DOCSLIB.ORG

Visual Metaphorization of Events As Objects in Comics1

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Visual Metaphorization of Events As Objects in Comics1 150 LaMiCuS 2 (2018) Michał Szawerna University of Wrocław Wrocław, Poland Visual metaphorization of events as objects in comics1 Situated at the intersection of cognitive linguistics, multimodality studies, and comics scholarship, this paper focuses on a representational strategy, embodied in multiple representational conventions, which enables creators of visual narratives abstract referred to as comics to capture transitory, or non-durative, entities most com- monly represented in comics: events. This paper specifically argues that creators of comics succeed in representing narrated events by spatializing them in the form of static planar objects: stand-alone musical notes and pieces of musical notation, in- dividual pictograms and pictographic strings, individual letters and written texts, individual balloons and multiballoon chains, polymorphic and polyptychal repre- sentations of motion events, etc. This paper further argues that static planar objects spatializing narrated events in comics may represent these events either cumula- tively or non-cumulatively. A cumulative planar object (for example, a written ono- matopoeia, a piece of musical notation, a string of pictograms, a chain of balloons) spatializes a narrated event by virtue of comprising a number of component planar objects which correspond to the temporal constituents (phases, stages, sub-events) of the spatialized event in a one-to-one fashion, but are simultaneously available for visual processing. In contrast, a non-cumulative planar object (for example, an in- dividual musical note, letter, or pictogram) spatializes a narrated event as a whole, without explicitly representing the event’s temporal organization in its own spatial structure. With reference to examples reproduced from a number of published comics exemplifying various publication formats, generic conventions, and cultural traditions, this paper demonstrates that visual objectification is a major representa- tional strategy employed by creators of comics, who are compelled by their medium of choice to capture transitory, non-durative entities — most notably, sound events, motion events, and mental events — in a static planar form. Additionally, this pa- per suggests that this representational strategy is particularly effective because it mirrors an understanding of events which is widely conventionalized in language, so that linguistic objectification of events and their visual objectification in comics may be regarded as counterpart manifestations, albeit in different media, of a cer- tain intersubjective construal of events. https://doi.org/10.32058/LAMICUS-2018-006 Visual metaphorization of events as objects in comics 151 1. Introduction1 Key words multimodality, comics, metaphor, This paper is situated at the intersection of cognitive linguistics, multimo- objectification dality studies, and comics scholarship — an expanding area of research on how “comics achieve meaning” (Heer & Worcester 2009: xiii) occupied, most notably, by contributions from Forceville (2005, 2011), Eerden (2009), Shi- nohara and Matsunaka (2009), Forceville, Veale, and Feyaerts (2010), Cohn (2010), Abbott and Forceville (2011), Potsch and Williams (2012), and Pinar (2014). In these publications, the researchers draw on distinct, yet overlap- ping theories subsumed by cognitive linguistics (with emphasis on Concep- tual Metaphor Theory, Lakoff & Johnson 2003 /1980/; Image Schema Theory, Johnson 1987; and Conceptual Integration Theory, a.k.a. Blending Theory, Fauconnier & Turner 2002) in order to demonstrate that creation and inter- pretation of comics greatly relies on the operation of such general cognitive mechanisms as conceptual metaphor, conceptual metonymy, and concep- tual integration, which were originally studied by cognitive linguists with reference to language. Like the publications listed above, this paper is informed by cognitive linguistics (in particular, by Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Ronald W. Langacker’s Cognitive Grammar; Langacker 1987, 1991, 2008), but unlike them, it discusses a highly general representational strategy — one that is embod- ied in multiple representational conventions that are regularly employed to capture the time represented, henceforth referred to as conceived time,2 in comics exemplifying various publication formats, generic conventions, and cultural traditions. More specifically, this paper argues that comics succeed in represent- ing conceived time by visually objectifying narrated events, that is, by spa- tializing them in the form of planar objects. This paper further argues that planar objects spatializing narrated events in comics may represent these events either cumulatively or non-cumulatively. A cumulative planar object spatializes a narrated event by virtue of comprising a number of compo- nent planar objects which correspond to the temporal constituents (phases, stages, sub-events) of the spatialized event in a one-to-one fashion, but are simultaneously available for visual processing. In contrast, a non-cumula- tive planar object spatializes a narrated event as a whole, without explicitly 1 In this paper, I follow Scott McCloud’s (1994 /1993/) usage of the noun comics, which has become widely adopted in comics scholarship. In accordance with this usage, the plural form comics combined with a singular verb refers to “the medium itself” (McCloud 1994 /1993/: 4), the singular form comic combined with a singular verb refers to an individual publication — “a specific object” (McCloud 1994 /1993/: 4), and the plural form comics combined with a plural verb refers to a set of such objects. 