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Minicomic
A minicomic is a creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding such as a saddle-stitched or hand-sewn binding. In the United Kingdom and Europe the term small press comic is equivalent with minicomic, reserved for those publications measuring A6 (105 mm × 148 mm) or less.
Minicomics, sometimes called ashcan copies, and sometimes zine comics, are a common inexpensive way for those who want to make their own comics on a very small budget, with mostly informal means of distribution. A number of cartoonists — such as Jessica Abel, Julie Doucet, Art Spiegelman, and Adrian Tomine — started their careers this way and later went on to more traditional types of publishing, while other established artists — such as Matt Feazell and John Porcellino — continue to publish minicomics as their main means of production.
The term "minicomic" was originally used in the United States and has a somewhat confusing history. Originally, it referred only to size: a digest comic measured 5.5 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall, while a minicomic was 5.5 inches by 4.25 inches.[citation needed]
Currently, there is no standard format for a minicomic. Anything between something the size of a postage stamp to regular comic book size can be considered a minicomic. The term "minicomic" is used in a more general sense, emphasizing the publication's handmade, informal aspect rather than the format. By this loose definition, a single photocopied page folded in quarters would still be a minicomic, but so would a thicker digest-sized comic, or even a large, elaborate, and relatively expensive photocopied booklet with a silkscreened cover. Even some professionally printed and bound booklets are referred to as minicomics, as long as they are published by the artist and marketed in minicomic venues, but this usage is controversial.[citation needed] Some of these "higher-quality" minicomics are due to the evolution of technology - many technological advancements have made DIY production more accessible, allowing for the production quality of the minicomics to be innovated. This heightened production quality could be anything from more sophisticated color palettes to using unconventional paper stock.
Many minicomics are non-standard comic book sizes for aesthetic reasons,[citation needed] or are often connected to graphic design and book print "tricks" to look good.[citation needed] Many of these typical sizes are convenient for artists using standard office supplies: a US letter page can be folded in half to make a digest, or in quarters for a minicomic. These comics are generally photocopied, although some are produced in larger quantities using offset printing.
In North America, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia, minicomics are rarely found in traditional "direct market" comic-book stores; they are often sold directly by the artist at book fairs or through the mail, ordered from websites, or handled by small bookstores and distributors that carry zines. In terms of production and distribution issues and their audience, minicomics—of all of the sizes and types mentioned above—have much more in common with each other, and with zines, than with any traditionally published comics.[citation needed] In Europe many specialized comic books stores have a special little corner dedicated to the odd off-size little self-printed books.[citation needed] At comic book conventions, such as the one in Angoulême, there are large markets where the little books are available. Because most of the books are rather cheap and were printed in limited quantities (usually a run of 200 copies or so, but sometimes lower than 50), they have become a target of collecters.[citation needed]
Minicomics typically have no editorial oversight, and both their content and quality vary widely. Many of the creators of minicomics do not expect to make a significant amount of money, or even cover their costs, with the price they charge for their comics.[citation needed] Due to this nature of minicomics not being profit-generators, there is oftentimes a higher feeling of freedom in their creation. Jeffery Brown notes, "The great thing about zines is, because they're expected to lose money, there's no economic imperative at work, so you get a purity to the art that rarely happens elsewhere in 'normal' publishing."
The earliest and most popular comics in mini- and digest sizes—predating not only the term minicomic, but even the standard comic-book format—were the anonymous and pornographic Tijuana bibles of the 1920s.
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Minicomic
A minicomic is a creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding such as a saddle-stitched or hand-sewn binding. In the United Kingdom and Europe the term small press comic is equivalent with minicomic, reserved for those publications measuring A6 (105 mm × 148 mm) or less.
Minicomics, sometimes called ashcan copies, and sometimes zine comics, are a common inexpensive way for those who want to make their own comics on a very small budget, with mostly informal means of distribution. A number of cartoonists — such as Jessica Abel, Julie Doucet, Art Spiegelman, and Adrian Tomine — started their careers this way and later went on to more traditional types of publishing, while other established artists — such as Matt Feazell and John Porcellino — continue to publish minicomics as their main means of production.
The term "minicomic" was originally used in the United States and has a somewhat confusing history. Originally, it referred only to size: a digest comic measured 5.5 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall, while a minicomic was 5.5 inches by 4.25 inches.[citation needed]
Currently, there is no standard format for a minicomic. Anything between something the size of a postage stamp to regular comic book size can be considered a minicomic. The term "minicomic" is used in a more general sense, emphasizing the publication's handmade, informal aspect rather than the format. By this loose definition, a single photocopied page folded in quarters would still be a minicomic, but so would a thicker digest-sized comic, or even a large, elaborate, and relatively expensive photocopied booklet with a silkscreened cover. Even some professionally printed and bound booklets are referred to as minicomics, as long as they are published by the artist and marketed in minicomic venues, but this usage is controversial.[citation needed] Some of these "higher-quality" minicomics are due to the evolution of technology - many technological advancements have made DIY production more accessible, allowing for the production quality of the minicomics to be innovated. This heightened production quality could be anything from more sophisticated color palettes to using unconventional paper stock.
Many minicomics are non-standard comic book sizes for aesthetic reasons,[citation needed] or are often connected to graphic design and book print "tricks" to look good.[citation needed] Many of these typical sizes are convenient for artists using standard office supplies: a US letter page can be folded in half to make a digest, or in quarters for a minicomic. These comics are generally photocopied, although some are produced in larger quantities using offset printing.
In North America, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia, minicomics are rarely found in traditional "direct market" comic-book stores; they are often sold directly by the artist at book fairs or through the mail, ordered from websites, or handled by small bookstores and distributors that carry zines. In terms of production and distribution issues and their audience, minicomics—of all of the sizes and types mentioned above—have much more in common with each other, and with zines, than with any traditionally published comics.[citation needed] In Europe many specialized comic books stores have a special little corner dedicated to the odd off-size little self-printed books.[citation needed] At comic book conventions, such as the one in Angoulême, there are large markets where the little books are available. Because most of the books are rather cheap and were printed in limited quantities (usually a run of 200 copies or so, but sometimes lower than 50), they have become a target of collecters.[citation needed]
Minicomics typically have no editorial oversight, and both their content and quality vary widely. Many of the creators of minicomics do not expect to make a significant amount of money, or even cover their costs, with the price they charge for their comics.[citation needed] Due to this nature of minicomics not being profit-generators, there is oftentimes a higher feeling of freedom in their creation. Jeffery Brown notes, "The great thing about zines is, because they're expected to lose money, there's no economic imperative at work, so you get a purity to the art that rarely happens elsewhere in 'normal' publishing."
The earliest and most popular comics in mini- and digest sizes—predating not only the term minicomic, but even the standard comic-book format—were the anonymous and pornographic Tijuana bibles of the 1920s.