To Problem of Defining the Influence of Comics on Media Culture and Media Studies

Abstract

The relevance of the article derives from increasing popularity of comics, which forms a certain need for qualitative research of this phenomenon. The purpose of the article is to identify the dominant research points of view on the concept of “comics” in media studies, as well as to spot out problematic aspects in the issue of evaluating the influence of comics on modern media culture and society. The research methodology can be considered as traditional for works which are devoted to the study of comics and is based on a structural-semiotic approach. The need to use this methodology is determined by the narrative specifi cs of comics, based on its semiotics, which combines verbal and non-verbal narrative elements within a single system. The study focuses on revealing the specifi c aspects of the two dominant positions regarding the defi nition of comics and spotting out problematic aspects which are common for the most studies based on these points of view. The fi rst position defi nes comics as a genre, while the second identifi es it as a narrative format. The results of the study showed that due to the key differences in the defi nition of nature of comics, existing points of view assess the impact of the comics on culture and society differently. The position which defi nes comics as a genre mainly concentrates on the social aspects of comics as a cultural phenomenon, without taking into account aspects related to the narrative specifi cs and the form of this phenomenon. Meanwhile the point of view which considers comics as a narrative format, on the contrary, shifts the focus of attention towards the linguistic aspects of comic books without taking into consideration its social and cultural characteristics. Despite the fact that each of the defi ned positions is applicable to a specifi c fi eld of knowledge, these gaps in modern studies do not allow to formulate comprehensive defi nition for comics and properly assess its impact on society and culture. Keywords: comics, popular culture, transmedia storytelling, narrative form, creolized text