Comic book heroes don't need capes at the movies.

Comic book heroes hitting it big in Hollywood is an old story.

But increasingly, characters are heading to the big screen without the benefit of capes, tights and super powers.

A myriad of on-screen characters, from town sheriffs, orphans, alien crime fighters, lovebirds and cowboys have originated on the pages of comics books, and audiences are starting to take notice.

Ever since "Superman" in 1978, the film industry has looked to comic books as source material with increasing frequency and both mediums have benefited financially.

Since Clark Kent hit the silver screen, adaptations of all comic books and comic-like graphic novels have grossed $14.7 billion at the box office worldwide, but half of that has come from non-superhero comics, according to information compiled from IMDb.com and Box Office Mojo.

While the comic pedigree of some film heroes is obvious--think Warner Bros.-owned DC Comics' "Batman" or Marvel Entertainment Inc.'s "Spider-Man"--the genesis of some of the other films isn't so clear.

Last year's "A History of Violence" and "Sin City" both have their roots in comic books or graphic novels. Earlier films including "Road to Perdition," "The Mask," "Men in Black" and "Annie" also came from comic books.

"People have started to recognize comic books as legitimate source material, rather than genre stuff," said Scott Rosenberg, founder of Platinum Studios LLC. "Adaptation of non-superhero comics is growing exponentially."

Manga, romance, science fiction, fantasy and horror have carved out their own niches in the film world. And there are several L.A.-based outfits that specialize in taking the less-traditional comic book material to the big screen, including Dark Horse Entertainment and Platinum Studios.

Mike Richardson, publisher and founder of comic powerhouse Dark Horse Comics Inc. and its film production arm Dark Horse Entertainment, said comics have long been a source of compelling movie material--people just never realized it.

"Mainstream America has traditionally looked at comics as a ghetto for children's literature, but that's not the case," Richardson said. "These are great stories, and they're more likely to be read by a 30-year-old than a 10-yearold. As a result, the subject matter has matured, especially in alternative comics."

No barometers

A few of the comic books have been picked up for film development despite line success on the shelves. Some have barely been on the shelves at all. Platinum's romantic comedy "Love Bites" and comedy "In-Law and Order" are still in development, but already have film deals.

Writer Steve Niles created "30 Days of Night"--a graphic novel about vampires that prey on an Alaskan town subject to an annual month-long stretch of darkness--and only released three installments of the series. But Senator International Inc. picked up the distribution rights and secured the future of a potential franchise in a deal reportedly worth $1 million.

Comics--superhero or not--with any significant following have a built-in fan base, but that is certainly no guarantee of box office success.

"What most people don't realize is that there is absolutely no correlation between success as a comic and success as a film," Rosenberg said.

That can be a good thing, though, especially for the less-recognized alternative books that make the leap to film. "Men in Black" sold poorly as a comic book. But Platinum translated the tale of alien hunters into a movie that reaped more than $600 million worldwide for Sony in 1997, much more with merchandising.

"Sometimes people will come to see a movie because they have seen or read the book, other times it will be because you have made a case that your story is compelling," Richardson said.

Hollywood and the comic industry can also thank the Internet for increasing public awareness and broadened appeal of so-called alternative comics, giving the often-unheralded work a wider audience appeal. The popularity of Japanese manga comics, for example, has given rise to a romantic, soap opera-style of graphic novel called Shojo, which is attracting a previously-untapped fan base of teenage girls, Richardson said.

There are a few advantages for studios that turn to comic books and graphic novels for source material--the expensive story boarding and character development are essentially complete, saving studios' time. Since comics often take the form of an ongoing series, they can provide extra flexibility when adapted.

"Not only is the story already written, but it's already visualized, making it much easier to determine whether it can work on film," Richardson said. "Movies cost so much now that studios are very careful about choosing material. With a comic they can see the entire story laid out."

Both Richardson and Rosenberg pointed out that the wide variety of alternative comic work on the market--which Rosenberg likened to a bookstore in breadth--make the comics an even more likely source of television and film material those studios with the budgets to back effects-heavy movies like "Sin City," directors and producers are now looking at comics and graphic novels from a new perspective, given the increased technological sophistication for cinematography and effects.

"There are a whole slew of comic books coming into development that studios previously wouldn't open the cover of, because they knew it was too expensive to do what was inside," Rosenberg said. "Now, that's changed."

Those behind some of the big-screen adaptations don't expect the movie-going public will ever really comprehend the extent to which comic books drive films, particularly those whose heroes don't wear capes.

"Every so often there's a hit movie made out of a comic and people think Hollywood has suddenly discovered comic books," Richardson said. "The only thing that changes is public awareness."