2 The term conceived time is borrowed from Langacker, who uses it to refer to time understood as “an object of conception” (2008: 79; emphasis in the original), in contrast to processing time, that is, time understood as “the medium of conception” (2008: 79; emphasis in the original). 152 LaMiCuS 2 (2018) representing the event’s temporal organization in its own spatial structure. With reference to examples reproduced from a range of published comics,3 this paper demonstrates that visual objectification, either non-cumulative or cumulative, is a major representational strategy employed by creators of comics, who are compelled by their medium of choice to capture conceived transitory, non-durative entities — most notably, sound events, motion events, and mental events — in a static planar form. Additionally, this paper suggests that this representational strategy is particularly effective because it mirrors the way in which we make sense of events, which is in turn widely reflected in language, so that linguistic objectification of events and their visual objectification in comics may be -re garded as counterpart manifestations, albeit in different media, of a certain intersubjectively shared understanding of events. Structurally, the remaining portion of this paper resolves into three sections. The second, expository section provides information on narrativity and narrative texts (mono — as well as multimodal), conceptual objectifica- tion of abstract notions in language as a kind of ontological metaphorization (as discussed in classic Conceptual Metaphor Theory), the relations between ontological metaphors and other kinds of conceptual metaphor (as seen in classic Conceptual Metaphor Theory), the primacy of conceptual objectifica- tion over other kinds of conceptual metaphorization (as conceived of in more recent contributions to Conceptual Metaphor Theory), and cumulative con- ceptual objectification of events in the semantic structure of episodic nouns (as theorized in Cognitive Grammar). This theoretical exposition serves as a springboard for a discussion of visual objectification of sound events, mo- tion events, and mental events in comics, which is presented in the third, analytical section. Finally, the fourth section presents concluding remarks. Last but not least, the paper’s main body is followed by a list of references. 2. Theoretical background Given that all narrative texts have a certain perceptible form which becomes meaningful to those who are willing and able to interpret it, a narrative text may be theorized, albeit in simplest terms, as a structurally complex bipo- lar representation, or a sign ensemble, pairing a signifier, aptly referred to as a narrative form, and a corresponding signified, no less aptly referred to as a narrative meaning. Interestingly, Luc Herman and Bart Vervaeck (2005 [2001]: 45) point out that prominent narratologists — Gérard Genette, Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan, and Mieke Bal — found it useful to distinguish between “three levels of narrative text,” referred to by Herman and Ver- 3 Each sample of visual material reproduced in Figures 1–18 constitutes a fair use. Visual metaphorization of events as objects in comics 153 vaeck (2005 [2001]: 45) as story, narrative, and narration. On closer inspection, however, it turns out that story and narrative may be thought of as jointly characterizing narrative meaning, with the former (story) providing the overall content of a narrative text and the latter (narrative) specifying how this content is captured for expressive purposes (in terms of selection of the depicted events, their temporal arrangement, relative prominence, etc.), while narration, said to involve specific written forms in literary narrative texts (Herman & Vervaeck 2005 [2001]: 80), is best regarded as character- izing narrative form. As to narrative meaning, it is often conceived of as “a cognitive con- struct” (Ryan 2004: 8),
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The History of Web Comics Pdf Free Download
    THE HISTORY OF WEB COMICS PDF, EPUB, EBOOK T. Campbell | 192 pages | 06 Jun 2006 | Antarctic Press Inc | 9780976804390 | English | San Antonio, Texas, United States The History of Web Comics PDF Book When Alexa goes to put out the fire, her clothes get burnt away, and she threatens Sam and Fuzzy with the fire extinguisher. Columbus: Ohio State U P. Stanton , Eneg and Willie in his book 'The Adventures of Sweet Gwendoline' have brought this genre to artistic heights. I would drive back and forth between Massachusetts and Connecticut in my little Acura, with roof racks so I could put boxes of shirts on top of the car. I'll split these up where I think best using a variety of industry information. Kaestle et. The Creators Issue. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Authors are more accessible to their readers than before, and often provide access to works in progress or to process videos based on requests about how they create their comics. Thanks to everyone who's followed our work over the years and lent a hand in one way or another. It was very meta. First appeared in July as shown. As digital technology continues to evolve, it is difficult to predict in what direction webcomics will develop. The History of EC Comics. Based on this analysis, I argue that webcomics present a valuable archive of digital media from the early s that shows how relationships in the attention economy of the digital realm differ from those in the economy of material goods.
