research paper on comic book

• University Libraries
• Comics Studies
• Researching Comics

Comics Studies: Researching Comics

• Introduction
• Collections & Exhibits
• Communities & Events

Thoughts on comics

These are just a few of the comics-related books in the UNT Library. Please try the "Suggested Subject Headings" in the right-hand column to search for other comics studies materials in our library.

Databases at UNT Libraries

Note: See a recent blog post about "Researching Comics at UNT Libraries" for more tips on using our resources.

A few of the more popular comics studies databases are linked below. View a complete list of research databases available through the UNT Libraries under the "Comics Studies" subject heading .

• Within each database, try starting with the "Advanced Search" option, if available.
• Start with broad subject terms like "comic books," "graphic novels," "cartoons," or "comic strips" to get a sense of the range of articles available on your topic. You can also try some of the subject headings listed in the right hand columng of this page.
• Use the filters (usually on the left hand side of the search page) to narrow your results by date, subject, language, or other search parameters
• Select any articles that seem to be relevant and view their records. Check their lists of Subject terms to identify other words or phrases that might be useful to use in your own searches, and add some of those to your original search query for even more relevant results.

Also check out the guide below for an overview of the contents of some of our Adam Matthew archival collections and links to search results for historic cartoons & comics in each of those databases.

• A Guide to Cartoon and Comic Sources (Adam Matthew) A short guide to finding historic cartoons and comics in the Adam Matthew databases that are part of the UNT Libraries collections.
• Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database The Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database is a freely available online resource designed to help students and researchers locate secondary sources for the study of the science fiction and fantasy and associated genres. These include: historical material; books; articles; news reports; interviews; film reviews; commentary; and fan writing.
• Underground and independent comics, comix, and graphic novels This resource is a scholarly, primary source database focusing on adult comic books and graphic novels. The collection contains over information on over 300 comic series and over 1,600 comic books, along with 25,000 pages of interviews, criticism, and journal articles that document the continual growth and evolution of this artform. Over 100,000 pages of comics and graphic novels are available.
• The World of Archie Comics Archive The World of Archie Comics Archive offers access to the runs of more than 100 publications from Archie Comics, spanning the early 1940s to 2020. NOTE: This collection is intended to include each issue from the first and to scan from cover to cover. Due to the rarity of this material, however, there will be some gaps (issues or pages).
• The World of Archie Comics Archive: A Resource Guide Compiled by Bart Beaty, Professor of English, University of Calgary
• Comics Studies: A Resource Guide (ProQuest) Compiled by Dawn Kaczmar, PhD Candidate, University of Michigan

Free Online Resources

You can also try some of these free online resources for more information:

• Comic Book+ : Offers downloadable digital, public domain copies of Golden and Silver Age comic books for reading or research.  

Comichron: A Resource for Comics Resarch: sales chards, market shares, industry analysis

• Comics Research Bibliography : This is an international bibliography of comic books, comic strips, animation, caricature, cartoons, bandes dessinees, and related topics.  
• ComicsResearch.org : Comics scholarship annotated bibliographies. primarily covers book-length works about comic books and comic strips, from "fannish" histories to academic monographs, providing detailed information and guidance on further research.  
• Digital Comic Museum --an online archive of public domain Golden Age comics  

Don Markstein's Toonopedia ​ ​ : An online encyclopedia of cartoon and comic characters, including those in comic books, newspaper strips, magazine cartoons, and animated cartoons.

• Grand Comics Database : The Grand Comics Database (GCD) a nonprofit, internet-based organization of international volunteers dedicated to building a database covering all printed comics throughout the world  
• The Internet Archive : a free online collection of digitized comics and graphic novels.  
• Lambiek Comiclopedia: Illustrated Artist Compendium : an illustrated compendium of over 14,000 comics artists from around the world.  
• Latin American Comics Archive:  The Latin American Comics Archive, hosted by the Modern Language Resource Center at Carnegie Mellon, is a curated exhibit of comic strips and comic books created in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico between the 1920s and the present.   
• Neil Cohn's Visual Language Lab : Research on visual language, cognitive science, and linguistics.  
• Stripper's Guide : Comic strip historian Allan Holtz's blog discusses the history of the American newspaper comic strip.  
• Derick Badman,  Comics studies: resources for scholarly research , College & Research Libraries News 70(10): 574-582.
• Cartoonists of Color Database The Cartoonists of Color, Queer Cartoonists, and Disabled Cartoonists databases were created and are maintained by cartoonist MariNaomi as a way to spotlight marginalized comics creators. The databases are used by booksellers, librarians, academics, editors, book publishers, event organizers, readers, and more.
• Disabled Cartoonists Database
• Queer Cartoonists Database
• Queer Comics Database A searchable database of comics by and about queer subjects. May be searched by audience, genre, tone, style, or representation.
• • ComicFXBook: The Comic Book Sound Effect Database A unique databases that lets you locate comics that use specific sound effects.
• Comicalités
• The Comics Grid
• The Comics Journal
• European comic art
• Geeked: Comics, Culture, Gender
• Image & narrative: online magazine of the visual narrative
• Imagetext: interdisciplinary comics studies
• Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society
• International journal of comic art
• Journal of graphic novels & comics
• Journal of graphic novels and comics (print)
• Prism comics: your LGBT guide to comics
• SANE journal: sequential art narrative in education
• Studies in comics

