robin will usually be the Dick Grayson version and Batgirl is always Barbara Gordon. This, despite the fact that Robin became ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} in 1984 and unlike other examples he ''never'' returned to being Robin, and Barbara wasn't Batgirl for 23 years.
*** If not Dick, then Robin will ''always'' be Damian Wayne (despite there having been two[[note]]Three, if you count [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Steph's]] [[IncrediblyLamePun short-lived]] run[[/note]] other Robins between Dick and Damian). Even then, Barbara will ''still'' be Batgirl.
* ComicBook/{{Spawn}}, ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}, ComicBook/TheTick, and the Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles are the only comic book characters not created by either Creator/DCComics or Creator/MarvelComics.
** The only Ninja Turtles characters you can count on most people knowing are either the ones who appeared in the movies (the Turtles themselves, Master Splinter, April O'Neil, The Shredder, Casey Jones, Baxter Stockman) or those who had prominent roles in the animated series (all of the above characters plus Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady). Only diehard fans remember the Triceratons, even though they featured prominently in the comics.
** All of this is assuming people even realize the Turtles were [[AdaptationDisplacement originally comic book characters.]] People are likely only familiar with the cartoon versions and would be surprised how brutal the comics can be. Even more likely is that they're only familiar with the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 1987 cartoon]]. [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 All of]] [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 the other]] [[WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles incarnations]] are practically unknown.
* The only female [=superhero=] is apparently ComicBook/WonderWoman. Sometimes ComicBook/{{Storm|MarvelComics}}, ComicBook/JeanGrey, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} (''only'' Kara Zor-El), or ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} (''only'' Barbara Gordon) might get a nod too. ConversedTrope on the ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998''.
* UndergroundComics are all drawn by Creator/RobertCrumb.
* The only American newspaper comics are ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}},'' ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'', ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', and ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}''. If it's a single panel strip, then it's ''ComicStrip/TheFamilyCircus'' or ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide''. If the setting is the earlier half of the 20th Century, swap out all three for ComicStrip/DickTracy.
** ''Dick Tracy'' villains: Big Boy Caprice (and just because he got an adaptational upgrade in the movie), Flattop, Pruneface, a handful of others (maybe The Brow and/or Littleface), and The Blank (who was ''not'' [[spoiler: Breathless Mahoney]] in the original strip)
* If a comedic or romantic comic is needed to be referenced, it'll likely be 1940s-1960s era ''ComicBook/ArchieComics''. Even then Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead (and sometimes Reggie) are apparently the only characters.
* The only American comic book companies that aren't Marvel or DC are Creator/ImageComics, Creator/DarkHorseComics, and ComicBook/ArchieComics. Creator/IDWPublishing is also well-known, but mainly for its licensed books; good luck getting anybody to name some of their original stuff.
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