Alternative publishing in contemporary Italian comics: The case studies of Canicola, Mammaiuto and Stigma1

Abstract

This article will analyse some noteworthy Italian specialty comic publishers that are combining artistic independence with a ‘new approach’ in production. After an examination of self-publishing, alternative and independent comic publishing and its greatest challenges, the focus will be on three entities that accompanied us through two decades of comics in Italy: the publishing Canicola Edizioni, established in 2004, the self-publishing collective Associazione Mammaiuto, formed in 2011, and the editorial line Progetto Stigma, founded in 2017. We will focus on their different production approaches – use of pre-order, crowdfunding, pre-publication in webcomics, cooperation with other publishing for the distribution, cultural projects around their books – by which they are building their own identity and communities of readers.