Other Comics Studies Resources

• Comics Studies Resources @UNT A convenient handout listing some places to get started on researching comics at the UNT Libraries
• Government Comics (by Bobby Griffith) An in-depth guide to government comics resources at UNT Libraries
• Queer Comics at UNT Libraries (by Julie Leuzinger) A guide to LGBTQ+ comics, graphic novels, and resources at the UNT Libraries
• Graphic Possibilities: A Comics Research Guide Resources for comics research at Michigan State University
• Comics as Data Project (MSU) An innovative digital humanities project utilizing data from the vast MSU Comics Collection.

Citing & Writing

• Comic Art in Scholarly Writing: A Citation Guide A bibliographic citation guide for comics & comic art
• List of Terms for Comics Studies (Andrei Molotiu) A helpful list of specialized terms related to comics stuide. May be helpful in developing search terms for your research

Subject Headings

Suggested Subject Headings 

(by Doug Campbell)

• Use these when searching library catalogs that utilize Library of Congress subject headings

Comic books, strips, etc.

Comic Books Strips Etc History And Criticism

Cartoons and comics

Comic strip characters

Comic strip characters in motion pictures

Comics (Graphic works)

Detective and mystery comic books, strips, etc.

Erotic comic books, strips, etc.

Fantasy comic books, strips, etc.

Graphic novels

Horror comic books, strips, etc.

Motion pictures and comic books

Romance comic books, strips, etc.

Science fiction comic books, strips, etc.

Underground comic books, strips, etc.

Western comic books, strips, etc.

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Comics & Graphic Novel Research Guide: Selected Journals

• Key Resources
• Finding Articles

Selected Journals

• And So: Graduate Journal of Graphic Design And So is a publication from North Carolina State University. The journal highlights scholarship that examines the cultural contexts of design and the influence of end users.
• Comics grid The Comics Grid: Journal of Comics Scholarship is an open access, open peer review academic journal dedicated to comics scholarship. The journal aims to make original contributions to the field of comics studies and to advance the appreciation of graphic narrative.
• European Comic Art Devoted to the study of European-language graphic novels, comic strips, comic books and caricature.
• Film Criticism Film Criticism is a peer-reviewed, online publication whose aim is to bring together scholarship in the field of cinema and media studies in order to present the finest work in this area, foregrounding textual criticism as a primary value. Our readership is academic, although we strive to publish material that is both accessible to undergraduates and engaging to established scholars.
• ImageTexT The objective of ImageTexT is to advance the academic study of an emerging and diverse canon of imagetexts. Chief among these are comic books, comic strips, and animations, but also represented are illustrated fiction, children's picture books, digital-concrete poetic forms, visual rhetoric, etc.
• Image [&] Narrative Image [&] Narrative is a peer-reviewed e-journal on visual narratology and word and image studies in the broadest sense of the term. It does not focus on a narrowly defined corpus or theoretical framework, but questions the mutual shaping of literary and visual cultures.
• Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society Inks, the journal of the Comics Studies Society, features scholarly research on sequential art, graphic narrative, and cartooning. The journal seeks to bring together scholarly essays, archival materials, and insights and discoveries from leading comics professionals. Inks highlights scholarship from a variety of disciplines and invites essays on all periods of comic history, as well as considering both a US or an international comics focus.
• International Journal of Comic Art The International Journal of Comic Art aims to publish scholarly and readable research on any aspect of comic art, defined as animation, comic books, newspaper and magazine strips, caricature, gag and political cartoons, humorous art, and humor or cartoon magazines.
• Journal of fandom studies The Journal of Fandom Studies seeks to offer scholars a dedicated publication that promotes current scholarship into the fields of fan and audience studies across a variety of media. It focuses on the critical exploration, within a wide range of disciplines and fan cultures, of issues surrounding production and consumption of popular media (including film, music, television, sports and gaming),
• The Journal of Japanese Studies The Journal of Japanese Studies is the most influential journal dealing with research on Japan available in the English language. Since 1974, it has published the results of scholarly research on Japan in a wide variety of social science and humanities disciplines, as well as translations of articles from Japanese and substantive book reviews.
• Marvels & Tales Marvels & Tales is a peer-reviewed journal that is international and multidisciplinary in orientation. The journal publishes scholarly work dealing with the fairy tale in any of its diverse manifestations and contexts. Marvels & Tales provides a central forum for fairy-tale studies by scholars of psychology, gender studies, children's literature, social and cultural history, anthropology, film studies, ethnic studies, art and music history, and others.
• Mechademia Mechademia: An Annual Forum for Anime, Manga and the Fan Arts. Mechademia’s subject area extends from manga and anime to game design, fashion, graphics, packaging, and toy industries, as well as a broad range of fan practices related to popular culture in Japan.
• MFS Modern Fiction Studies MFS publishes theoretically engaged and historically informed articles on modernist and contemporary fiction. The journal's substantial book review section keeps readers informed about current scholarship in the field. MFS alternates general issues with special issues focused on individual novelists or topics that challenge and expand the concept of "modern fiction."
• SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education SANE journal publishes peer-reviewed articles from researchers and practitioners from a variety of disciplines seeking to add significantly to the global knowledge associated with all aspects of graphica (comics, graphic novels, and its related forms) and education. Reviews of sequential art narratives and their associated scholarship as it pertains to teaching or learning through them are also published, as are resources designed to help educators of all levels integrate comics texts into their classrooms and libraries.
• SubStance SubStance is a major interdisciplinary journal in publication continuously since 1971. SubStance is an international nexus for discourses converging upon literature from a variety of fields, including philosophy, the social science, science, and the arts.
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The Comic Book as Research Tool

