scholarly journals Breaking the Contract between God and the Visual-Literary Fusion: Illuminated Manuscripts, William Blake and the Graphic Novel

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-152
Author(s):  
Andreea Paris-Popa
Keyword(s):  
Graphic Novels ◽  
William Blake ◽  
Ninth Century ◽  
Illuminated Manuscripts ◽  
Graphic Novel ◽  
Literary Genre ◽  
Religious Texts ◽  
Book Of Kells ◽  
Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts ◽  
Alan Moore

Abstract This essay follows three different stages of the fusion of images and words in the tradition of the book. More specifically, it tackles the transformation undergone by the initially religious combination of visual figures and scriptural texts, exemplified by medieval illuminated manuscripts into the spiritual, non-dogmatic, illuminated books printed and painted by poet-prophet William Blake in a manner that combines mysticism and literature. Eventually, the analysis reaches the secularized genre of the graphic novel that renounces the metaphysical element embedded in the intertwining of the two media. If ninth-century manuscripts such as the Book of Kells were employed solely for divinely inspired renditions of religious texts, William Blake’s late eighteenthcentury illuminated books moved towards an individual, personal literature conveyed via unique pieces of art that asserted the importance of individuality in the process of creation. The modern rendition of the image-text illumination can be said to take the form of the graphic novel with writers such as Will Eisner and Alan Moore overtly expressing their indebtedness to the above-mentioned tradition by paying homage to William Blake in the pages of their graphic novels. However, the fully printed form of this twentieth-century literary genre, along with its separation from the intrinsic spirituality of the visual-literary fusion in order to meet the demands of a disenchanted era, necessarily reconceptualize the notion of illumination.

Beckett's Watt and Monastic Tradition

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-109
Author(s):  
Kristen Marangoni
Keyword(s):  
Boarding School ◽  
Illuminated Manuscripts ◽  
Concentration Camp ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Geometric Shapes ◽  
Art Form ◽  
Book Of Kells ◽  
The Face ◽  
Choral Arrangements ◽  
Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts

The enigmatic setting of Beckett's novel Watt has been compared to places as diverse as an insane asylum, a boarding school, a womb, and a concentration camp. Watt's experience at Knott's house does seem suggestive of all of these, and yet it may more readily conform to the setting of a monastery. The novel is filled with chants, meditations, choral arrangements, hierarchical classifications, and even silence, all highly evocative of a monastic lifestyle. Some of Watt's dialogue (such as his requests for forgiveness or reflections on the nature of mankind) further echoes various Catholic liturgies. Watt finds little solace in these activities, however. He feels that they are largely rote and purposeless as they are focused on Knott, a figure who in many ways defies linguistic description and physical know-ability. Watt's meditations and rituals become, then, empty catechisms without answers, something that is reflected in the extreme difficulty that Watt has communicating. In the face of linguistic and liturgical instability, the Watt notebooks present a counter reading that can be found in the thousand plus doodles that line its pages. The drawings reinforce as well as subvert their textual counterpart, and they function in many ways as the images in medieval illuminated manuscripts. The doodles in Watt often take the form of decorative letters, elaborate marginal drawings, and depictions of a variety of people and animals, and many of its doodles offer uncanny resemblances in form or theme to those in illuminated manuscripts like The Book of Kells. Doodles of saints, monks, crosses, and scribes even give an occasional pictorial nod to the monastic setting in which illuminated manuscripts were usually produced (and remind us of the monastic conditions in which Beckett found himself writing much of Watt). Beckett's doodles not only channel this medium of illuminated manuscripts, they also modernize its application. Instead of neat geometric shapes extending down the page, his geometric doodle sequences are often abstracted, fragmented, and nonlinear. Beckett also occasionally modernized the content of illuminated manuscripts: instead of the traditional sacramental communion table filled with candles, bread and wine, Beckett doodles a science lab table where Bunsen burners replaces candles and wine glasses function as beakers. It is through these modernized images that Watt attempts to draw contemporary relevance from a classic art form and to restore (at least partial) meaning to rote traditions.

