Presentation at 2020 HUGSA Conference, Designing the Self, organized by the Humanities Graduate Student Association at York University.

Abstract:

Comics culture and comics fandom have become mainstream by transcending “economic class, race, region, educational attainment, and […] gender” (Salkowitz, 2019, p.17). The rise of comics culture is evidenced by the growth of Comic-Con International. Started in 1969, Comic-Con has grown from a single-day event, attracting 145 people, to a multi-day, multi-site phenomenon bringing together nearly 150,000 people to celebrate all that is comics, film and television.

Similarly, tattoo culture has become more mainstream. According to a 2015 Harris Poll, approximately 29% of Americans had a tattoo – an increase of 8% from their previous study in 2011 (Shannon-Missal, 2016). No longer confined to the arms of military service men or hardened criminals, “tattoos are perceived as works of art” (Brugnoni, 2016, p.2). They’re not “random or meaningless, but are rooted in deep historical contexts” (ibid). Adding to the legitimacy of the tattoo industry, tattoo artists train in graphic design and visual arts, and attend conferences to hone their skills and learn new techniques. Many also specialize in specific styles – black and white, portrait, tribal, script, and comics art, to name a few.

As a tattooed researcher, I examined the intersection of comics fandom and tattoo culture at the 50th edition of Comic-Con in particular. Using an ethnographic approach, this paper considers how and why Comic-Con attendees express their fandom through tattoos and how these tattoos are connected with their experience of fandom and of Comic-Con. It also explores the impact of Comic-Con on the local tattoo industry in San Diego.