ABSTRACT
Historically, and perhaps by definition, organizations dedicated to the study of comics have almost all shared the common goal of fostering a greater appreciation of the artistic and cultural value of the medium, be it comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, or something in between. In the beginning, organizations interested in what we now refer to as Comics Studies were not, necessarily, interested in promoting the academic reputation of comics as much as they simply wanted to find others who shared their love of the medium. For academics in the United States, the ICAF played a major role in bringing scholars together in an organization dedicated to the advancement of Comics Studies, particularly for those interested in the interdisciplinary appeal of the medium. The Comics Studies minor at Henderson State University is just the latest example of academic organizations accepting the study of comics as a viable and worthy field of inquiry.
