Resistance and legitimacy in comics:an afrofuturist reading of the Narrativas Periféricas project

Abstract

It investigates expressions of resistance in the Narrativas Periféricas comics project, published in 2020, using Maigret’s concept of “post-legitimate culture” to analyze the dynamics of legitimation within a niche culture. Comics artists from the outskirts of São Paulo, who crowdfund their works, continue to face segregation in a publishing market that favors established characters and brands. The research connects Bourdieu’s concept of “*distinction*” and Quijano’s “coloniality of power” to explore contradictions within the modern/colonial imaginary. The methodology adopts Afrofuturism as an analytical lens, considering comics as a cultural form that navigates between different conditions of legitimacy, reflecting the post-legitimate status of contemporary comics. Thus, it concludes that these narratives challenge hegemonic norms while also reproducing them, revealing a continuous process of resistance by those seeking legitimacy and the norms that endure.