Comparative Dynamics in the Comics Industry

Due to the enormous cultural and economic impact of the Marvel movies, manga and anime, research on the comics industry is growing, but has focused primarily on the US and Japan. This book focusses on the European comics industry to explore the complex impact of organizational and cultural differences in audience behaviors, both in the comics industry specifically, and in the creative industries in general.

Drawing on the author’s research on the contrasting comics culture of the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, the study uses institutional theories and organizational ecology to compare the interactions of publishing organisations with artists, audiences and each other. It combines this with a critical approach to modernization theory to evaluate how historical, cultural and religious factors might impact the audience for comics and how those audiences respond to and interact with this specific creative medium. The book demonstrates the benefits of using combinations of theoretical frameworks to draw out more nuanced interpretations for this and other under-researched creative industry areas.

With its unique insights, this book will be of great interest to researchers in the comics industry, as well as a fascinating contribution to research in cultural-related audience behaviour for all scholars in the creative industries.