Alternative comics

The term "alternative comics" is one of several labels applied to a range of comics that have appeared since about 1980, in the wake of the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 70s. Typically, these are authored independently by a single creator; they are aimed at adult readers and are often formally experimental. The works in question have variously been labelled "post-underground," "independent,", "small press," "new wave," or "art comics." Many self-published "minicomics" also fall under the "alternative" umbrella.

Related Topics:
Comics - Underground comix - Small press - Minicomics

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These works present an alternative to the "mainstream" comics which dominate the US comic book industry (such as the superhero-themed products of Marvel and DC comic companies). Those comics are typically produced by a team of workers operating on tight deadlines: a writer, a penciler, an inker, a letterer, a colorist, and an editor. The subject matter and style of "mainstream" comics is in large part dictated by their publisher, who hires the personnel to produce the comics according to well established conventions of a genre. By contrast, alternative comics are often independently authored and drawn by a single creator and they are published when deemed complete by the author, with little regard for regular distribution schedules. Where the content of "mainstream" comics is influenced by corporate managers attempting to maximize sales, "alternative" comics are often published in small numbers for specialized audiences, which allows for the publication of material that many in a more general readership would likely find obscure or offensive. In all of these ways, "alternative" comics build directly on the precedent set by underground comix.

Related Topics:
Superhero - Marvel - DC - Underground comix

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