Graphic Novels as Philosophy

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Graphic Novel ◽  
Philosophical Argument ◽  
Essex County ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
Important Sense ◽  
Sense Of Time ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Alan Moore

In a follow-up to Comics as Philosophy, this book addresses two questions: which philosophical insights, concepts, and tools can shed light on the graphic novel? And how can the graphic novel cast light on the concerns of philosophy? Each chapter ponders a well-known graphic novel to illuminate ways in which philosophy can untangle particular combinations of image and written word for deeper understanding. The chapters examine notable graphic novels within the framework posited by these two questions. One chapter discusses how a philosopher discovered that the panels in Jeff Lemire's Essex County do not just replicate a philosophical argument, but they actually give evidence to an argument that could not have existed otherwise. Another chapter reveals how Chris Ware's manipulation of the medium demonstrates an important sense of time and experience. Still another describes why Maus tends to be more profound than later works that address the Holocaust because of, not in spite of, the fact that the characters are cartoon animals rather than human. Other works contemplated include Will Eisner's A Contract with God, Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, and Joe Sacco's Footnotes in Gaza. Mainly, each author, graphic novelist, and artist are all doing the same thing: trying to tell us how the world is—at least from their point of view.

scholarly journals Graphic Novels: a new literary genre in the English-speaking world

Literatūra ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Milda Danytė
Keyword(s):  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Graphic Novel ◽  
Literary Genre ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
English Speaking World

Šio straipsnio tikslas yra pristatyti naują naratyvinį žanrą – grafinį romaną (angl. graphic novel), kilusį iš komiksų tradicijų. Komiksų vieta Šiaurės Ameri­kos kultūroje paradoksali; nors jie nuo XX a. pra­džios spausdinami beveik visuose JAV ir Kanados laikraščiuose, nevertinami nei kaip menas, nei kaip literatūra. Tik paskutiniame XX a. dešimtmetyje li­teratūrologai atkreipė dėmesį į komiksus, kaip savitą naratyvinį žanrą: aiškinama, kad būtina analizuoti žodžių ir vaizdų sąryšį, kuris sukuria išskirtinę nara­tyvinę kalbą. Šią kalbą meistriškai naudoja grafinių romanų kūrėjai – pritaiko ją visai naujoms temoms. Pavyzdžiui, amerikiečio Arto Spiegelmano romanas Maus („Pelė“, išvertus iš vokiečių kalbos) pasako­ja apie žydų holokausto siaubą. Iš pirmo žvilgsnio atrodo beveik šventvagiška, kad autorius apie žydų kančias Aušvico lageryje pasakoja naudodamasis ži­noma komiksų „kalbančių gyvulių“ tradicija. Tačiau A. Spiegelmanas sugeba tragiškus įvykius perteikti ironišku komiksų stiliumi. Jo romane išryškinama antrosios kartos paveldėta kančia, kuri komplikuo­ja tėvo ir sūnaus santykius. 1992 m. romanas Mauspelnė autoriui prestižinę Amerikos „Pulitzer“ lite­ratūros premiją. Kitas amerikiečių grafinio romano kūrėjas Joe Sacco taip pat domisi istorinių katastrofų poveikiu paprastų žmonių gyvenimui. RomanasPa­lestinas vaizduoja autoriaus klaidžiojimą per palesti­niečių pabėgėlių gyvenvietes. Romano įtampa kyla iš autoriaus bendravimo su palestiniečiais – ironijos objektu dažniausiai tampa jis pats, naivus svečias iš turtingų Vakarų. Žinomiausi Kanados grafinio roma­no kūrėjai Chesteris Brownas ir Seth (rašytojo Gre­gory Gallanto slapyvardis) taip pat linkę naudoti au­tobiografinę medžiagą. C. Brownas romane Tu man niekad nepatikai (išleistas 2002 m.) galima įžvelgti bildungsromano bruožų. Pagrindinis herojus, kaip ir autorius, vardu Chesteris, augantis Monrealio prie­miestyje, turi tipiškų paauglystės rūpesčių. Tik vai­kino motinai staiga susirgus nervų liga, susidrumsčia ramus priemiesčio gyvenimas. Chesteris priverstas subręsti. Seth’o romane Geras gyvenimas, jei tik nepalūžti (išleistas 2003 m.) irgi autobiografinis; pa­grindinis herojus, kaip ir autorius, vardu Seth’as. Ro­mano veiksmas – Seth’o pastangos surasti žinių apie vieną jau seniai užmirštą Kanados karikatūrininką, su kuriuo Seth’as tapatinasi. Autorius nenori prisitai­kyti prie Šiaurės Amerikos polinkio greitai užmirš­ti praeitį, nevertinti jos kultūros. Grafinis romanas apskritai yra iššūkis literatūrologams, verčiantis juos ieškoti naujų teorijų ir metodologijų, pagal kurias būtų galima nagrinėti naują žanrą.

