Overview

Investigating how character, time and art manifest and interact in the visual-verbal medium of Shakespeare comics, Svenn-Arve Myklebost uncovers how this medium (which includes comic books, graphic novels and manga) reframes and interrogates the Shakespeare canon. He argues that comics' blend of literary narrativity, dramatic action and fine art draw out elements of the plays, their genesis and afterlife that other media cannot capture. Among comics' distinct affordances are their spatial treatment of time, their ability to mix genres and media, their meta-aspects, their art-historical roots, their position within print culture, their 'dramatic' combination of words and visuals, and their generic flexibility all of which offer new ways to look at Shakespeare's dramatic and printed production.

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9781399546461

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Reviews

Svenn-Arve Myklebost argues convincingly that Shakespeare comics constitute an impressive artform in their own right, melding elements from literature, theater, art history, architecture, film and comics themselves into an integral and resonant multi-media form. And in doing so, these comics reveal telling aspects of Shakespeare's own art. Shakespeare's Comics is written with crispness and lucidity, with a gracious integration of an enormous erudition, and with a bounty of original insights. It makes a significant contribution to adaptation studies, and in an emerging area. At one point, Myklebost refers to the 'mental animation' that the reader experiences as a well-crafted comic book seems to come alive. Something similar could be said about the experience of reading this superb study.--Kent Cartwright, University of Maryland

Svenn-Arve Myklebost argues convincingly that Shakespeare comics constitute an impressive artform in their own right, melding elements from literature, theater, art history, architecture, film and comics themselves into an integral and resonant multi-media form. And in doing so, these comics reveal telling aspects of Shakespeare’s own art. Shakespeare’s Comics is written with crispness and lucidity, with a gracious integration of an enormous erudition, and with a bounty of original insights. It makes a significant contribution to adaptation studies, and in an emerging area. At one point, Myklebost refers to the ‘mental animation’ that the reader experiences as a well-crafted comic book seems to come alive. Something similar could be said about the experience of reading this superb study. -- Kent Cartwright, University of Maryland

Author Information

Svenn-Arve Myklebost is Associate Professor in the Department of English at the Inland Norway University. His research focuses on Shakespeare and the visual arts, comics, translation and occultism in literature. He coordinates The Bergen-Hamar Shakespeare Network and edits the open-access journal Early Modern Culture Online.

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