Project Methodology
Research Questions
These research questions informed the primary directions of the research efforts for Miraclemapped.
How did comic book fandom materialize from letter columns?
How did readerly perceptions on a revisionist comics narrative change across distinctive geographies?
How do fan letters written to Miracleman recontextualize its contentious history of publication within the broader paradigm of comics IP ownership?
Analytical Approach
Thematic and geohistorical analysis
Miraclemapped conducts a thematic and geohistorical analysis of fan letters written to Marvelman and Miracleman through transcription, spatial information, and geocentric search functions.
Geospatial mapping
Through Omeka S, geospatial mapping understates a critical role in determining the overall scope and primary intent of Miraclemapped. Using the platform’s proprietary Mapping module, which is powered by Leaflet with map data from OpenStreetMap, every individual letter item has been tagged with approximate geospatial info for added insight into their engagement with the comic.
Centering lost fandoms
Even with Marvel Comics releasing multiple editions of the Miracleman stories in a variety of trade paperback and hardback formats, the fan letters have never been included in any one of them. This underscores the core intent behind Miraclemapped which aims to shed light on a slew of analytical and cultural possibilities offered by these letters, what they contain, and where they came from.
Project Gaps
Sentiment analysis
Specific sentiment analysis to gauge the authorial intent of every letter remains to be implemented in the project. Utilizing a two-level coding scheme via a Likert scale and relevant thematic codes will help in extracting more emotive insights and differences across locations.
Database expansion
The Omeka S implementation allows for more letter items to be added to the project at a later date, due to its high compatibility with digital exhbits in academic environments. At present, the number of letters are significant for the purposes of our analysis. However, more items will result in a more granular and detailed analysis which takes broader cues from the prevailing sociopolitical and cultural contexts of the time.
Copyright issues
With Marvel Comics holding the copyright to Miracleman currently, the project faced barriers in incorporating a design aesthetic that could directly invoke the comic. The letterwriters' names were also anonymized to address potential privacy concerns, but the community outreach tool can help fill in gaps depending on audience input(s).