Specifics of Geek Culture and Identity Processes among the Youth of Kazakhstan: A Case Study of Fan Comics

Introduction. The article examines the peculiarities of the spread and perception of geek culture in the comic book format and the shaping of identity among Kazakhstan’s teenagers on this basis. The relevance of the research is substantiated by the rapid development of subcultures on a global scale and their competition for influence and creative content with the media. The topic is also interesting in the context of the sociocultural development of the younger generation of Kazakhstan. Goals. The article aims to analyze the peculiarities of the consumption of comic book culture and the super subculture of geeks by the youth audience of Kazakhstan (aged 12 to 16) in relation to the shaping of their identity. Materials and methods. The study explores materials collected in 2022–2024 and involves such tools as descriptions, reviews (theoretical basis), surveys (questionnaires), analyses, and statistical methods. Results. The research reveals both positive and negative factors of the impact of comics and geek culture on teenagers in Kazakhstan: positive self-image through socialization with a group of comic book fans, the desire for interaction, the development of imagination but also — decreased self-esteem and crisis of self-identification, response to comic book images (mirroring of ‘I’), imitation of characters, the formation of a ‘geek identity’ through manipulation and simulacra. Conclusions. The works defines the types of geeks and various forms of adolescent identity, such as advertising, artificial, occupational ones. The concept of ‘geek identity’ (according to E. Erikson) is considered as a form of identification of a person (self-identity) with the media industry, awareness of belonging to a certain group of fans, and a way of mastering reality.

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