Global Perspectives in Comics Studies – serie

This book explores the series of cartoons of China and the Chinese that were published in the popular British satirical magazine Punch over a sixty-year period from 1841 to 1901. Filled with political metaphors and racial stereotypes, these illustrations served as a powerful tool in both reflecting and shaping notions and attitudes towards China at a tumultuous time in Sino-British history. A close reading of both the visual and textual satires in Punch reveals how a section of British society visualised and negotiated with China as well as Britain’s position in the global community. By contextualising Punch’s cartoons within the broader frameworks of British socio-cultural and political discourse, the author engages in a critical enquiry of popular culture and its engagements with race, geopolitical propaganda, and public consciousness.With a wide array of illustrations, this book in the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series will be an important resource for scholars and researchers of cultural studies, political history and Empire, Chinese studies, popular culture, Victoriana, as well as media studies. It will also be of interest to readers who want to learn more about Punch, its history, and Sino-British relations.

This book explores the series of cartoons of China and the Chinese that were published in the popular British satirical magazine Punch over a sixty-year period from 1841 to 1901. Filled with political metaphors and racial stereotypes, these illustrations served as a powerful tool in both reflecting and shaping notions and attitudes towards China at a tumultuous time in Sino-British history. A close reading of both the visual and textual satires in Punch reveals how a section of British society visualised and negotiated with China as well as Britain’s position in the global community. By contextualising Punch’s cartoons within the broader frameworks of British socio-cultural and political discourse, the author engages in a critical enquiry of popular culture and its engagements with race, geopolitical propaganda, and public consciousness.With a wide array of illustrations, this book in the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series will be an important resource for scholars and researchers of cultural studies, political history and Empire, Chinese studies, popular culture, Victoriana, as well as media studies. It will also be of interest to readers who want to learn more about Punch, its history, and Sino-British relations.

Burning Down the House explores the political, economic and cultural landscape of 21st-century Latin America through comics. It examines works from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Perú, Colombia, México and Spain, and the resurgence of comics in recent decades spurred by the ubiquity of the Internet and reminiscent of the complex political experiences and realities of the region.The volume analyses experimentations in themes and formats and how Latin American comics have become deeply plural in its inspirations, subjects, drawing styles and political concerns while also underlining the hybrid and diverse cultures they represent. It examines the representative and historical images in a state of emergency and political upheaval; decolonial perspectives and social struggles linked to ethnic and sexual minorities. It looks at how Latin American comics are made right now – from a diverse and autochthonous Latin American perspective.With a wide array of illustrations, this book in the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series will be an important resource for scholars and researchers of comic studies, Latin American studies, cultural studies, English literature, political history and post-colonial studies.

Comics and human mobility have a long history of connections. This volume explores these entanglements with a focus on both how comics represent migration and what applied uses comics have in relation to migration. The volume examines both individual works of comic art and examples of practical applications of comics from across the world.Comics are well-suited to create understanding, highlight truthful information, and engender empathy in their audiences, but are also an art form that is preconditioned or even limited by its representational and practical conventions. Through analyses of various practices and representations, this book questions the uncritical belief in the capacity of comics, assesses their potential to represent stories of exile and immigration with compassion, and discusses how xenophobia and nationalism are both reinforced and questioned in comics. The book includes essays by both researchers and practitioners such as activists and journalists whose work has combined a focus on comics and migration. It predominantly scrutinises comics and activities from more peripheral areas such as the Nordic region, the German-language countries, Latin America, and southern Asia to analyse the treatment and visual representation of migration in these regions.This topical and engaging volume in the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series will be of interest to researchers and students of comics studies, literary studies, visual art studies, cultural studies, migration, and sociology. It will also be useful reading for a wider academic audience interested in discourses around global migration and comics traditions.

Burning Down the House explores the political, economic and cultural landscape of 21st-century Latin America through comics. It examines works from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Perú, Colombia, México and Spain, and the resurgence of comics in recent decades spurred by the ubiquity of the Internet and reminiscent of the complex political experiences and realities of the region.The volume analyses experimentations in themes and formats and how Latin American comics have become deeply plural in its inspirations, subjects, drawing styles and political concerns while also underlining the hybrid and diverse cultures they represent. It examines the representative and historical images in a state of emergency and political upheaval; decolonial perspectives and social struggles linked to ethnic and sexual minorities. It looks at how Latin American comics are made right now – from a diverse and autochthonous Latin American perspective.With a wide array of illustrations, this book in the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series will be an important resource for scholars and researchers of comic studies, Latin American studies, cultural studies, English literature, political history and post-colonial studies.