    [Show full text]
  • On Jack's Revisions and Transfictional Crossing from Fables To
    Second-degree Rewriting Strategies: On Jack’s Revisions and Transfictional Crossing from Fables to Jack of Fables Christophe Dony Introduction Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, et al.’s Vertigo series Fables (2002-2015), as its name suggests, revolves around the present-day lives of known fables, legends, and folk- and fairytale characters such as Snow White, Mowgli, Cinderella, and the Big Bad Wolf (Bigby) after they have been forced to leave their magical “native” fairytale homelands. As a result of their forced migration, these folk- and fairytale characters—who are referred to as Fables in the series—have found refuge in “our reality,” in which they have established a New York stronghold. This refugee facility of sorts for fictional characters is known as Fabletown; it is magically protected and concealed from humans who are, consequently, unable to detect the presence of Fables in the “real world.” This process of re-narrativization1 governing Fables, i.e. how known characters and their attendant storyworlds are re-configured in a new narrative, goes hand in hand with genre- meshing practices. Fables’ characters are articulated in other “pulpy” genres and settings than those they are generally associated with, i.e. the fairytale and the marvelous. As comics critic and narratologist Karin Kukkonen explains at length in her examination of comics storytelling strategies (see Kukkonen, Contemporary Comics Storytelling 74-86), Fables meshes fairytale traditions and narratives with, for example, noir/detective fiction in the first story arc “Legends in Exile” (Fables #1-5), and with the political fable/thriller canvas of George Orwell’s Animal Farm in the series’ eponymous story arc (Fables # 6-10).
    [Show full text]
  • THE MULTIFACETED YOUNG ADULT NOVEL Hanna Dorn HON400
    TEXT TO FILM TO GRAPIC NOVEL: THE MULTIFACETED YOUNG ADULT NOVEL Hanna Dorn HON400: Thesis January 19, 2017 Introduction: In Spring of 2015, I was inspired by secondary and and collegiate educators who encouraged me to foster my writing skills and write a young adult fantasy novel. Working with Dr. Robert Otten within the English department via an independent study course, I completed a rough draft amounting to about 51,000 words. The work is tentatively titled The Mortal Eternal. The premise involves a group of supernatural beings, the Novae, who reincarnate periodically in human bodies, tasked with watching over the human race to protect humanity from itself. A rebellion arises within the group who deem that humans are cursed by their free will, and are no longer worth protecting. The rebels take openly hostile actions, including kidnapping the protagonist Jaeson’s romantic partner, Victoria. Jaeson and his friends must infiltrate the rebels and discover their plans while continuing to carry out the tasks delegated by their leader. With a manuscript of my own completed, I then looked at comparable young adult fantasy works, particularly those on bestseller lists. Massively successful young adult novels are developing a multifaceted approach to marketing and distributing their work across digital platforms and audiences. A frequent next step for a published novel is adapting the work into film, and increasingly, a graphic novel format. This is a continuing trend that is exemplified by a multitude of works. I will draw from these examples and their processes to synthesize an appropriate multifaceted approach to marketing my own work.
