Welcome to this final issue of 2021 and it’s a bumper issue. This is our thank you and a surprise present to our readers and researchers. The last two strange years have been difficult for many people around the world but it has not stopped researchers from submitting some wonderful material. We thought that by providing this special issue chock full of articles, interviews and book reviews it would be our way of giving you some good news and several hours of comic book delights.
In this cornucopia of goodies you will find articles about all of the major comics genres, research from around the world on a myriad of topics from production to national narratives, comics form to the cultural and historical context of the comic book. There is also an article in the form of a comic which, considering this is a journal devoted to comics, is long overdue and shows the useful application for a researcher. There are interviews with creators and producers that provide fascinating insights into their inspirations, working practices and publishing practises. There are also illuminating book reviews of academic research on comics and graphic novels. Indeed, as we cannot list all of the contents here, we hope you enjoy dipping into the issue and discovering new insights and inspirations that will inform your own research.
Finally, massive thanks to the researchers who have continued to send us some fantastic material and thank you to the reviewers who give generously of their time and expertise to ensure the rigour of the work we publish.
We look forward to publishing high quality articles, interviews and book reviews from you in 2022.