Comics and human mobility have a long history of connections. This volume explores these entanglements with a focus on both how comics represent migration and what applied uses comics have in relation to migration. The volume examines both individual works of comic art and examples of practical applications of comics from across the world.Comics are well-suited to create understanding, highlight truthful information, and engender empathy in their audiences, but are also an art form that is preconditioned or even limited by its representational and practical conventions. Through analyses of various practices and representations, this book questions the uncritical belief in the capacity of comics, assesses their potential to represent stories of exile and immigration with compassion, and discusses how xenophobia and nationalism are both reinforced and questioned in comics. The book includes essays by both researchers and practitioners such as activists and journalists whose work has combined a focus on comics and migration. It predominantly scrutinises comics and activities from more peripheral areas such as the Nordic region, the German-language countries, Latin America, and southern Asia to analyse the treatment and visual representation of migration in these regions.This topical and engaging volume in the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series will be of interest to researchers and students of comics studies, literary studies, visual art studies, cultural studies, migration, and sociology. It will also be useful reading for a wider academic audience interested in discourses around global migration and comics traditions.

This book explores the historical and cultural significance of comics in languages other than English, examining the geographic and linguistic spheres which these comics inhabit and their contributions to comic studies and academia.The volume brings together texts across a wide range of genres, styles, and geographic locations, including the Netherlands, Colombia, Greece, Mexico, Poland, Finland, Portugal, Ireland, and the Czech Republic, among others. These works have remained out of reach for speakers of languages other than the original and do not receive the scholarly attention they deserve due to their lack of English translations. This book highlights the richness and diversity these works add to the corpus of comic art and comic studies that Anglophone comics scholars can access to broaden the collective perspective of the field and forge links across regions, genres, and comic traditions.Part of the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series, this volume spans continents and languages. It will be of interest to researchers and students of comics studies, literature, cultural studies, popular culture, art and design, illustration, history, film studies, and sociology.

This book explores the historical and cultural significance of comics in languages other than English, examining the geographic and linguistic spheres which these comics inhabit and their contributions to comic studies and academia.The volume brings together texts across a wide range of genres, styles, and geographic locations, including the Netherlands, Colombia, Greece, Mexico, Poland, Finland, Portugal, Ireland, and the Czech Republic, among others. These works have remained out of reach for speakers of languages other than the original and do not receive the scholarly attention they deserve due to their lack of English translations. This book highlights the richness and diversity these works add to the corpus of comic art and comic studies that Anglophone comics scholars can access to broaden the collective perspective of the field and forge links across regions, genres, and comic traditions.Part of the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series, this volume spans continents and languages. It will be of interest to researchers and students of comics studies, literature, cultural studies, popular culture, art and design, illustration, history, film studies, and sociology.

Why does Johan Vilde testify about Sweden’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade? Why do the young Stockholm sons, Stefan and Sacho, in Mystiska 2:an discuss class society and commercialism on their way back home from school? And why does the Phantom start a co-operative society in the jungle and act as a mouthpiece for Prime Minister Olof Palme? And in reverse: why is it almost impossible to imagine Spider-Man, Tintin, or Archie ruminating about trade union issues, gender equality on the labour market, or taking a stand against the apartheid regimes in Southern Africa?New Left Comics examines the leftist radicalisation in Sweden during the decade immediately succeeding 1968 through the lens of comic books. It looks at four of the most popular and widely read comic books and graphic novels—Johan Vilde, Tumac, Mystiska 2:an, and The Phantom—between 1968 and 1980, and uncovers the ways in which writers and artists used mainstream comics as a medium to teach and inform readers about various forms of injustices and inequality—as well as utopian futures—by adding social, political, and economic comments.This topical and engaging volume in the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series will be of interest to researchers and students of comics studies, literary studies, visual art studies, cultural studies, media studies, and sociology. It will also be useful reading for a wider academic audience interested in discourses around world politics, politics and media, politics and popular culture, and comics traditions.

