From their humble beginnings as simple newspaper strips, to their heyday in mid-20th century America, to their current status as movie franchise generator, the history of comic books is long and fascinating. Larry Potash looks at their glorious past, as well as their uncertain future in this Backstory segment.

 Backstory airs Saturday nights at 7 and Sunday nights at 11 on WGN-TV and on the WGN+ app, available on Amazon, Roku, Apple TV, and any smart TV. Check out the Backstory podcast at WGNtv.com/Backstory via Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.