Stephan Packard

Stephan Packard is a Professor for Cultures and Theories of Popularity at the Institute for Media Culture and Theatre at the University of Cologne, where he has held a full professorship since 2017. Previously, he served as Junior Professor for Media Cultural Studies at Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (2010-2017) and was repeatedly an acting professor for Cultures and Theories of Popularity at the University of Cologne (2015-2017).

His research focuses on media control (including censorship, surveillance, and propaganda), popular visual cultures with particular emphasis on comics research, and the complex relationships between factuality, fictionality, and virtuality. As a media semiotician and discourse analyst, Packard examines how meaning is constructed across different media forms and how power operates through media systems.

Packard's scholarly output shows a clear trend toward examining the intersections of comics studies with broader media theory, political philosophy, and critical social analysis. His recent publications increasingly address digital sovereignty, algorithmic control, and the transformation of media landscapes in the digital age, while maintaining his foundational work in comics theory and media semiotics. His research connects historical analysis of media forms with contemporary concerns about digital media power structures.

• Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize of the German Research Foundation (2015)

Packard leads several significant research projects including the OER-Verbundprojekt 'Comicforschung.nrw,' 'The Adventure as a Popular Nomad: Transformations of Adventure Narratives in Comics,' and the 'Glossary of Digital Sovereignty.' He is actively involved in multiple academic networks including the Global South Studies Center (since 2025), the Key Profile Area Skills and Structures in Language and Cognition (since 2024), and was the first chairman of the Society for Comics Research (ComFor) from 2013-2019. His work bridges theoretical media studies with practical concerns about digital citizenship and media literacy in contemporary society.