* Early Forms: Comic-like elements existed long before the modern comic book. Ancient Egyptians used papyrus scrolls with images and text, and medieval manuscripts often included illustrations.
* The Yellow Kid: A character called the "Yellow Kid" in the late 1890s is often considered a precursor to the modern comic book. It was a full-color, illustrated comic strip printed in a newspaper.
* The "First Comic Book": In 1934, "Famous Funnies" was published by MC Comics and is often cited as the first true comic book. It contained reprints of popular comic strips.
* Simultaneous Development: Many other publishers began creating similar publications around the same time.
So, while "Famous Funnies" is often recognized as the first comic book, it was part of a broader trend in publishing, and the roots of comic books go back much further in history.