Bart Beaty opens with a statement comparing the history of comics to geological change, emphasizing slow accumulation over revolutionary rupture. Eszter Szép responds in comic form, expanding on Beaty’s metaphor while drawing on her experience as a scholar and organizer in Hungary. Her comic reflects on the social dynamics of comics-making, the aspirational power of book-format publication, and the global influence of Anglophone academic canons. She critiques the narrowness of literary validation and canon formation, while also acknowledging the accessibility and visibility that canonized works can offer. Szép highlights alternative formats such as comics magazines and zines as vital spaces of interaction and inspiration, especially in non-Anglophone contexts. In his reply, Beaty reflects on the limits of individual scholarly knowledge and affirms the value of curiosity and humility in navigating the global terrain of comics.