Why does Johan Vilde testify about Sweden’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade? Why do the young Stockholm sons, Stefan and Sacho, in Mystiska 2:an discuss class society and commercialism on their way back home from school? And why does the Phantom start a co-operative society in the jungle and act as a mouthpiece for Prime Minister Olof Palme? And in reverse: why is it almost impossible to imagine Spider-Man, Tintin, or Archie ruminating about trade union issues, gender equality on the labour market, or taking a stand against the apartheid regimes in Southern Africa?New Left Comics examines the leftist radicalisation in Sweden during the decade immediately succeeding 1968 through the lens of comic books. It looks at four of the most popular and widely read comic books and graphic novels—Johan Vilde, Tumac, Mystiska 2:an, and The Phantom—between 1968 and 1980, and uncovers the ways in which writers and artists used mainstream comics as a medium to teach and inform readers about various forms of injustices and inequality—as well as utopian futures—by adding social, political, and economic comments.This topical and engaging volume in the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series will be of interest to researchers and students of comics studies, literary studies, visual art studies, cultural studies, media studies, and sociology. It will also be useful reading for a wider academic audience interested in discourses around world politics, politics and media, politics and popular culture, and comics traditions.

Battle Lines Drawn: War Comics Since 1914 delves into the rich and diverse history of war comics, exploring how the medium represents and reflects upon global conflicts from World War I to the modern era. It critically analyses how war narratives in comics intersect with historiography, popular culture, and evolving societal perceptions of conflict.Through a broad range of chapters, including both Western and non-Western war comics, the volume offers an inclusive perspective and addresses questions such as:How do war comics depict historical conflict events, and what are their limits?How have changing formats (e.g., long-form comics) opened new spaces for storytelling within the genre?And what cultural, ideological, and emotional dimensions do war comics navigate?The book highlights not only the historical scope of war comics but also their relevance in contemporary discussions about identity, diversity, and global conflict. It balances theoretical explorations with analyses of specific texts to examine how these works reflect and shape cultural understandings of war while grappling with themes such as patriotism, trauma, political ideologies, and marginalised perspectives.Spanning mainstream publications and indie creations, this volume offers a comprehensive exploration of how comics represent and mediate the realities of war. It will be of interest to academics, researchers, and students of comics studies, cultural studies, history, media and visual studies and war and trauma studies.

Battle Lines Drawn: War Comics Since 1914 delves into the rich and diverse history of war comics, exploring how the medium represents and reflects upon global conflicts from World War I to the modern era. It critically analyses how war narratives in comics intersect with historiography, popular culture, and evolving societal perceptions of conflict.Through a broad range of chapters, including both Western and non-Western war comics, the volume offers an inclusive perspective and addresses questions such as:How do war comics depict historical conflict events, and what are their limits?How have changing formats (e.g., long-form comics) opened new spaces for storytelling within the genre?And what cultural, ideological, and emotional dimensions do war comics navigate?The book highlights not only the historical scope of war comics but also their relevance in contemporary discussions about identity, diversity, and global conflict. It balances theoretical explorations with analyses of specific texts to examine how these works reflect and shape cultural understandings of war while grappling with themes such as patriotism, trauma, political ideologies, and marginalised perspectives.Spanning mainstream publications and indie creations, this volume offers a comprehensive exploration of how comics represent and mediate the realities of war. It will be of interest to academics, researchers, and students of comics studies, cultural studies, history, media and visual studies and war and trauma studies.

Exploring Ecological Issues in Graphic Narratives positions graphic storytelling at the intersection of ecocriticism, environmental justice, and Comics Studies. This book argues that ecological catastrophe is not only a scientific or policy crisis but also a crisis of representation, set against the backdrop of climate change, biodiversity loss, and systemic environmental inequity.While ecocriticism has expanded significantly, this book largely focuses on canonical prose, overlooking the multimodal and spatial possibilities of graphic narratives. It critically engages with the Anthropocene, highlighting the deep connections between environmental degradation and colonialism, capitalism, caste oppression, and gendered exploitation. Through global case studies—including Indigenous resistance in Canada’s oil sands, Dalit environmental aesthetics in India, Japanese eco-dystopian manga, and urban human-animal reconfigurations—it explores how graphic narratives depict “slow violence,” express nonhuman agency, and challenge anthropocentric binaries.Part of the Global Perspectives in Comics Studies series, this book addresses the multilingual dimensions of the comics medium, often overlooked in ecocriticism, making it a valuable resource for scholars and enthusiasts alike. With its international scope, it will appeal to academics, students, activists, artists, educators, policy-makers, and graphic novel enthusiasts exploring ecological issues, environmental justice, and the interdisciplinary potential of graphic narratives, particularly in regions where comics and graphic novels thrive.