Searching for the comic book scholar : an autoethnographic study of educators' experiences with comic books

Abstract

This study presents an in-depth look at academics who identify as comic book scholars. Comic scholars do not travel the same paths as most other scholars, melding fandom with their scholarly pursuits. Through autoethnography and interviews with 21 other self-identify comic scholars, it is found that this group is unique in their definition, their goals, and their identity. While there is no guarantee of a job in the sparse field of comic studies, these educators continue to create a space in the academic environment for themselves and for future comic scholars.