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Bodell, Valerie. "Comics and Autobiographical Identity." Cultural Excavation and Formal Expression in the Graphic Novel. Eds. Jonathan C. Evans and Thomas Giddens. At the Interface, Probing the Boundaries. Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Pr. 2013. 35–42. Added by: joachim (27/09/2025, 11:48) |
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| Resource type: Book Chapter Language: en: English BibTeX citation key: Bodell2013 Email resource to friend View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: "American Splendor", Autobiography, Identity, Pekar. Harvey, USA Creators: Bodell, Evans, Giddens Publisher: Inter-Disciplinary Pr. (Oxford) Collection: Cultural Excavation and Formal Expression in the Graphic Novel |
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Autobiography theorists explain that the creator’s narrative identity separates from their character in the autobiography. Further, the character’s identity divides into a proliferation of past selves. Comics theorists demonstrate that because the comics medium allows both a visual and textual representation, creators can use multiple narrative strategies to portray multiple identities and explore multiple perspectives in more depth than with text alone. Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor explores the proliferation of individual identities through varied visual and textual representations of the self including distinctly different images drawn by different artists, and an examination of the importance of name. Pekar expands his inquiry to names and labels in general as he and the artists he recruits use comics’ unique combination of text and image to consider both stereotypes of identity and social roles. American Splendor’s combination of words and images allows a clear separation between multiple identities, portrayal of more nuanced stereotypes, and incorporation of additional meanings. Pekar uses textual, visual, and design elements to investigate identity from many angles, and encourages us to accept a more inclusive understanding of identity. Comics’ unique elements provide creators with a useful tool to undertake the autobiographical work of exploring identity and complex social interactions.
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