    [Show full text]
  • Moore Layout Original
    Bibliography Within your dictionary, next to word “prolific” you’ll created with their respective co-creators/artists) printing of this issue was pulped by DC hierarchy find a photo of Alan Moore – who since his profes - because of a Marvel Co. feminine hygiene product ad. AMERICA’S BEST COMICS 64 PAGE GIANT – Tom sional writing debut in the late Seventies has written A few copies were saved from the company’s shred - Strong “Skull & Bones” – Art: H. Ramos & John hundreds of stories for a wide range of publications, der and are now costly collectibles) Totleben / “Jack B. Quick’s Amazing World of both in the United States and the UK, from child fare Science Part 1” – Art: Kevin Nowlan / Top Ten: THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN like Star Wars to more adult publications such as “Deadfellas” – Art: Zander Cannon / “The FIRST (Volume One) #6 – “6: The Day of Be With Us” & Knave . We’ve organized the entries by publishers and First American” – Art: Sergio Aragonés / “The “Chapter 6: Allan and the Sundered Veil’s The listed every relevant work (comics, prose, articles, League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen Game” – Art: Awakening” – Art: Kevin O’Neill – 1999 artwork, reviews, etc...) written by the author accord - Kevin O’Neill / Splash Brannigan: “Specters from ingly. You’ll also see that I’ve made an emphasis on THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN Projectors” – Art: Kyle Baker / Cobweb: “He Tied mentioning the title of all his penned stories because VOLUME 1 – Art: Kevin O’Neill – 2000 (Note: Me To a Buzzsaw (And It Felt Like a Kiss)” – Art: it is a pet peeve of mine when folks only remember Hardcover and softcover feature compilation of the Dame Darcy / “Jack B.
    [Show full text]
  • The Holocaust and Anti-Semitism in Jewish Made Comic Books, 1963
    Why Don’t We Talk About It? : The Holocaust and Anti-Semitism in Jewish Made Comic Books 1963-1989 By Cameron Fontaine “My parents didn’t talk in any coherent or comprehensive way about what they had lived through. It was always a given that they had lived through “the War” which was their term for the Holocaust. I don’t even think I heard the word Holocaust until the late 70’s but I was aware of “the War” as long as I was aware of anything.” - Art Spiegelman1 As Spiegelman wrote in Meta Maus, his parents really did not directly refer to or openly discuss the Holocaust until the late seventies. There was a similar trend in the comics industry. Many of the artists and writers in the early days of comics were Jewish immigrants or born into a Jewish immigrant families. So the question raised is why is to why is no one talking about the Holocaust? Why is there so little discussion of the hardships faced by Jewish immigrants? There are a couple of reasons why these themes do not emerge until later in comics. The Jewish immigrant experience and the legacy of the Holocaust were unpleasant themes not suited for the stringent guidelines of the Comics Code established in 1954. While themes of Jewish identity were discussed under the code they were not openly discussed until the abandonment of the code in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. Comic creators discussed a myriad of different issues through the medium since the first issue of Action Comics.
    [Show full text]
  • Adapting the Graphic Novel Format for Undergraduate Level Textbooks
    ADAPTING THE GRAPHIC NOVEL FORMAT FOR UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL TEXTBOOKS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Brian M. Kane, M.A. Graduate Program in Arts Administration, Education, and Policy The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Professor Candace Stout, Advisor Professor Clayton Funk Professor Shari Savage Professor Arthur Efland Copyright by Brian M. Kane 2013 i ABSTRACT This dissertation explores ways in which the graphic narrative (graphic novel) format for storytelling, known as sequential art, can be adapted for undergraduate-level introductory textbooks across disciplines. Currently, very few graphic textbooks exist, and many of them lack the academic rigor needed to give them credibility. My goal in this dissertation is to examine critically both the strengths and weaknesses of this art form and formulate a set of standards and procedures necessary for developing new graphic textbooks that are scholastically viable for use in college-level instruction across disciplines. To the ends of establishing these standards, I have developed a four-pronged information-gathering approach. First I read as much pre factum qualitative and quantitative data from books, articles, and Internet sources as possible in order to establish my base of inquiry. Second, I created a twelve-part dissertation blog (graphictextbooks.blogspot.com) where I was able to post my findings and establish my integrity for my research among potential interviewees. Third, I interviewed 16 professional graphic novel/graphic textbook publishers, editors, writers, artists, and scholars as well as college professors and librarians. Finally, I sent out an online survey consisting of a sample chapter of an existing graphic textbook to college professors and asked if the content of the source material was potentially effective for their own instruction in undergraduate teaching.
    [Show full text]
  • Comic Book Original Pages: Are They Literature Or a Commodity?
    Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review Volume 14 Number 3 Article 4 3-1-1994 Comic Book Original Pages: Are They Literature or a Commodity? Alex Chun Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/elr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Alex Chun, Comic Book Original Pages: Are They Literature or a Commodity?, 14 Loy. L.A. Ent. L. Rev. 487 (1994). Available at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/elr/vol14/iss3/4 This Notes and Comments is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Reviews at Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COMIC BOOK ORIGINAL PAGES: ARE THEY LITERATURE OR A COMMODITY? I. INTRODUCTION In 1983, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, two aspiring illustrators, were sitting in their Massachusetts apartment when Eastman came up with some sketches of turtles with nunchakus.1 After looking at Eastman's drawings, Laird said, "We'll call them Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."2 With that statement, the concept for the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" comic book was born. 3 Eastman and Laird began self-publishing4 their creation in 1984.' Since then, the pizza-eating terrapins have gone on to generate a billion dollars in film, television and licensing revenues.6 Success stories such as Eastman and Laird's are rare, but even that slim chance may be denied comic book artists if a tax is imposed on original comic book pages by the California State Board of Equalization (BOE).
    [Show full text]
  • Maria Engberg Polyaesthetic Sights and Sounds
    Maria Engberg Polyaesthetic sights and sounds: media aesthetics in The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, Upgrade Soul and The Vampyre of Time and Memory Maria Engberg, Assistant Professor Department of Media Technology and Product Development Malmö University, Sweden www.soundeffects.dk SoundEffects | vol. 4 | no. 1 | 2014 issn 1904-500X Maria Engberg: Polyaesthetic sights and sounds SoundEffects | vol. 4 | no. 1 | 2014 ‘Nobody knows what it’s going to look like when we’re done. We’re working on the medium and the message at the same time’ (Trucco, 2013). This article explores the notion of polyaesthetics as a contemporary media condi- tion that relates to questions of production, reception and analysis of media objects.1 Primarily, the paper is concerned with understanding the aesthetics of digital media works that remediate existing genres of creative practice and ultimately move towards creating new digital media forms that are conditional and provi- sional. The three digital works that the article analyses – The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, Upgrade Soul and The Vampyre of Time and Memory – exemplify contemporary strategies and changing patterns of creation, distribution and recep- tion, evidenced in how we create, read, listen to, engage with, play and understand contemporary digital works. These works are involved in the remediation of previ- ous media and genre forms such as the children’s book, graphic novel and music video, while moving towards emerging forms that do not fit the definitions of those earlier genres. The aim is not to prescribe taxonomies of media forms or suggest new genre names for emergent multimodal creative work.
    [Show full text]
  • Krimmel 1 Allen Krimmel Warner English 112B 28 November 2012
    Krimmel 1 Allen Krimmel Warner English 112B 28 November 2012 Off the Page Unit of Study: the Graphic Novel Introduction/Why Read Graphic Novels It seems as though many High School courses are fearful to stray away from their usual canonical works. A form of literature that never quite receives the amount of respect or attention that it deserves is the graphic novel. A graphic novel is usually a collection of previously released single issue comic books, or original content, in one bound collection. Not only are graphic novels an enhancement of the author’s intended vision, but they give the reader a better visualization and understanding of the story as well. The format also gives struggling readers a push toward making literature easier, and will hopefully increase their motivation to read more frequently. Graphic novels are also the perfect way to transition to full-fledged novels, or a great companion to other novels, and they can serve as a breather in a course amongst too many canonical works. Graphic novels not only use text, but imagery, time, and space to evoke emotion that couldn’t be done with words alone. This unit will captivate students by using a wide variety of genres such as: historical non-fiction, coming of age fiction, dystopian setting, fantasy, and the inevitable super-hero story. Before the Unit Before the canonical reading is assigned, you can’t assume that everyone is the class has read a graphic novel before. The page layouts, as well as the order in which the panels can be Krimmel 2 read may vary from story to story.