Creative visual research for the social sciences.

• Stephen R. O'Sullivan
• X / Twitter

Please login or register with De Gruyter to order this product.

• Language: English
• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Copyright year: 2024
• Audience: Scholars and students of Management, Marketing, Sociology, Geography, Media Studies, Visual Studies.
• Front matter: 22
• Main content: 220
• Illustrations: 2
• Coloured Illustrations: 33
• Keywords: Comic Book ; Visual Research ; Methodology ; Research Representation ; Communication ; Education Media
• Published: November 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9783110781137
• ISBN: 9783110781052

Comics and Graphic Novels

• Intro to Comics and Graphic Novels
• How to Read Comics
• USC Resources
• Additional Resources
• Introductory Resources
• Comics Scholarship
• Comics from around the World

Introduction to Comics Scholarship

This section provides recommendations for nonfiction books on the study of comics as described below:

" Comic Studies represents a growing area of academic research with approaches ranging from the formal analysis of how graphic storytelling works to the industrial analysis of how comics get made, from the historical origins of the form to the study of the medium’s representation of race gender, and sexuality, from the study of individual creators to ethnographic attention to comic fans and their gatherings. Comic Studies exists alongside many other media-related films, such as Cinema Studies, Television Studies, Game Studies or Transmedia Studies, each asking questions about the centrality of popular culture to contemporary life."

-Professor Henry Jenkins

Students who are interested in pursuing research in comics will be provided recommendations that introduce the research field, studies centered around comics, history, and culture.

Important Notes:

Books with a blue title are available through USC electronic resources. The link can be accessed by hovering over the title.

Items that are held by USC have their location and call number listed at under the title.

Books on Comic Studies

• Introductions to Comic Studies
• Case Studies

• << Previous: Introductory Resources
• Next: Comics from around the World >>
• Last Updated: Aug 8, 2024 2:27 PM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/comicsandgraphicnovels

• Visual Arts
• Graphic Novels

A content-analysis of race, class, and gender in American comic books

• November 2016
• 22(3-4):212-226

• University of Notre Dame

• U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs, Columbia VA Healthcare System, Columbia, SC

• University of South Carolina

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Comics studies: Resources for scholarly research

Derik A. Badman

Comic books, comic strips, manga, and other forms of what is more generally called comics have gained increasingly serious attention in recent years, such that it is almost at the point where articles entitled “Bif Bam Pow: Comics aren’t for kids anymore” have ceased appearing because of their obviousness. The field of comics studies has had a similar upward trajectory. Avenues for publication of scholarly writing on comics continue to expand (both journals and books), and resources focused on the study of comics are growing.

Comics studies is a broadly interdisciplinary area, often applying the scholarly literature and apparati of literary studies, communication and mass media, art, history, sociology, or philosophy.

This column highlights resources that are more narrowly focused on comics. The resources below cover a range of types from scholarly publications to reference sources and news sites. I have primarily focused on English-language resources, though researchers should be aware of the prevalence of French language comics studies (which one could argue has a larger academic history than studies in English).

