Casual group-making: Autonomy and informality in the work of comic book creators

Abstract

Although comic books have existed for over a century, the work of their creators remains largely unknown to readers, administrations, researchers and even to authors themselves. This occupation covers a variety of situations in terms of working methods, product content or administrative status. Above all, a large portion of this work is informal. By focusing on the analysis of a sequence extracted from a lengthy ethnographic survey, this article aims to measure the impact of this informality on the constitution of a specific professional group. For this purpose, we identify how a plurality of rules structures the activity of comic book authors. Indeed, these rules allow us to understand how specific professional styles are defined. Moreover, understanding how these rules and styles are discussed helps to explain the practical bases of professional autonomy. Finally, the analysis shows that the informality inherent to this occupation is both a resource and a barrier to the autonomisation of comic book authors, as well as to the formation of the professional group.