Graphic Histories of Technology

This essay explores comics as both historical sources and a distinctive media for narrating the history of technology. While historians have long overlooked comics, the field has increasingly recognized their scholarly potential following Art Spiegelman's Maus and then scholarly interest in works analyzing technology's portrayal in popular culture. Drawing on collaborations between historians and artists-such as the Anne Frank Foundation's Holocaust comics, Oxford's Graphic History Series (including Doom Towns on atomic testing), and the Minett Stories project on the industrial history of Luxembourg-the essay shows how graphic histories employ semi-fictionalization, first-person narration, and visual authentication strategies to balance historical accuracy with engaging storytelling. Rather than merely popularizing historical scholarship, graphic histories constitute a legitimate, distinct mode of historical inquiry, expanding how historians think about evidence, temporality, and audience engagement.