In recent years, the scope of girlhood studies has included the investigation of a wide range of cultural artifacts and media that shape, reflect, and challenge society's prescriptive notions of girlhood. These artifacts include podcasts, girlfestos, fan fiction and, as this special issue highlights, comics. As Nicoletta Mandolini, Lisa Maya Quaianni Manuzzato, and Eva Van de Wiele, the guest editors of this special issue demonstrate, comics have emerged as a particularly rich and multifaceted medium in which to explore the complexities of girl culture, identity formation, and representation. In this special issue of Girlhood Studies Mel Gibson from the United Kingdom focuses on New Zealand, Lan Dong from the United States considers the work of a first-generation Filipino Egyptian American, Italian Simona di Martino looks at an Italian franchise while American Brianna Anderson focuses on Vietnamese graphic novels and Katlin Sweeney Romero from the United States considers the work of a Latina born in America. Then Charlotte Fabricius from Denmark looks at Danish publishing while Italian Nicoletta Mandolini interviews a Portuguese author. Also from Portugal, Ana Matilde Sousa focuses on girls in general in her visual essay while Eva Van de Wiele from Belgium considers the work of a German comics author.
These contributors explore the intricate relationship between comics and girlhood to show us how this visual-textual medium contributes to our understanding of girls’ experiences and challenges in contemporary society. Comics, with their unique blend of visual storytelling and textual narrative, offer a distinctive perspective from which to examine the nuances of how girlhoods are constructed, negotiated, and reimagined across different cultural contexts.
Comics often serve as sites of identification and inspiration for young readers in offering models of agency, resilience, and empowerment. Examining girls’ responses to and interactions with comics can give us a deeper understanding of how these texts contribute to identity formation and self-expression. The increasing significance of women and girls as creators, editors, and consumers of comics has led to shifts in content, aesthetics, and marketing strategies. This transformation of the comics landscape raises important questions about authorship, authenticity, and the commercialization of girl culture. The relevance of comics to girlhood studies is further underscored by the medium's ability to address complex social issues in accessible and engaging ways. Many contemporary comics tackle themes such as body image, sexuality, gender identity, racial and ethnic diversity, and various other points of intersectionality. These works not only reflect the diverse realities of girlhood but also serve as powerful tools for education, empowerment, and social change.
The global reach of comics allows for cross-cultural comparisons of girlhood experiences since they offer a window into how girlhood is conceptualized and experienced across different cultural contexts. This comparative perspective enriches our understanding of the universal and culturally specific aspects of growing up as a girl in today's interconnected world since comics often address the complex interplay of social categories in shaping girls’ experiences and may challenge dominant discourses about girlhood in different cultural contexts.
By exploring these questions and others, the contributors to this special issue demonstrate the significant contributions that comics can make to our understanding of girlhood in all its complexity and diversity. It is our hope that this collection will inspire further research at the intersection of comics and girlhood studies in encouraging scholars to engage with this rich medium as a vital resource for understanding and theorizing girlhood in the 21st century. As comics continue to evolve and diversify, they offer an ever-expanding canvas for exploring the multifaceted nature of girlhood, inviting us to reimagine the possibilities for girls’ voices, stories, and futures.
We are very grateful to Eva Van de Wiele for her sterling work in helping so generously to keep the whole process of producing this issue smooth and fluent. She undertook a great number of administrative tasks with friendly efficiency, impressive promptness, and boundless willingness. Thank you, Eva.