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     RECOMMENDED > THE TOP 100 COMICS

  ABOUT THE TOP 100 LIST:
The Comics Journal #210

In 1999, The Comics Journal #210 published a list of the 100 best comics of the 20th Century. The list was later criticised for being flawed, subjective and incomplete. Limited to English-language, and specifically American comics, The Top 100 ignored the work of international comic creators, such as HM Bateman, Osamu Tezuka and Hergé. It contained repeated entries for comic creators published by Fantagraphics Books, also the publisher of The Comics Journal. But for all it's faults, The Top 100 list offers an essential overview of the history of the comics medium.

"This list is a call for an uncompromising re-examination of the comics medium in terms of its best works. It is our hope that in viewing the achievements of the comics art form from across a century - from the lurid, pulpy fun of its adventure comics to the well-crafted drama of its serial strips to the startling idiosyncratic delicacy of its high end artistic triumphs - comic readers will see the medium in a new light. Casual or occasional readers may find a number of comic works worthy of their attention, while more serious readers may re-discover them."
Tom Spurgeon, editor of The Comics Journal #210

Further reading about The Top 100:
 •  A Glimpse Behind The Curtain: Nominations For The Journal's Top 100
 •  The Comic Reporter's Top 100


THE TOP 100 LIST:
No. 1
Krazy Kat (1913-1944)
by George Herriman
No. 2
Peanuts (1950-2000)
by Charles M. Schulz
No. 3
Pogo (1949-1973)
by Walt Kelly
No. 4
Maus (1986-1991)
by Art Spiegelman
No. 5
Little Nemo In Slumberland (1905-1927)
by Winsor McCay
No. 6
Sick, Sick, Sick (1956-1965)
by Jules Feiffer
No. 7
Donald Duck (1942-1965)
by Carl Barks
No. 8
Mad #1-24 (1952-1956)
by Harvey Kurtzman & others
No. 9
Binky Brown Meets The Holy Virgin Mary (1972)
by Justin Green
No. 10
Weirdo (1981-1993)
by Robert Crumb
No. 11
Thimble Theatre (1925-1938)
by E.C. Segar
No. 12
Two-Fisted Tales & Frontline Combat (1950-1955)
by Harvey Kurtzman & others
No. 13
Love & Rockets: Wigwam Bam (1990-1993)
by Jamie Hernandez
No. 14
Love & Rockets: Blood Of Palomar (1986-1987, revised 1988)
by Gilbert Hernandez
No. 15
The Spirit (1940-1951)
by Will Eisner & others
No. 16
RAW (1980-1991)
edited by Art Spiegelman & Francois Mouly
No. 17
The ACME Novelty Library (1993-present)
by Chris Ware
No. 18
Polly & Her Pals (1912-1958)
by Cliff Sterrett
No. 19
The R. Crumb Sketchbooks (1964-present)
by Robert Crumb
No. 20
Uncle Scrooge (1952-1967)
by Carl Barks
No. 21
The New Yorker Cartoons of Peter Arno (1925-1968)
by Peter Arno
No. 22
Love & Rockets: The Death Of Speedy (1987)
by Jamie Hernandez
No. 23
Terry & The Pirates (1934-1946)
by Milton Caniff
No. 24
Love & Rockets: Flies On The Ceiling (1988-1989)
by Jamie Hernandez
No. 25
Wash Tubbs (1924-1943)
by Roy Crane
No. 26
Jungle Book (1959)
by Harvey Kurtzman
No. 27
Palestine (1993-1995)
by Joe Sacco
No. 28
The Mishkin Saga (1992-1994)
by Kim Deitch & Simon Deitch
No. 29
Gasoline Alley (1918-1951)
by Frank King
No. 30
The Fantastic Four #1-104 (1961-1969)
by Jack Kirby & Stan Lee
No. 31
Love & Rockets: Poison River (1988-1992, revised 1994)
by Gilbert Hernandez
No. 32
Plastic Man (1941-1950)
by Jack Cole
No. 33
Dick Tracy (1931-1977)
by Chester Gould
No. 34
 The Theatrical Caricatures of Al Hirschfeld (1928-2003)
by Al Hirschfeld
No. 35
Spider-Man (1962-1966)
by Steve Ditko & Stan Lee
No. 36
Calvin & Hobbs (1985-1996)
by Bill Watterson
No. 37
Doonesbury (1970-present)
by Garry Trudeau
No. 38
The Playboy, I Never Liked You & The Little Man (1988-1993)
by Chester Brown
No. 39
The Editorial Cartoons Of Pat Oliphant (1964-present)
by Pat Oliphant
No. 40
The Kin-der-Kids (1906)
by Lyonel Feininger
No. 41
From Hell (1989-1998)
by Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell
No. 42
Ghost World (1993-1997)
by Daniel Clowes
No. 43
The Amphigorey Books (1972, 1975, 1983)
by Edward Gorey
No. 44
The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers: The Idiots Abroad (1982-1987)
by Gilbert Shelton & Paul Mavrides
No. 45
Paul Auster's City Of Glass (1994)
by Paul Karasik & David Mazzucchelli
No. 46
Cages (1990-1998)
by Dave McKean
No. 47
The Buddy Bradley Stories (1986-1998)
by Peter Bagge
No. 48
 The Cartoons Of James Thurber (1927-1961)
by James Thurber
No. 49
Understanding Comics (1993)
by Scott McCloud
No. 50
Tantrum (1979)
by Jules Feiffer
No. 51
 The Alec Stories (1981-present)
by Eddie Campbell
No. 52
It's A Good Life, If You Don't Weaken (1993-1996)
by Seth
No. 53
The Editorial Cartoons Of Herblock (1929-present)
by Herb Block
No. 54
The EC Horror Comics (1950-1955)
by Al Feldstein, Johnny Craig & others
No. 55
The Frank Stories (1992-2003)
by Jim Woodring
No. 56
Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer (1988-2000)
by Ben Katchor
No. 57
A Contract With God (1978)
by Will Eisner
No. 58
The New Yorker Cartoons Of Charles Addams (1935-1988)
by Charles Addams
No. 59
Little Lulu (1945-1959)
by John Stanley
No. 60
Alley Oop (1933-1971)
by V.T. Hamlin
No. 61
American Splendor #1-10 (1977-1983)
by Harvey Pekar & others
No. 62
Little Orphan Annie (1924-1968)
by Harold Gray
No. 63
Hey, Look! (1946-1949)
by Harvey Kurtzman
No. 64
Goodman Beaver (1962)
by Harvey Kurtzman & Will Elder
No. 65
Bringing Up Father (1913-1954)
by George McManus
No. 66
Zippy The Pin-Head (1970-present)
by Bill Griffith
No. 67
The Passport (1954)
by Saul Steinberg
No. 68
Barnaby (1942-1952)
by Crockett Johnson
No. 69
Madman's Drum (1930)
by Lynd Ward
No. 70
Jimbo (1976-1996)
by Gary Panter
No. 71
The Book Of Jim (1993)
by Jim Woodring
No. 72
Rubber Blanket (1991-1993)
by David Mazzucchelli
No. 73
The Cartoon History Of The Universe (1990-present)
by Larry Gonick
No. 74
Ernie Pook's Comeek (1979-present)
by Lynda Barry
No. 75
Black Hole (1995-2005)
by Charles Burns
No. 76
Master Race (1955)
by Bernie Krigstein & Al Feldstein
No. 77
Li'l Abner (1934-1977)
by Al Capp
No. 78
Sugar & Spike (1951-1992)
by Sheldon Mayer
No. 79
Captain Marvel (1941-1953)
C.C Beck & Otto Binder
No. 80
Zap (1967-present)
by Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, Robert Williams, Victor Moscoso, Spain & Gilbert Shelton
No. 81
The Lily Stories (1992-2002)
by Debbie Drechsler
No. 82
Caricature (1995)
by Daniel Clowes
No. 83
V For Vendetta (1982-1989)
by Alan Moore & David Lloyd
No. 84
Why I Hate Saturn (1990)
by Kyle Baker
No. 85
The Willie & Joe Cartoons (1940-1945)
by Bill Mauldin
No. 86
Stuck Rubber Baby (1995)
by Howard Cruse
No. 87
The New Yorker Cartoons Of George Price (1926-1995)
by George Price
No. 88
The Fourth World Comics (1970-1974)
by Jack Kirby
No. 89
The Autobiographical Comics Of Spain (1974-present)
by Spain
No. 90
Mr Punch (1994)
by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean
No. 91
Watchmen (1986-1987)
by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
No. 92
Pictopia (1986)
by Alan Moore & Don Simpson
No. 93
Dennis The Menace (1951-1994)
by Hank Ketcham
No. 94
The Humour Comics Of Basil Wolverton (1942-1973)
by Basil Wolverton
No. 95
Los Tejanos (1982)
by Jack Jackson
No. 96
Dirty Plotte (1990-1998)
by Julie Doucet
No. 97
The Hannah Story (1994)
by Carol Tyler
No. 98
Barney Google (1919-1942)
by Billy Denbeck
No. 99
The Bungle Family (1924-1945)
by Harry Tuthill
No. 100
Prince Valiant (1937-1971)
by Harold Foster

