Comics Fandom
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| See also: | Webcomics, Donaldism, Fanwank, Media Fandom |
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Comics Fandom is a broad term for the various fanac, fanworks, and communities developed around comic books. In the US context, comics fandom often refers to DC or Marvel comics, but there are many other publishers (and many different flavors of fannish source texts). Generally speaking, comics fandom does not exclusively refer to English-language comics, but is distinct from manga fandom.
Comic fans have a long history of creating their own catalogues and databases to keep track of continuity and issues.
History
Underground Comics
Underground comics or Comix as they are commonly called, were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. They were published by smaller independent companies and emphasized things that were forbidden in mainstream comics thanks to Comics Code Authority, including graphic depictions of sex, drugs, and violence.
The Big Two
In the American comic book industry, the Big Two refers to the two largest publishers: DC Comics and Marvel Comics.
Some comics fans criticize the Big Two for dominating the industry with the superhero genre, eclipsing the wider potential for comics as a more diverse storytelling medium.
DC Comics Fandom
Marvel Fandom
Since the release of The Avengers film in 2012, the lines between comics fandom and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have blurred.
Learning curve
Some have complained of barriers to entry in reading Big Two comics.
The difficulty is often attributed to the long and complicated lore of comic storylines. Some have speculated that manga is more accessible and beginner-friendly.
Look at the number of people who complained that there were too many villains in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 [the 2014 movie]. In comics we’ll often have 5 or more major villains in a single issue, but that’s because comic readers are usually familiar with most, if not all, of the characters in a comic they’re reading. This is also why new comic readers get easily put off. They open a comic and see 10 people who they’ve never heard of, and they’re not sure how to connect to these pre-existing characters and make sense of their words, actions, and relationships.
Gender & Comics Fandom
Meta
- Captwinghead - black content creator who does critical analysis of comics and comics fandom; frequently discusses issues that are important to queer BIPOC fans and creators.
References
| Related Links | |
| People | Alan Moore - Marc Guggenheim - Neil Gaiman - Terry Moore |
| Places | Alt.comic.fan-fiction - Calgary Comic Expo - Maui Comic Con - CFAN |
| Things | Fanwank - Free Comic Book Day |