Previous studies of comic books and comic book fans have focused on concrete uses of comics within the subculture and the meanings that readers derive from comic book content. Using Anne Swidler’s “cultural toolkit” approach to link... more
Previous studies of comic books and comic book fans have focused on concrete uses of comics within the subculture and the meanings that readers derive from comic book content. Using Anne Swidler’s “cultural toolkit” approach to link culture with social action, contributor Adriana Estrada Wilson instead explores how social actors transform their experiences in comic book fandom into resources applicable to various aspects of their everyday life. Interviewees recruited from the regulars of a local comic shop not only constituted a subculture but also used comics and their interest in them to navigate the broader social world.
