In this view, phenomena like facsimile reprints, stylistic references or narratives focussing on obscure or lost works are all symptomatic of a nostalgic longing – which provides us with a commodified, selective view of the past, and thus defies a ‘true’ sense for the history of comics. The turn towards the medium’s past in contemporary comics and graphic novel production has been critically assessed as an instance of a broader ‘nostalgia’ or ‘retro culture’ (Baetens/Frey 2015). Ultimately, I show that the language of manga is used by local artists as a means of narrative or stylistic innovation, and as a form of cultural critique. By close-reading the anthology Lemon Law (2007-), I chart how German artists interpret the queer genres of manga culture and in what ways their culture stands out. Second, the appropriation of “yaoi” and “yuri” doujinshi in Germany is subject to attention. The project involved local doujinshi artist but also mainstream comic artists who created graphic novels that convey cultural themes and narratives of Japan.

First, I explore the manga publication Oost West (2009), in which multiple Dutch artists interpret Japanese culture and aesthetics.

Particularly, I shall focus on two cases that, each in their own way, mediate manga. Such comics often emerge in fandom as small independent projects, but can also be initiated by, or professionalized into, mainstream publishing houses. I also examine the production contexts of these Euromanga. My approach is a medium-specific one (Hayles, 2004), that reads these comics in terms of their visual and narrative style, with close attention to elements such as paneling and their semiotic implications (McCloud, 1994). Methodologically, this paper provides a close-reading of various Euromanga and the local contexts in which they emerge. I use the concepts “transculturalism” and “transmediality” to account for these complex cultural dynamics between various local traditions. Analytically, this emergence of European manga or “Euromanga” tells us much of the circulation of Japanese popular culture and its fan culture. These local comic artists bridge artistic traditions by embedding narrative and visual tropes of Japan in their creations. This paper explores how European artists integrate the aesthetics of Japanese manga in their work. The Graphic Novels 3.0 Graphic Novels 3.1 Criticism of the Neologism 4. In The Modern Sense 2.0 Sequential Art, the Term 2.1 Modern Comics, an Introduction 2.1.1 Manga 2.1.2 Franco-Belgian Comics 2.1.3 American Comics 3. The Inception 1.0 The Need To Tell Stories 1.1 In Early History 1.2 Medieval Make-believe 2. Following is the sequenced outline of this colloquium, yet the subsections can be read on their own, irrespective of the order coherence being subject to the familiarity of the readers with the media of sequential art.

The paper also towards the end opines on the current surge of graphic novels in the popular yet not so mainstream readership, India being the context. It also briefly discusses my understanding of the art form and its parallel evolution over time, in dispersed locations on the face of Earth, sometimes citing a few examples to illustrate the point, and at other times quoting the exemplars of the field to suggest the influence they had on ideas and perceptions of the followers, here mostly being the comic book readers and artists. I'm hoping (praying!) that the issues have now been resolved, but should the site go screwy again, I'll keep you all updated via my Twitter account, Patreon page and DevArt gallery.This colloquium paper is an attempt to reflect my thoughts on stories, and telling thereof using visual sequential art as the media. I've been having some issues with my webhost, which has been the cause of the page appearing blank for some, and that 'error 503' message. Hollo, folks! You probably noticed the disruption to the site across the last couple of weeks. If you DO plan on going, be sure to check out their Covid-related entry restrictions before hand. I've had a table booked since early 2020 and will be there, perched under my Solo Endeavour banner, peddling prints, doodling pictures and chatting to anyone who wants to stop by. Hopefully 2022 will be a little kinder to us all!Īlso the London Film and Comic Con looks like it's finally going ahead, having been delayed multiple times due to the pandemic. Thank you very much for sticking around, despite the numerous technical issues and delays that have plagued my work across the past 12 months.

Sequential art