10 Unusual Western Comics for National Day of the Cowboy

Posted on July 25, 2024

by Eric S

The Western as a genre has certainly waned in popularity in recent decades, but it continues to be an interesting insight into our American cultural myths—especially the constructed image of the cowboy. Symbolic of individualism, self-determination, and traditional masculinity, cowboys still inform our American identity, seeping into political decisions, gender politics, and pop culture, among many other things. It’s this image, as processed and perpetuated by film, television, and other popular media that remains both captivating and, unfortunately, problematic. However, cowboys are so ingrained in American culture that they’re kind of an unavoidable subject when it comes to fiction. Certainly, many narratives reinforce the troubling aspects of cowboy culture by portraying emotionally repressed, misogynistic loners who would sooner shoot someone than share their feelings, but at the same time, other writers have found clever ways to subvert expectations and genre conventions while critiquing widely accepted views on cowboys, the Wild West, and the Western genre. With that in mind, we’ve selected 10 comics that explore the desolate landscapes, mysterious figures, and violent encounters of this seemingly outdated genre in order to create something unexpected. Each book is available to read for free on hoopla with your library card—no cowboy hat, six-shooter, or tough-guy persona necessary.  

 

For more great comics, make sure to check out the offerings of your local branch as well as the hoopla app. 

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