Discussion lists and forums

• Anime and Manga Research Circle. This is a group of scholars, students, and fans interested in research on anime and manga. They maintain a fairly active e-mail list. Access: http://www.cjas.org/~leng/amrc.htm .
• Comics Scholars Discussion List. This is an active e-mail list populated by a large number of academics, students, independent scholars, and even a few librarians involved with comics studies. A good source for CFPs, conference information, publication news, and long discussions (recent examples include discussions of terminology in comics [always contentious] and the “must reads” of comics scholarship). Access: http://www.english.ufl.edu/comics/scholars/ .
• European Comic Art. A newer scholarly journal focused on European comics (bande dessinee). Access: http://eurocomicart.lupjournals.org/default.aspx .
• Image and Narrative. Another peer-reviewed open access journal out of Belgium devoted to the study of visual narrative in all its forms (including comics). One of the chief editors is Jan Baetens, a Belgian scholar who has published widely on comics in French. This journal publishes articles in English or French, with abstracts provided in both languages. Access: http://www.imageandnarrative.be/ .
• ImageTexT: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies. A peer-reviewed open access journal out of the University of Florida (which has its own comics studies program). Recent special issues focused on the work of Neil Gaiman and William Blake’s relation to visual culture. Access: http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/ .
• International Journal of Comic Art. The premier comics studies journal publishing English-language articles since 1999 by John Lent, a professor at Temple University and a major figure in comics studies and bibliography. While recent volumes are indexed in the MLA International Bibliography, the journal’s own site is the best place to get content information for all volumes. Access: http://ijoca.com/ .
• The Comics Journal. The long-running magazine that takes comics seriously is well regarded for long interviews with creators, regular columns, and critical reviews. The Web site includes excerpts from recent issues and hosts an active message board. An index of the first 142 issues is available ( www.english.ufl.edu/comics/scholars/TCJ_Index.html ) but not for the 150 issues since then. Access: http://tcj.com .

Bibliographies

• Comic Research Bibliography. Michael Rhode and John Bullough’s bibliography contains a vast number of citations to articles on comics and comics themselves, unfortunately it hasn’t been updated since 2007 and there are no subjects or abstracts to aid in discovery. Contains a wide variety of source types from newspaper articles on movie adaptations of comics to blog posts to scholarly articles . Access: http://www.rpi.edu/~bulloj/comxbib.html .
• ComicsResearch.org: Comics Scholarship Annotated Bibliographies. Gene Kannenberg’s large annotated bibliography covers a wide range of publications about comics as well as information on conferences, organizations, library collections, and more, an invaluable resource. Entries often include citations for reviews of books. Access: http://comicsresearch.org/ .
• Online Bibliography of Anime and Manga Research. A bibliography of resources on anime and manga (Japanese comics) that covers publications, presentations, and grey literature and is maintained by librarian Mikhail Koulikov. Access: http://www.corneredangel.com/amwess/academic.html .
• Don Markstein’s Toonopedia. An encyclopedia of cartoon/comic characters. The entries are often long and detailed, providing character histories, publication information, and creator related details. Access: http://www.toonopedia.com/ .
• Grand Comic Book Database. A vast database that indexes comics. Invaluable for information on publications, credits, dates, and more. Cover images are included in many cases. The search interface leaves much to be desired (you can only search on one criterion at a time), but a new version of the databases is apparently in the works. Access: http://www.comics.org/ .
• Lambiek Comiclopedia. An encyclopedia of comics artists/creators/cartoonists from across the globe. The entries usually include at least one image. Access: http://lambiek.net/ .

Organizations

• National Association of Comic Art Educators. NACAE’s Web site is a resource for those who teach comics classes or those interested in comics classes. Included is a directory of comics classes and teachers, as well as schools offering comics programs. For educators, there are syllabi from various teachers and teaching guides for a variety of comics. Of particular relevance to anyone is a handout on comics terminology from comics artists/educators Matt Madden and Jessica Abel. Access: http://www.teachingcomics.org/ .
• Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association. The PCA/ACA includes a Comic Art and Comics Area, which puts on programs at the Annual Meeting of the association as well as regional events. Access: http://www.pcaaca.org/ .