Der codierte Christus Figuration als Bild-Text-Dynamik im De laudibus sanctae crucis des Hrabanus Maurus

2016 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-43
Author(s):  
Matthias Schulz
Keyword(s):  
Ninth Century ◽  
Illuminated Manuscripts ◽  
Early Medieval ◽  
Central Figure ◽  
Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts ◽  
Different Levels

Abstract Among the early medieval illuminated manuscripts of the ninth century, the De laudibus sanctae crucis (Cod. Reg. Lat 124) by Hrabanus Maurus offers one of the most complex interplays of image-text relationships based on carmina figurata. It unfolds different levels and strategies of figuration. The specific aspects and qualities of its iconic practice can be described as a kind of coding. The coded subject and leitmotif of the cycle, which affects and gives structure to all other miniatures, is the central figure of Christus triumphans. The essay focuses on the detailed description and analysis of this symbiotic dynamic of a figural impulse that combines seeing, reading, and imagination into a meta-concept of figuration.

Computing Literary Surplus Value: Alan Moore and the Density of the Comic Book as Graphic Novel

2021 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-223
Author(s):  
Alexander Dunst ◽  
Rita Hartel
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Production ◽  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Comic Book ◽  
Graphic Novel ◽  
Text And Image ◽  
Specific Element ◽  
Surplus Value ◽  
Graphic Narratives ◽  
Textual Content ◽  
Alan Moore

Abstract The term graphic novel has increasingly functioned as a catalyst for understanding comic books as an emergent literary genre. This article focuses on one specific element within this historical process: the claim, made by artists such as Alan Moore, that graphic novels are characterized by greater formal complexity, or density, than serial comics. These claims are evaluated by combining computational text and image recognition of a corpus of 131 graphic narratives with sociological metadata on production and circulation. The results show that Moore’s own book-length comics, in particular Watchmen and V for Vendetta, rank among the densest graphic narratives in the sample in both their visual and textual content. Graphic memoirs, in contrast, only show an increase in textual complexity. With Pierre Bourdieu, the article understands complexity as a social and aesthetic strategy that aims at increasing the cultural capital of comics creators. At the same time, the article contextualizes computational results against the background of a changing marketplace for comics, in particular the decline of serial comics, the shift towards digital printing, and increased access to book distribution. This analysis shows that graphic narratives pursue both literary and popular aesthetic strategies, challenging Bourdieu’s account of a clear opposition between profit and prestige in cultural production.

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

2019 ◽  
pp. 489-509
Author(s):  
Dan Hassler-Forest
Keyword(s):  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Graphic Novel ◽  
Literary Genre ◽  
Short History ◽  
Political Debates ◽  
Way Of Thinking ◽  
Historical Periods

This chapter places Emil Ferris’s graphic novel My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (2017) in a longer tradition of graphic novels that reflect on and intervene in ongoing social, cultural, and political debates. It argues that the work builds specifically on three foundational works that have been particularly influential in the graphic novel’s relatively short history as a literary genre: Art Spiegelman’s Maus, Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home, and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. The chapter’s analysis of My Favorite Thing Is Monsters places it within a tradition of socially engaged graphic novels, showing how readers’ engagement with its narrative’s two main historical periods both builds intertextually on its literary forebears and at the same time revises our understanding of them by reading them through the prism of current social and political debates. Both aspects underline the importance of intersectional feminism as a way of thinking, writing, and engaging with history.

