Abstract

The portrayal of comic book characters is often oversexualized, which is intended to boost sales in a market traditionally dominated by male readers. However, the comic book market today has a diverse readership, and women in particular consume more comics than in the past. Against this background, the present study uses a sample of 648 comic book covers to empirically test whether the underlying sex sells logic actually works. In this context, the results of the regression analysis show no evidence that sexualized images are associated with comic book sales. The article provides theoretical explanations for this result and discusses scientific and managerial implications of this finding.

Valentowitsch, Johann (2024) Journal of Managerial Issues, Vol 36, Issue 3, p188