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Wershler, Darren, Kalervo Sinervo, and Shannon Tien. "Unauthorized Comic Book Scanners." Educational, Psychological, and Behavioral Considerations in Niche Online Communities. Eds. Vivek Venkatesh, et al. Hershey: IGI Global, 2014. 322–46. Added by: joachim (11/18/20, 11:37 AM) Last edited by: joachim (11/18/20, 11:55 AM) |
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| Resource type: Book Chapter Language: en: English DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-5206-4.ch019 BibTeX citation key: Wershler2014 Email resource to friend View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Archive, Distribution, Empirical research, Ethics, Fandom, Subculture Creators: Castro, Lewis, Sinervo, Tien, Venkatesh, Wallin, Wershler Publisher: IGI Global (Hershey) Collection: Educational, Psychological, and Behavioral Considerations in Niche Online Communities |
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This chapter uses theories of circulation, subculture, and materiality to discuss the activities of unauthorized comic book scanners or “pirates,” and the mechanisms by which they structure their community. The discussion is drawn from a body of quantitative data collected by observing the circulation of unauthorized comic scans through several BitTorrent Websites between 2005 and 2012. The authors also examine the public discourse of scanners themselves—showcased through various anonymous interviews—as part of an investigation into the scanners’ identification with a system of ethics that validates their dissemination of unauthorized content in the name of preservation or “digital archiving.” Lastly, the authors propose a methodology for the study of digital media as “space-biased” and circulatory rather than archival. Though comic book scanners may identify themselves as digital archivists, they are somewhat unreliable for actual preservation. However, the ongoing existence of their community, despite the illegal, anonymous, and ephemeral nature of their work, invites one to consider the merits of a knowledge propagation model based on dissemination over preservation.
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