Library collections

• Graphic Novel Subject Guide. Karen Green, Columbia University’s graphic novel librarian, maintains this subject guide on comics and comics-related sources. Access: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eguides/graphic_novels/index.html .
• Michigan State Libraries Comic Art Collection. MSU’s collection focuses on published work including pamphlets, books, strips, and journals. The vast collection of U.S. comic books and comics strips is supplemented by international and critical materials. Much of the collection is cataloged in MSU’s library catalog as well as in WorldCat. Worth pointing out is the long list of comics research libraries (comics.lib.msu.edu/director/comres.htm). Access: http://comics.lib.msu.edu/ .
• Ohio State University Cartoon Library and Museum. OSU’s large collection of comic art and artifacts, started with the papers of Milton Caniff and has since grown to include numerous collections and works such as Bill Blackbeard’s famed collection of newspaper comic strips and a collection of Will Eisner’s work and papers. The Web site includes a digital image database with a plethora of wonderful comics to view as well as digital albums, including a full run of Lyonel Feininger’s “Kin-der-kids” pages. Access: http://cartoons.osu.edu/ .
• Cartoon Art Museum (San Francisco). A museum of original art and a research library. Access: http://www.cartoonart.org/ .
• Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée (Brussels). A major museum of comic art, which also houses a large library of comics. Access: http://www.comicscenter.net/en/home .
• La Cité Internationale de la Bande Dessinée et de l’Image (Angouleme). The Web site of a conglomeration of locations in Angouleme, France, including a museum, research library, bookstore, and “house of authors” (residencies, services for artists). The museum is the primary French museum of comic art. Access: http://www.citebd.org/ .
• Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (New York). A small museum in New York City that features regular exhibits and events, including the annual MoCCA Festival, a highlight of the nonmainstream comics scene. Access: http://www.moccany.org/ .
• Journalista. If you only follow one comics-related blog, then Dick Deppey’s Journalista is the one to pick. The single daily post of link blogging tends to hit the highs and lows of news, commentary, reviews, and more. Access: http://tcj.com/journalista/ .
• New and Improved Comic Book Blog Updates. If you really want to be on the pulse of comics blogging, this site provides a dynamically updated list of posts from a huge number of comics blogs, rather overwhelming but a good way to discover blogs of interest. Access: http://comicblogupdates.blogspot.com/ .
• The Comics Reporter. A major source for news, interviews, commentary, links, and more on all sorts of comics. Tom Spurgeon writes and aggregates his way into being a major hub for goings-on in the comics world. Access: http://comicsreporter.com/ .
• Comics Studies Podcast. An irregularly appearing podcast from A. David Lewis, often featuring recorded audio from presentations and panels at various conferences and conventions. Access: http://captionbox.net/podcast/ .
• Inkstuds. Robin McConnell’s weekly radio show from CITR in Vancouver features hour-long interviews with comics artists and scholars. His archive is large, wide-ranging, and downloadable. Access: http://inkstuds.com/ .
• Comic Art in Scholarly Writing: A Citation Guide. Allen Ellis’ guide to citing comic art as suggested by the Popular Culture Association. Citing comics has also been a bit tricky and is generally not well-supported by any of the major styles. This provides some helpful guidelines. Access: http://comicsresearch.org/CAC/cite.html .
• Enjolrasworld. A collection of annotations (and links to annotations) for a variety of comics, with a particular focus on the works of Alan Moore. Access: http://www.enjolrasworld.com/ .
• Golden Age Comics. A great source to download out-of-copyright comics from the so-called “Golden Age” of comics. Most of these comics are out-of-print and expensive, so this is valuable for research into the early years of comic books. Access: http://goldenagecomics.co.uk/ .
• Institute for Comics Studies. The ICS has a number of ongoing and new projects for the purpose of supporting the field of comics studies, including putting on academic programs, a comics studies calendar and map, and the online publication of “lost works” in comic studies. Access: http://www.instituteforcomicsstudies.org/index.html .
• More than 100 comics-related words in eight languages. Maintained by Belgian comics scholar Pascal Lefévre, this page offers a multilingual glossary of comics terms. Access: http://lefevre.pascal.googlepages.com/morethan100comics-relatedwordsin8languag .

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Comic Books and Graphic Novels

• Academic Resources
• Comics & Graphic Novels
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• LGBTQ Themes
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Books - General

The following are just some of the books in the AAEL collection that take an academic approach to the study of comics. For more, search the library catalog for the subjects Comic books, strips, etc. -- History and criticism. and Graphic novels -- History and criticism.