To Top REACTION TO THE LIST:

Seth, cartoonist:
"...it's a crime that this list is limited to English-speaking countries. It's hard for me to compile a list of the century's greatest comics without including Hergé (or Tezuka, for that matter). Still, setting that qualm aside, making a list like this is almost an impossible task. I mean, it can't help but become simply a list of personal favorites... and putting those favourites into a numerical order is a nightmare. How do you rank such differing works as Maus, Sugar & Spike or Julius Knipl? Does the Jungle Book actually rank one notch higher than Palestine? Somehow, that's how it ended up on my list. After considerable turmoil, the order ends up being almost arbitrary."
from The Comics Journal #210

  R. Fiore, comic critic:
"While I refused to have anything to do with it, on the grounds that a Top 100 list is the kind of lowest-common-denominator stunt that is completely antithetical to everything the Journal has ever stood for, I have to admit your '100 Best Comics' issue turned out far better than I feared. The most debatable aspect is the ranking, a debate that would be (a) endless, (b) pointless and (c) mindless. Nevertheless, to stick one fingertip into the tar baby - ranking the work of Seth over Little Orphan Annie, Li'l Abner, Little Lulu, Zap, Goodman Beaver, Captian Marvel, Alley Oop and Barney Google: Are you insane?"
from The Comics Journal #213
  Baron J. Deiters, reader:
"...the most egregious omission was in not including Cerebus. I see about 80 entries that should have been cut to include Dave Sim's ambitious epic. No comic I know of has delivered the consistent quality of Cerebus. Surely if the editors felt the series as a whole did not deserve mention, then one of the story arcs (Church & State, Jaka's Story, Melmoth) should have replaced, say Dennis The Menace."
from a letter printed in The Comics Journal #213

Chris Newton, reader:
"I think Love & Rockets was over represented in your Top 100 list. Several years worth of comics (No. 54 EC Horror) or entire careers (any of the editorial cartoonists) were deemed good only for one entry. The Love & Rockets crew gets five. Is there any reason the collective run of Love & Rockets couldn't have gotten one entry, leaving room to spotlight several other worthwhile comics?"
from a letter printed in The Comics Journal #217


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