Case Study: xkcd

Created in 2005 by Randall Munroe, xkcd and its familiar stick figure characters have amassed a extensive fan base worldwide. This collection is a case study approach that examines the webcomic from the perspective of all other collection themes. Described as “A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language”, the webcomic’s wide range of humor has transformed Randall’s doodles into a webcomic whose fan social media accounts have over 80k followers. Whether it be how “Time” employs digital affordances, or how the “explain xkcd” forum fosters community building, this collection will demonstrate how the tenets highlighted in the other collections can interact within a single comic.