Books - Regional

Online Journals

• The Comics Grid "The Comics Grid: Journal of Comics Scholarship is a researcher-led, open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal. The journal aims to advance the media-specific study of graphic narrative from multidisciplinary perspectives. We aim to promote comics scholarship within academia and the general public with contributions that present specialised knowledge in accessible forms. As a publishing platform we encourage digital research, data sharing, public engagement and collaboration."
• The Comics Journal The Comics Journal has been a source for comics news and opinion since 1977. It contains in-depth interviews with mainstream. classic, underground, and small-press creators, and covers issues relevant to comics scholars and fans. (Note: not a scholarly journal.)
• Image & Narrative : online magazine of the visual narrative "A peer-reviewed e-journal on visual narratology and word and image studies in the broadest sense of the term. It does not focus on a narrowly defined corpus or theoretical framework, but questions the mutual shaping of literary and visual cultures. Beside tackling theoretical issues, it is a platform for reviews of real life examples."
• ImageTexT: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies "A peer-reviewed, open access journal dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of comics and related media."
• International Journal of Comic Art "International and multidisciplinary in scope, IJOCA aims to publish scholarly and readable research on any aspect of comic art, defined as animation, comic books, newspaper and magazine strips, caricature, gag and political cartoons, humorous art, and humor or cartoon magazines."
• Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics "A peer reviewed journal covering all aspects of the graphic novel, comic strip and comic book, with the emphasis on comics in their cultural, institutional and creative contexts. Its scope is international, covering not only English language comics but also worldwide comic culture."
• Mechademia: An Annual Forum for Anime, Manga and the Fan Arts "Mechademia’s subject area extends from manga and anime to game design, fashion, graphics, packaging, and toy industries, as well as a broad range of fan practices related to popular culture in Japan. We are interested in how the academic and fan communities can provide new possibilities for critical thinking and popular writing."
• Sequart "Analytic articles, whether historical or literary, scholarly or popular."
• Studies in Comics "The journal... promote[s] the close analysis of the comics page/text using a variety of methodologies. Its specific goal, however, is to expand the relationship between comics and theory and to articulate a 'theory of comics.' The journal also includes reviews of new comics, criticism, and exhibitions, and a dedicated online space for cutting-edge and emergent creative work."

Print Journals

• The Comics Journal
• Inks : cartoon and comic art studies
• International Journal of Comic Art

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JSmol Viewer

A survey of comics research in computer science.

1. Introduction

1.1. comics and society, 1.2. research and open problems.

• Content analysis: Getting information from raw images and extracting high- to low-level structured descriptions.
• Content generation and adaption: Comics can be used as an input or output to create or modify contents. Content conversion and augmentation are possible from comics to comics, comics to other media, and other media to comics.
• User interaction: Analyzing human reading behavior and internal states (emotions, interests, etc.) based on comics contents, and, reciprocally, analyzing comics contents based on human behavior and interactions.

2. What Is Comics?

3. research on content analysis, 3.1. textures, screentones, and structural lines, 3.3. faces and pose, 3.4. balloons, 3.6. high level understanding, 3.7. applications, 3.8. conclusions, 4. content generation, 4.1. vectorization, 4.2. colorization, 4.3. comics and character generation, 4.4. animation, 4.5. media conversion, 4.6. content adaptation, 4.7. conclusions, 5. user interaction, 5.1. eye gaze and reading behavior, 5.2. emotion, 5.3. visualization and interaction, 5.4. education, 5.5. conclusions, 6. available materials.

• Speech balloon segmentation [ 87 ];
• Speech text recognition [ 88 ];
• Automatic text extraction cbrTekStraktor [ 89 ];
• Semi-Automatic Manga Colorization (paper [ 49 ], code [ 90 ]); and
• Deep learning library for estimating a set of tags and extracting semantic feature vectors from illustrations (paper [ 42 ], code [ 91 ]).

6.2. Datasets

7. general conclusions, author contributions, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest.

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Augereau, O.; Iwata, M.; Kise, K. A Survey of Comics Research in Computer Science. J. Imaging 2018 , 4 , 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging4070087

Augereau O, Iwata M, Kise K. A Survey of Comics Research in Computer Science. Journal of Imaging . 2018; 4(7):87. https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging4070087

Augereau, Olivier, Motoi Iwata, and Koichi Kise. 2018. "A Survey of Comics Research in Computer Science" Journal of Imaging 4, no. 7: 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging4070087

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How to do a comic book research paper?

Reddit, I am taking my first college English class and I have to do a research paper for which I am allowed to pick the topic.

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• Comiclopedia The Comiclopedia is an illustrated compendium of over 12,000 comic artists from around the world. Find your favorite artists, strips and characters. The Comiclopedia is the world's largest overview of comic artists, and the brainchild of comic shop Lambiek's founder Kees Kousemaker (1942-2010).
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• Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window Provides full-text access to dictionaries, language reference, Islamic studies and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.

This is just a brief selection of the general and specialized encyclopedias and bibliographies related to Graphic Novels and Comics available in the Reference Center or the circulating stacks.

• The Encyclopedia of American Comics: From 1897 to the Present by Ron Goulart Call Number: PN6725 .E64 1990 Non-circulating This extensive guide focuses on comic heroes and villains; the creators, artists, and writers of comic strips and comic books; and the publishers and syndicates of the comics industry. The more than 1,000 entries are arranged in dictionary form, are superbly illustrated, and are cross-referenced.
• The World Encyclopedia of Cartoons by Maurice Horn (Editor) Call Number: NC1325 .W67 1999 Non-circulating Examines the lives and works of the greatest cartoon artists, as well as their contributions to and influences on the genre.

