Intersectional Feminist Readings of Comics: Interpreting Gender in Graphic Narratives

Intersectional Feminist Readings of Comics is a collection of essays that apply an intersectional feminist lens to interpret contemporary North American graphic narratives. It examines how superhero comics and adaptations reify, revise, and reject gender parity, systemic misogyny, and heteropatriarchy, and how feminist interpretive practices illuminate the radical work of cartoonists from historically marginalized communities. The collection is suitable for students and scholars in gender studies, cultural studies, media studies, and literary studies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 178 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Intersectional Feminist Readings of Comics is a groundbreaking collection of theoretically informed close readings of comics and graphic literature that apply an intersectional feminist lens to interpret several contemporary North American graphic narratives. The essays employ a diverse range of interpretive lenses drawn from theoretical models in contemporary aesthetics, media studies, and literary criticism to analyze mainstream characters such as DC's Catwoman and Marvel's Miss America and Doctor Strange, contextualize historical and speculative comics by Indigenous American illustrators, and explicate autography by critically lauded Jewish, queer, and female cartoonists.

In the first half of the book, the chapters explore how superhero comics and their cinematic and televisual adaptations perpetuate, revise, and challenge gender parity, systemic misogyny, and heteropatriarchy through visual and textual rhetorics of representation. In the second part of the volume, the chapters examine how feminist interpretive practices shed light on the radical work undertaken by cartoonists from historically marginalized communities in the United States and Canada. Throughout both halves, readers will find insightful and innovative applications of longstanding feminist critical traditions, such as ecofeminism, as well as new intersectional extrapolations of narratology, autobiographical studies, and visual rhetoric, which have been applied to the selected comics in profound and thought-provoking ways.

This collection is a vibrant and diverse resource suitable for students and scholars in gender studies, cultural studies, media studies, and literary studies. It offers a comprehensive exploration of the intersectional feminist readings of comics and graphic literature, providing valuable insights into the complex ways in which these mediums shape our understanding of gender, race, sexuality, and power.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367704728