US vs UK comics: cultural contrasts, superheroes and creative innovation
A bit of a discursive one: I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what product I'm selling? No. Do I know what I'm doing today? No. But I'm here, and I'm gonna give it my best shot.
I was recently commissioned to draw Storm, the iconic African goddess, mutant weather controller and team member in Marvel’s X-Men comics lineup.
It was for my brother-in-law’s partner’s birthday and an odd request for me. I don’t normally illustrate a lot of The Big Two[1] characters. Yes, I occasionally doodle a Batman, say — who doesn’t? — but prefer my own characters.
Anyhow, I posted an image of the final product to Twitter (yes, I'm that desperate for attention) and the reaction to the piece was surprising. As of now, when I write this, she’s received close to 7,000 views, been “liked” 231 times and retweeted (the highest compliment I can get, honestly) 43 times.
Now this is not unusual, in that original art I post tends to get more attention on my Twitter feed, especially because I follow so many artists and readers of comics, but I don't usually experience this much interest.
[I need to stop here for a moment and assure you that I'm not trying to brag — well, maybe a little bit because I desperately need validation. I mention it, humbly, despite it being an incredible Piece of Art, to demonstrate how American comics-consumption culture differs from my only other point of reference, the U.K. scene.]
Comparing Cultures on Consuming Comics
I wasn’t fully aware, I think, of one key point: How focused the U.S. comic market is primarily on superheroes and action-adventure genres.
The European comic market tends to have a broader range of genres and themes, from science fiction to historical fiction, with a greater emphasis on graphic novels and bande dessinée[2]. The U.S. market is also dominated by a few major publishers, while Europe has a more diverse range of publishers, artists and styles. Additionally, readership in the U.S. tends to be younger and more male-dominated, while in Europe, comics are often read by a wider range of demographics.
The comic scenes in both the U.K. (and Europe) and the U.S. are diverse and multifaceted, so there will always be exceptions and variations within each country.
Unique cultural backgrounds and historical influences have shaped the U.S. and U.K. comic scenes into distinct entities, each offering a rich tapestry of artistic expression and narratives that reflect the societies from which they emerged.
U.S. comics have been superhero oriented since the birth of the genre in the 1930s. The mid-20th century rise of publishers like Marvel and DC solidified the mainstream dominance of superhero comics for the U.S. scene. Marvel's introduction in the 1960s of complex, flawed heroes and DC's iconic characters like Batman and Wonder Woman, and the recent oversaturation of comic-book-inspired movies, have further fueled the popularity of the genre.
The Comics Code Authority, established in the 1950s in response to unfounded scares about the content of comics, imposed strict regulations on the industry. I’d argue that period of creative constraint stifled experimentation in comics in the U.S. That political hamstringing of the form’s possibilities continues to be felt culturally to this day, as it forced creators into sanitized, kids’ only storytelling.
In contrast, the UK experienced a significant shift in comics during the '70s with the arrival of "2000 AD." This influential publication introduced a grittier, edgier style of storytelling, combining science fiction, fantasy and social commentary. The emergence of talent like Alan Moore, Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman further propelled the U.K. scene into new realms of creativity and experimentation. This new energy eventually led to an inflection point in the U.S. industry. Courted to join the American comic industry, on the verge of extinction in the mid ’80s, these British creators brought a new way of envisioning stories that reinvigorated a fallow readership[3].
Nurturing Innovation: Small-Press Movement and Artistic Freedom
While censorship has been definitively present at the heart of mainstream U.K. comics, it has historically had much less of an impact on a vibrant small-press movement that now drives much of today’s creative comics output. Self-published and independent creators have found welcoming audiences to showcase their work, fostering a culture of artistic freedom and experimentation that was inspired by, and ultimately exceeded, the underground work of the U.S.
U.K. creators often have the freedom to explore unconventional themes, art styles and storytelling techniques, unconstrained by the commercial demands of larger publishers, and they do so in collaborative and supportive communities that are more easily accessible due to more consolidated geography.
The combination of these factors — alternative comics, countercultural influences, interdisciplinary collaborations, supportive communities, and diverse thematic exploration — has created a fertile ground for innovation and experimentation.
Superhero Thirsttrap
Is the U.K.’s small-press scene better? Overall, I believe it is. How shall I frame this more academically? U.K. creators are less driven than U.S. creators to try and be part of the Big Two culture.
In an interview I did last year with Small Press Expo Executive Director Warren Bernard, he remarked about the cursus honorum[4] for U.S. creators to be discovered: Create the comic > hope it goes big > navigate either to Marvel or DC if your work has enough commercial appeal, or head to an animation studio.
For U.S. creators, comics are a steppingstone in personal progression — even Bernard stated that SPX, one of the biggest, finest and most supportive festivals for indie and small-press creators, “is a waystation” on that journey; U.K. creators do comics because they’re passionate about comics for comics’ sake[5].
Part of the reason that U.S. indie creators find it so hard to get a foothold is that U.S. audiences are still deeply entwined in their love affair with and consumption of the superhero genre.
Alternatives to that genre, ones that slide into the slice of life, the abstract, the subversive, the transgressive or experimental, are only attractive to certain niche audiences with a broader grasp of comics pedagogy.
Winning greater awareness, even success, in the U.S. comics industry may rely on leaning into the wants and desires of that thirsty superhero-lovin’ audience. But embracing the diversity within both scenes allows us to appreciate the richness and innovation each has to offer, and offers a pathway for the field to grow.
Hence the unprecedented attention to a piece I wouldn’t normally produce — Storm of the X-Men — as I am culturally enmeshed in and enjoy U.K. comics’ diversity and transcendent subversion of genre. I do love superheroes, though, so … ?
[1] Anytime I mention “The Big Two,” I’m referring to Marvel and DC. Comic nerds will understand, but I want to give the normies some context.
[2] “Bande designee,” the French term for comics, or cartooning, literally means “drawn strips.” The term is often used to refer to comics made in Francophone countries, especially France and Belgium, and the most common format is about 48 pages, with a trim size of about 8 x 11 inches, and either a hard or sturdy paper cover. Commissure so much classier over there.
[3] I could digress here into another full treatise on how the comics boom of the 1990s cemented as predominant a wave of derivative and commercially viable superhero products, and that the commercial drive of the era strangled the risk-taking necessary for innovative storytelling.
[4] The ancient Roman system of political advancement: a sequence of offices held, with each office requiring greater experience and affording a higher level of prestige. C’mon, if you’re reading my column you should know this.
[5] (Look, I understand this is a controversially short and not entirely sophisticated hot take on the complex question of “How to Succeed in Comics.” Both countries are equally passionate, but it seems the goals of that passion, and how creators go about defining “success” in their fields differ.)