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The Research Behind Graphic Novels and Young Learners

By Leslie Morrison, CTD Summer Leapfrog Coordinator

Graphic novels have become a popular format in classrooms, partly due to their appeal to reluctant readers. More recently, a growing body of research , focused on how the brain processes the combination of images and text, indicates that graphic novels are also excellent resources for advanced learners.

When students read visual narratives, the activity in the brain is similar to how readers comprehend text-based sentences. However, when students learn to read graphic novels with an analytical eye, depth and complexity are added to the reading process.

With graphic novels, students use text and images to make inferences and synthesize information, both of which are abstract and challenging skills for readers. Images, just like text, can be interpreted in many different ways, and can bring nuances to the meaning of the story. In this form of literature, the images and the text are of equal importance —the text would not fully make sense without the images, and the reverse is true as well.

Graphic novels can also challenge students to think deeply about the elements of storytelling . In a traditional text, students uncover meaning embedded in sentences and paragraphs. In graphic texts, students must analyze the images, looking for signs of character development, for example, or clues that help build plot. All of this experience developing textual and visual reading skills contribute to students’ understanding of their world — the ways the text and images all around them communicate — and in turn help them in crafting their own stories .

Barbee, M. Comic Books as Models for Literacy Instruction. International Reading Association. 2015.  

Brenna, B. How Graphic Novels Support Reading Comprehension Strategy Development in Children. Wiley-Blackwell. Literacy Journal, UKLA, pp.88- 94. 2012.

Brown, Sally. A Blended Approach to Reading and Writing Graphic Stories. Wiley Online Library. 2013.

Bucher, K., & Manning, M. Bringing Graphic Novels into a School’s Curriculum. The Clearing House, November / December 2004. 

Cohn, Neil. The Visual Language of Comics: Introduction to the Structure and Cognition of Sequential Images . London: Bloomsbury. 2013.

Eisner, W. Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative . W.W. Norton & Company. 2008.

Gillenwater, C. Graphic Novels in Advanced English / Language Arts Classrooms: A Phenomenological Case Study. Dissertation, Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2012.

McCloud, S. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. William Morrow Paperbacks. 1994.

Comic in the Classroom: Why Comics?

The Impact of Structures and Meaning on Sequential Image Comprehension

Neil Cohn, Martin Paczinski, Phil Holcomb, Ray Jackendoff, Gina Kuperberg,

-Tufts University

http://www.visuallanguagelab.com/P/NC_pn&b_abstract.pdf

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Comics and Graphic Novels

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Great Power and Great Pedagogy

Video and web resources, featured "comics and instruction" books, discussion guides, comics communities.

A graphic Introduction to Comics Studies (Free PDF)

• Teaching Practically Anything with Comics
• The Power and Responsibility of Comics Pedagogy
• Comics as a Conduit
• Teaching and Learning with Comics
• Teaching Graphic Novels Online
• The Case for Comics in the Classroom
• The Complexities of Teaching Graphic Novels
• Comics-Education Web Lisitings
• Pop Culture Classroom
• Get Your Mind in the Gutter: Sequential Art as Inference Tool

A slideshow presentation and discussion on non-fiction comics as a teaching tool, featuring cartoonists working in the fields of science, politics, art and more. This event is part of Will Eisner Week, and Eisner’s own educational and instructional comics are the inspiration for this panel. With Malaka Gharib , Scott McCloud , Whit Taylor , and Kriota Willberg , moderated by R. Sikoryak .

The field of Comics Studies is an ever-growing scholarly space involving a wide range of participants.  Susan Kirtley  (Portland State University),  Antero Garcia  (Stanford University), and  Peter Carlson  (Green Dot Public Schools) examine this space while reflecting on their recently published work,  With Great Power Comes Great Pedagogy: Teaching, Learning, and Comics.  As the panelists discuss their approach to gathering comic creators, scholars, and educators from various fields and settings to set out the stakes, definitions, and exemplars of contemporary comics pedagogy into one edited volume, they analyze how sources of personal identity, nostalgia, and history affect our evolving relationships to comics. As they share the discoveries uncovered in their editing process, the panelists will reveal the purposes for cultivating the three key areas of this volume: Foundations of Comics Pedagogy, Comics Pedagogy in Practice, and New Directions for Comics Pedagogy.

