Internet, the Paradise Lost of comics? Observations on the constraints behind publishing webcomics, based on interviews with francophone authors

Abstract

Digital comics, especially when published online, such as on blogs or social media, are often associated with notions of freedom and unlimited possibilities and limits. This idea is widely shared in the media, and it is common to encounter headlines such as ‘Instagram, comics paradise?’ (Beaux-Arts Magazine), ‘comics have found a new Eldorado in Instagram’ (CNews), ‘comics are particularly well suited to Instagram’s visual format’ (Numéro) and ‘what if Instagram is the network best suited for comics?’ (Nouvel Obs). This idea is shared by the artists themselves, as it appears clearly in their speeches and self-representations. This contribution, based in part on more than thirty interviews with francophone digital cartoonists, aims to question this alleged ‘total freedom’. First, it investigates the reasons for this common representation of a wider freedom associated with digital comics more than books, mainly due to the absence of editorial filters. Then, it shows how, instead, a significant number of filters apply that challenge the purported freedom of digital media. These filters are varied in nature and relate to very different issues, such as the difficulty of getting paid when distributing only online, which leads to the self-restriction of signing a contract with publishers or the need to establish partnerships with institutions; the website and platforms’ general conditions of use; and simply the lack of time and material due to the absence of a sustainable economic structure, among other factors. Finally, the contribution focuses on the specific limitations imposed by social media, as many contemporary digital comics are posted on Instagram: the interface, terms of use and algorithm have massive effects on the content, style, drawings themselves and narrative construction.