Contemporary Swedish feminist comics as medium for political activism and critique

The aim of this project is to examine the explosion of feminist comic art in Sweden, popularized by creators such as Liv Strömquist, Nina Hemmingsson, and Sara Granér, among many others. Works by these and other comics artists encompass a multitude of forms, from fiction and autobiography to satire and collage. The project is based on multidisciplinary perspectives and interdisciplinary analyses. The research questions are: 1) In what ways can the comics medium be used to express feminist politics thematically, visually and linguistically? 2) How can verbal and visual expressions of humor, satire and irony function politically? 3) How are constructions of identity, such as gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, religion or ability called into question or renegotiated by the affordances of the comics medium?