scholarly journals SPECIAL FEATURES OF GRAPHIC NOVELS TRANSLATION

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 68-78
Author(s):  
Mariya A. Khrustaleva ◽  
◽  
Aleksandra S. Klimova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Literary Work ◽  
Graphic Novel ◽  
Literary Genre ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Main Approach ◽  
Translation Analysis ◽  
The World ◽  
Frame Method

The article deals with one of the issues in the study of creolized text – the special features of graphic novels translation. These are explored based on the translation from Spanish into Russian made by the authors of the paper for the literary work Wrinkles (Spanish: Arrugas) written by Paco Roca. The authors consider cognitive discourse analysis to be the main approach to the translation of the abovementioned graphic novel. It gives an opportunity not only to justify the researchers’ translation decisions but also to convey the author’s idea and his personal perception of the world in a more complete and accurate way. The frame method, which is regarded as an adequate mode of the concept structural organization, makes it possible to build the sphere of concepts of the source text. The concepts of MEMORIA (memory) and VEJEZ (old age) are considered the key concepts of the graphic novel because, as it was found at the stage of pre-translation analysis, they create its artistic space. The frame analysis of the fundamental concepts of the source text and the identification of semantic correlations between the language representants make it possible to translate the researched literary work. Based on the research results, the authors draw a conclusion about the special features of graphic novels translation and the effectiveness of applying the cognitive discourse analysis to the translation of such works. The study concludes with an outline of the prospects for further research on graphic novels, a new literary genre that represents an unusual combination of fine art, literature and cinematography.

scholarly journals Roughing It in the Bush, The Graphic Novel

2020 ◽  
pp. 321-334
Author(s):  
Javier Martín Párraga ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Original Work ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Graphic Novel ◽  
Carol Shields ◽  
Neil Gaiman ◽  
Susanna Moodie ◽  
Alan Moore ◽  
Theoretical State

Graphic novels and comic books are no longer minor cultural artifacts which are produced to generate economic benefits, mostly consumed by young, not very literate, readers who do not hope to be educated but simply entertained. Quite on the contrary, authors such as Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman or Umberto Eco has vindicated the fundamental role these artistic manifestations play nowadays. The present paper analyzes Carol Shields and Patrick Crowe 2016 graphic novel adaptation of Susanna Moodie’s seminal book Roughing it in the Bush. In order to reach this goal, a brief theoretical state of the art is introduced. Consequently, the original writer and text are equally studied. Finally, the contemporary graphic novel adaptation is considered, explaining the genesis of the project as well and the similitudes and differences it shows when compared to the original work by Susanna Moodie.

STUDENTS’ ACCEPTANCE TO USING GRAPHIC NOVELS IN LEARNING LITERATURE (L2): A MALAYSIAN CASE STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Abu Yazid Abu Bakar ◽  
Dayang Nurfaezah Abang Ahmad ◽  
Melor Md Yunus
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Graphic Novel ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
English As Second Language ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

Research has shown that using graphic novels in the classroom is one of useful approaches to promote the understanding of learners especially for lengthy and difficult literature texts. This study reports the extent of graphic novel in facilitating students’ understanding of literature and the students’ perceptions towards using graphic novel in learning literature (L2) as compared to other genre of texts. This is a mixed method study which employs quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain data. The findings indicate that most students found that graphic novel helped them to enrich their vocabularies and understand the text better. The findings also reveal that students were attracted to the illustrations in the literature text in which this helps to boost their motivation to learn literature in the classroom. The findings provide useful insights for English as Second Language (ESL) teachers in incorporating and expanding the literature learning through graphic novels in the future. The findings also imply the need of ESL teachers to use graphic novels effectively in facilitating their teaching and learning of literature in L2 classrooms particularly to suit the 21<sup>st</sup> century teaching and learning.

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