Henry Barajas  (author of  La Voz de M.A.Y.O.: Tata Rambo ),  Rodney Barnes  (author of  Killadelphia ),  Darcy Van Poelgeest  (author of  Little Bird: The Fight for Elder's Hope ), and  David F. Walker  (author of  Bitter Root ) discuss comic books that tackle real world issues, be it environmental activism, civic engagement, physical and mental health awareness, and more, (including how their work is being used by librarians and educators). Viewers will leave with programming and acquisition ideas designed to inspire their readers to see the world differently and then change it for the better.

Peter Carlson  (Green Dot Public Schools),  Susan Kirtley  (Portland State University), and  Antero Garcia  (Stanford University) lead this panel that reveals practical activities and theory involved in teaching with comics while discussing teaching and making comics with the incredible creators and educators  Nick Sousanis  ( Unflattening ),  Ebony Flowers  ( Hot Comb ),  David F. Walker  ( Naomi ), and  Brian Michael Bendis  ( Naomi ).  www.comicspedagogy.com

Meryl Jaffe  ( Worth A Thousand Words ) with panelists  Laurence Tan  (educator)  Rachelle Cruz  (educator, author  Experiencing Comics ), and  Talia Hurwich  (educator, author  Worth A Thousand Words ) discuss how graphic novels can inspire and enrich online classroom lessons for students grades 3 and up. We discuss challenges, lesson ideas, and loads of resources.

Join us to learn about the ever-growing mountain of evidence on the educational efficacy of comics that is making comic converts out of even the harshest critics. Learn how research shows that reading comics and graphic novels strengthens literacy and content learning for students of all ages, interests, and levels of achievement and how creating comics can bolster critical thinking and social-emotional skills. Our education and comics experts will share with you all the rationale and research you need to prove that comics belong in the classroom. Panelists: Dr. Theresa Rojas Dr. Stephen Krashen Dr. Susannah Richards Tracy Edmunds Moderator: Alex Simmons

This panel provides an inside look at ground-breaking courses by the professionals and academics who are bringing Geek Culture to campuses nationwide (and beyond)! Join Paul Levitz (Columbia University), Rob Salkowitz (University of Washington), Frank Cammuso (Syracuse University), Darlyne Overbaugh (Ithaca College), Chris Irving (Virginia Commonwealth University), and moderator Ed Catto (Ithaca College).

"Interested in knowing more about comics, putting them to use in your classroom, and trying your hand at making them? I set up this site initially for the class on comics for educators that I taught at Teachers College and have since been growing to serve as a  database of comics-education resources. " Dr.  Nick Sousanis Eisner-winning comics and San Francisco State University professor of Humanities & Liberal Studies.  

Noteworthy Sections

Science comics, blind accessible comics, race, gender in comics, historical resources & digital archives.

While some dismiss comics as less intellectually challenging than “real” books, the reality is that graphic novels offer an opportunity to think abstractly in a way few other storytelling media can. The space between panels – the gutter – requires readers to make connections on their own, while the art portion of the media demands patience and attention that isn’t guided by words lined up on the page. Listen as seasoned educators share their use of comics as a tool for all types of inferring: determining causes, solving problems, predicting likely outcomes, and connecting dots. Panelists: Dr. Isabel Morales (moderator) Jana Tropper Shveta Miller Ronell Whitaker Dr. Rachelle Cruz

Hyperlinked in the titles below are toolkits created by  Dr. Valentino Zullo, Ph.D., in 2020/21. They are modeled after the  Get Graphic! with the Ohio Center for the Book  discussions hosted at Cleveland Public Library (home of the Ohio Center for the Book) since 2014. These guides aim to promote the study of comics with other libraries, classrooms, book clubs, independent readers, and anyone else that wants an education in comics! The toolkits offered here represent only selection of comics titles. The list does not reflect an established pedagogical canon of comics to teach on.

Understanding Comics  by Scott McCloud  (Comics: A Medium) 

• 11 x 17 Sheets  (Can be folded into 8.5 x 11 Booklet) (PDF)
• 8.5 x 11 Single Sheets  (PDF)

One Hundred Demons  by Lynda Barry  (Creating Comics)

Are You My Mother?  by Alison Bechdel  (Comics as Medicine)

• 11 x 17 Sheets  (Can be folded into a 8.5 x 11 Booklet) (PDF)

Maus  by Art Spiegelman  (The Holocaust)

Persepolis  by marjane satrapi  (iranian revolution), fun home  by alison bechdel  (lgbtq history in the united states), the best we could do  by thi bui  (vietnam war), march   (book one)  by john lewis  (us civil rights movement), palestine  by joe sacco  (israeli-palestinian conflict), grass  by keum suk gendry-kim (janet hong, translator)  (korean “comfort women”), arab of the future  by riad sattouf  (pan-arab nationalism).

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• Last Updated: Jul 11, 2024 10:38 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.ucla.edu/comics-studies