The Transformative Role of Digital Tools in Comic Book Preservation

Vladimir Popov

doi:10.25038/am.v0i28.564

Authors

Vladimir Popov Artist/PhD student, Zrenjanin, Serbia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25038/am.v0i28.564

Keywords:

digital; archive; comic books; restoration; recoloring; reimagining.

Abstract

Traditionally viewed as static repositories, archives are now seen as dynamic entities capable of continuous reconfiguration and reinterpretation. This study examines how digital practices in comic book archiving maintain historical and emotional integrity, while making these artefacts relevant to contemporary audiences. This paper explores the theories of Wolfgang Ernst, Michel Foucault, Lev Manovich, and others in order to explain digital archiving as a dynamic and interpretive act that shapes historical narratives and cultural memory. Digital restoration of comic books focuses on preserving the original aesthetic and historical context, while recoloring revitalizes visual elements to enhance appeal. Reimagining involves comprehensive reinterpretation and aligns with new media theories in order to offer fresh perspectives on historical narratives. The discussion shows how these practices democratize access to cultural heritage, transforming archives into active sites of cultural engagement and potentiality. By balancing technical precision and interpretive insight, digital artists and archivists aim at ensuring that comic books remain vibrant and meaningful cultural treasures for future generations.

Author Biography

Vladimir Popov, Artist/PhD student, Zrenjanin, Serbia

Vladimir Popov (b.1982) was born in Zrenjanin, Serbia. He graduated from the Technical Faculty Mihajlo Pupin in Zrenjanin with an MSc in Information Technologies. He continued his education at the Faculty of Media and Communications in Belgrade, where he is currently a PhD student at the program of Transdisciplinary Studies of Contemporary Art and Media. During his professional artist career, he worked in the field of commercial illustration and comic book sequential storytelling for various US and European publishers such as Dark Horse, Vault Comics, Top Cow, Image Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, Stela, DoubleTake, Z2 Comics, Scout Comics, Wired Magazine, Soleil, Glenat, La Feltrinelli, and others on high-profile licensed titles such as Clive Barker's Hellraiser & Next Testament, Robocop, Steed and Mrs. Peel, Noir, Pathfinder, Cartoon Network's Adventure Time & Amazing World of Gumball, Maze Runner and other creator-owned titles, multimedia projects, crypto art, etc. He published “Contemporary Aesthetics of NFTs: How and Why Are They Art?” paper in AM Journal of Art and Media Studie No. 29 in 2022. His second paper “The Joker: Transmedial Literacy of the Comic Book Character” for Transmedia Applications in Literacy Fields anthology will be published in 2024 by IGI Global publishing house.

References

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The Transformative Role of Digital Tools in Comic Book Preservation

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Author Biography

Vladimir Popov, Artist/PhD student, Zrenjanin, Serbia

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