    [Show full text]
  • Toward a Theory of Comic Book Communication
    Toward a Theory of Comic Book Communication By Randy Duncan, Ph.D. Professor of Communications Overview In an October 15, 1986, appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman," Harvey Pekar, writer of the autobiographical comic book American Splendor, expressed the potential of the comic book medium in clear, simple terms: "It’s words and pictures. You can do anything you want with words and pictures" (Witek 154) Comic books are a unique and powerful form of communication. Perhaps long-time comic book writer Jim Shooter is a bit carried away by his enthusiasm when he claims that "What we’ve got is the most portable, limitless, intense, personal, focused, intimate, compelling, wonderful visual medium in creation" (6). However, it is true that comic books tell stories and involve readers in ways that no other art form-not plays, novels, nor film-can duplicate. As Roger Sabin points out in Adult Comics, "[...] they are a language, with their own grammar, syntax, and punctuation. They are not some hybrid form halfway between ‘literature’ and ‘art’ (whatever those words might mean), but a medium in their own right" (9). A consideration of graphic novels and comic books as rhetoric requires a renewed emphasis on the intentions and strategies of the author(s). Rhetoric, as a critical perspective, has never become fully poststructuralist or postmodern. The author as rhetor is not dead. The rhetor is, in fact, the vital creative force that calls the rhetorical universe into being. This is not to deny that the audience contributes to the meaning (communication is generally recognized to be a transaction), or even reshapes the discursive universe to serve their own needs (as in Bormann’s symbolic convergence).
    [Show full text]
  • Graphic Storytelling Pre-Requisites NIL No of Aus 3 Contact Hours 39 Hours Studio Contact
    COURSE CONTENT Course Code DT2004 Course Title Graphic Storytelling Pre-requisites NIL No of AUs 3 Contact Hours 39 hours studio contact Course Aims This course will introduce you to the fundamentals of storytelling in comics. You will gain a basic understanding of the visual strategies of the masters of the field. Through practice-based learning you will learn to employ these methods to create your own artistically appealing comics and be able to contextualize your own work through a historical perspective. This course is particulalry relevent for further studies in visual storytelling. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO) By the end of the course, you should be able to: 1. Describe the principles of sequential visual storytelling in comics, graphic novels and cartoons, and in comparison to live film and animation. 2. Communicate a story intelligibly through the combination of text and images. 3. Interpret a narrative visually with strong artistic appeal. 4. Present and discuss your drawing work in class competently and professionally. 5. Discuss and critique ideas and concepts related to comics, graphic novels and cartoons. Course Content You will learn to recognise and apply the language of storytelling in comics. This course begins with a brief introduction to the history of the medium. It will introduce key figures in current and historical graphic storytelling practice. The course further examines the elements that make up the comic book page, ranging from style to narrative technique, dialogue to visual symbols and color to content. Assessment (includes both continuous and summative assessment) Component ILO Program Weighting Team/ Tested me LO Individual Continuous Assessment 1,2,3, 4 -- 40 Individual Studio-based exercises, projects, critiques and presentations Final Project: 1,2,3,4 -- 40 Individual Portfolio of all exercises and class projects Continuous Assessment: 5 -- 20 Individual Participation Total 100% Reading and References 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Alternative Comics: an Emerging Literature
    ALTERNATIVE COMICS Gilbert Hernandez, “Venus Tells It Like It Is!” Luba in America 167 (excerpt). © 2001 Gilbert Hernandez. Used with permission. ALTERNATIVE COMICS AN EMERGING LITERATURE Charles Hatfield UNIVERSITY PRESS OF MISSISSIPPI • JACKSON www.upress.state.ms.us The University Press of Mississippi is a member of the Association of American University Presses. Copyright © 2005 by University Press of Mississippi All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America First edition 2005 ϱ Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hatfield, Charles, 1965– Alternative comics : an emerging literature / Charles Hatfield. — 1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-57806-718-9 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 1-57806-719-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Underground comic books, strips, etc.—United States—History and criticism. I. Title. PN6725.H39 2005 741.5'0973—dc22 2004025709 British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data available CONTENTS Acknowledgments vii Introduction ix Alternative Comics as an Emerging Literature 1 Comix, Comic Shops, and the Rise of 3 Alternative Comics, Post 1968 2 An Art of Tensions 32 The Otherness of Comics Reading 3 A Broader Canvas: Gilbert Hernandez’s Heartbreak Soup 68 4 “I made that whole thing up!” 108 The Problem of Authenticity in Autobiographical Comics 5 Irony and Self-Reflexivity in Autobiographical Comics 128 Two Case Studies 6 Whither the Graphic Novel? 152 Notes 164 Works Cited 169 Index 177 This page intentionally left blank ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Who can do this sort of thing alone? Not I. Thanks are due to many. For permission to include passages from my article, “Heartbreak Soup: The Interdependence of Theme and Form” (Inks 4:2, May 1997), the Ohio State University Press.
    [Show full text]