The current international influence of female creators in the webtoon industry of South Korea challenges gender barriers within the traditionally male-dominated comic and film sector. Through mixed methodology, this case study combines qualitative content analysis of webtoons created by South Korean women and their K-drama adaptations with quantitative data from media organizations, government, and statistical reports. The study explores the gendered narratives of these webtoon stories, their global reach, and how webtoon applications and streaming platforms have facilitated their access and success in the comic and film industries, reaching a vast international audience. When adapted into K-dramas for popular services, the commercial success of these webtoons not only dispels the myth of niche female stories but also underscores the vast market potential for diverse storytelling. These women narratives from South Korea, a country that low-ranked 105th out of 146 countries in the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report, transcend cultural barriers by embracing their unique experiences, offering innovative perspectives addressing social and gender issues of the intimate and public sphere and profound reflections of human connection and expression, resonating deeply with audiences worldwide.

This article discusses two American pro-choice comics in the wider context of graphic biofiction. One is the now legendary Joyce Farmer and Lyn Chevli’s Abortion Eve (1973) and the other is Leah Hayes’s Not Funny Ha Ha: A Handbook for Something Hard (2015). While both texts were published 40 years apart, they are united in their interweaving of the real and the dramatized to tell a story of choice. The article argues that both comics invent/create an ‘everywoman,’ a character whose struggles are empathetic, and in that sense ‘generic,’ enough to make her relatable. Respectively, behind every ‘everywoman’ there lie real stories of individuals whose identity remains hidden, often for fear of public shaming. The methodological framework which comprises biofiction, comics, and feminist studies is further rooted in the bios and zóé distinction, where (every)woman’s story as a reproductive body (zóéfiction) clashes with her selfhood (biofiction). The article argues that how the character and their bodily autonomy are represented in both comics inspires reflection on the role and agency of women in general in the (post) Roe v. Wade United States.

Dear colleagues, Season's greetings! It's that time of the year again. We have wrapped up The Comics Grid's 15th volume, corresponding to 2025.This past year was, once again, an exceptionally …

This article discusses two American pro-choice comics in the wider context of graphic biofiction. One is the now legendary Joyce Farmer and Lyn Chevli’s Abortion Eve (1973) and the other is Leah Hayes...

This article explores the potential of comics as a medium for artist biofiction, focusing on how visual depictions of renowned artists’ lives and works illustrate varying conceptions of biofiction. Through analysis of six artist biofictions – Pablo (Birmant and Oubrerie 2015), Vincent (Stok 2014), Munch (Kverneland 2016), Gauguin (Dori 2017), Andy (Typex 2018), and Magritte (Campi and Zabus 2017) – the study examines how comics create artistic experiences that challenge conventional life writing by blending factual and fictional elements. Distinguishing between comics that reveal an awareness of their narrative construction and those maintaining the integrity of the fourth wall, the paper introduces the concepts of a “biofictional pact” and “metabiofiction” as frameworks to differentiate between self-reflective and traditional approaches to artist biofiction in comics. 

The depiction of illness in comics has garnered increasing scholarly attention since the formalization of graphic medicine. This interdisciplinary field reimagines the affective and sociocultural dime...

The current international influence of female creators in the webtoon industry of South Korea challenges gender barriers within the traditionally male-dominated comic and film sector. Through mixed me...

This article explores the potential of comics as a medium for artist biofiction, focusing on how visual depictions of renowned artists’ lives and works illustrate varying conceptions of biofiction. Th...

This interview with Vincent Hazard explores the creative genesis and collaborative process behind Strange Fruit. La chanson d’Abel (Dupuis, Aire Libre, 2025), a French language graphic novel illustrat...

This interview with Vincent Hazard explores the creative genesis and collaborative process behind Strange Fruit. La chanson d’Abel (Dupuis, Aire Libre, 2025), a French language graphic novel illustrat...

For now, I want to send solidarity to those of you engaged in local disputes, and offer a final thank you for the efforts involved in the ballot campaign.

Ilan Manouach interviewed by Robert Aman.