Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

6118

Date

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

English

Concentration

Literature

Committee Member

Donal Harris

Abstract

Contemporary comics studies criticism largely approaches comics from a literary framework. While this may be one valid method of understanding the comics medium, it fails to offer a complete understanding of the nature of comics as a hybrid medium composed of both text and image. Moreover, several common theses in comics studies—the gutter as a signifying absence, the spatialization of time on the page, and the image’s operation as a sort of visual language unintentionally enforce onto comics linguistic and temporal philosophies not necessarily inherent to the medium. Operating from this belief, the present project aims to explore what the author terms an aesthetics of comics. Through a variety of comics texts spanning genre and history, this essay explores an alternative theory for understanding nature of the text and image in comics and how they operate together and relate to one another in this hybrid medium.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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