Comic Tattoos

On Tattoofilter, “Comic” refers to any tattoo adapted from (or resembling the aesthetic of) panel art from comic books, graphic novels, pulp and/or manga.

Illustrative panels predate the printed word. Modern comics and graphic novels, however, can be traced to roughly the mid-19th century in Japan, Europe and America. Their proliferation is credited to the new and improved printing press, which allowed for easier and more cost-effective circulation.

The use of comics as entertainment and a form of social criticism boomed after WWI in the west and after WWII in the east. Recurring characters, serials and anthologies arose, as did a global mass market for collecting and trading associated memorabilia.

Comics, graphic novels and manga have no single aesthetic, as they’re entirely dependent on the point of view and unique style of the illustrator(s). Tattoos depicting comics can be recognized, though, as emotionally expressive and often dramatic excerpts of a larger narrative. Common themes and subjects include heroism, victimization, science fiction and superhuman beings, sexual fantasies, war, dystopian and post-apocalyptic conflicts, and imaginary or alternate realities, just to name a few.