Comic Books Can Reveal Cultural Trends

Graphic narratives, or comics, are currently the focus of a new type of scientific study, one that aims to extract entire cultural trends out of the way comic strips are put together. The subjects they deal with are also of great interest to scientists.

One of the most interesting things for researchers is observing how these comics reflect what experts refer to as the increasing hybridization of art and culture in the digital age. A team at the Stanford University created the Graphic Narrative Project exclusively for studying this dynamic art form.

“In an increasingly visual world, filled with film and easy access to millions of pictures, understanding how people conceptualize their worlds is very important,” Graphic Narrative Project member and Modern Thought and Literature PhD Vanessa Chang explains, quoted by Science Blog.