Critical Approaches to Comics：Theories and Methods

This collection is intended to serve as a widely representative, but not exhaustive, introduction to the different ways in which comics are studied across academic disciplines. The 21 chapters presented by Smith (communication, Wittenberg U.) and Duncan (Henderson State U.) address "the formal techniques of comics storytelling, the content of their messages, the industrial practices that produce them, the social contexts that inform their meanings, and the ways audiences receive, interpret, and respond to them." In addition to describing methodologies, the contributions also demonstrate their application to specific subjects, with the chapter on the political economy of production approach, just to cite one example, discussing the manipulation of consumer demand in relation to "The Death of Superman." Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Matthew J. Smith is Professor of Communication at Wittenberg University. He regularly teaches "Graphic Storytelling" and leads an annual field study at Comic-Con International. Recent books include The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture (with Randy Duncan) and Online Communication: Linking Technology, Culture, and Identity (with Andrew F. Wood).

Randy Duncan is Professor of Communication at Henderson State University. He is co-author of The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture (with Matthew J. Smith). Duncan is a co-founder (with Peter Coogan) of the Comics Arts Conference, and serves on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Comic Art and the Board of Directors of the Institute for Comics Studies. He was recently presented the Inkpot Award for Achievement in Comic Arts during the Pioneers of Comics Scholarship panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego.