BOBC

1. Introduction (4)

2. Lessons of Literary Characters (10)
2.1 To Be or Not To Be: A Brief Survey of the Terms and Theories (13)
2.2 Every Me and Every You: Classifications of Characters (21)
2.2.1 Forster: Flatness and Roundness (21)
2.2.2 Harvey: Roles and Functions (25)
2.2.3 Hochman and Fokkema: Traits and Codes (29)
2.2.4 Müller: Relatives and Revenants (37)
2.3 Snips, Snails and Puppy-dogs’ Tails: Basic Elements of the Character (49)
2.3.1 Facades: Appearances and Names (50)
2.3.2 Minds: Perception and Consciousness (58)
2.3.3 Additives: Coherence and Relations (62)

3. Mysteries of Comic Book Characters (69)
3.1 Serial Affairs: A Publicational Point of View (69)
3.2 Picking up the Pictures: Comics’ Semiotics (79)
3.2.1 Show and Tell: Word–Image Dynamics (80)
3.2.2 Show and “Show”: Abstraction Levels (88)
3.3 Beyond Pictures: Meaningful Absences (102)
3.3.1 Hole in the Heart: Gutters and Other Gaps (104)
3.3.2 The Great Masquerade: Figurative and Intertextual Tricks (115)

4. Case Studies (128)
4.1 The Sandman: Odds and Ends (129)
4.2 Watchmen: Heroes We Deserve (140)
4.3 Maus: Of Mice and Men (152)
4.4 The Unwritten: Bogus Identities (160)

5. Conclusion (179)

Acknowledgements (182)
SOURCES (183)
Appendix: Illustrative illustrations (187)