Gotta Study ’Em All
Understanding the Cultural Impact of 30 Years of Pokémon
Gotta Study ’Em All
Understanding the Cultural Impact of 30 Years of Pokémon
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Description
Gotta Study 'Em All is a scholarly exploration of Pokémon as the world's most valuable media franchise and a cultural icon during its thirty years of existence 1996-2026.
According to figures published by Time magazine (2024) and Statista (2021), Pokémon is currently the world's most valuable media franchise. Pokémon encompasses console and mobile games, animated series, movies, trading cards, and various other merchandise. Celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2026, Pokémon today is a globally known cultural icon.
This book consists of a range of scholars that explain from various perspectives the popularity and motivational pull of the Pokémon franchise. The chapters are divided into four sections: “Pokémon as lasting phenomenon” focuses on what characteristics and dimensions of Pokémon have contributed to its generational prevalence; “Building blocks of the Pokémon franchise” explores central recurring elements in the franchise and how they shape and form franchise products; “Pokémon fandom and communities” dives into the Pokémon fan communities and the social side of the franchise; and “Cultural influences in and of Pokémon” offers perspectives on lasting global cultural impacts of Pokémon. Together, these perspectives offer an updated view on the Pokémon franchise as a whole and provide readers a holistic overview on what has made Pokémon the world's currently most valuable media franchise and a cultural juggernaut.
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- WCAG v2.2 compliant
- accessibility@bloomsbury.com
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Table of Contents
List of Tables
Introduction: 30 Years of Pokémon
Samuli Laato (University of Turku, Finland), Elina Koskinen (University of Jyväskylä, Finland), and Piotr Siuda (Kazimierz Wielki University, Poland)
Part 1: Pokémon as a Lasting Phenomenon
1. Gotta Frame 'Em All: Thirty Years of Pokémon in the Media as a Social Phenomenon, Entertainment, and Commercial Success
Stela Lechpammer (University of Zagreb, Croatia)
2. From Consoles to Smartphones: Pokémon's Media Representation in the Spanish Press (2011–2024)
Alexander Blanco Chang (University of Navarra, Spain) and Clara González-Tosat (Universidad de Navarra, Spain)
3. “I choose you!”: Understanding the Familial Transmission of Pokémon
Christina Griselda Nickerson (Gonzaga University, USA), Andrew David Sutherland (Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, USA), and Alexandra Elenitsa Fil (Washington State University, USA)
4. “Keep it up! I'm rooting for you, baby!”: Parental Mediation, Guardianship, and Intergenerational Play in the Pokémon Ecosystem
Alan Meades (Canterbury Christ Church University, UK) and Debra Pring (Canterbury Christ Church University, UK)
Part 2: Building Blocks of the Pokémon Franchise
5. Technologies of Utopia: Mediated Life and Post-Scarcity in the Pokémon Franchise
Sampsa Rauti (University of Turku, Finland)
6.“Wild MEWTWO appeared!”" Understanding Nonhuman Ethics in Pokémon through Mewtwo's Transmedia Character
Gregory Blomquist (Universityof Alberta, Canada)
7. Feels Like Home: Pokémon Regions and Their Cultural Background
David Matencio Durán (University of Glasgow, UK)
8. Echoes of Kanto: How the Music of the Pokémon Franchise Cultivates Cross-Generational Nostalgia
James Ellis (Royal Holloway University of London, UK)
9. The Persistence of Pokémon GO
Dale Leorke (University of Stirling, UK)
Part 3: Pokémon Fandom and Communities
10. “I never actually got around to 'catching them all'”: An Auto-Netnography of a Pokémon Community Webmaster
Liam Pomfret (Independent Scholar)
11. Unauthorized Evolutions: Fan-Made Pokémon Games as Transmedia Fandom
Cátia Ferreira (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal) and Tamires Lietti (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal)
12. From Kanto to Kitakami: How Pokémon Relates to Fans' Agency Through Its Media
Sebastián Mercado V. (Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación (UMCE), Chile) and Maximiliano Acuña (Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación (UMCE), Chile)
13. From Player to Judge: Trajectories of Professionalization in Organized Pokémon Play from the Latin American Periphery
Felipe García-Soriano (University of Alicante, Spain) and Daniel González Cohens (Independent Scholar, Chile)
14. Pikachu Goes to Protest: Becoming a Digital Symbol
Sena Özsirin (Üsküdar University, Turkey)
Notes on Contributors
Index
Product details
| Published | Nov 12 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | 9798216490098 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Illustrations | 10 bw illus |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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