Serial Selves: Identity and Representation in Autobiographical Comics

Frederik Byrn Køhlert's book Serial Selves explores the potential of autobiographical comics to represent marginalized lives and perspectives, offering a comparative analysis of how artists from various backgrounds use the form to create new ways of seeing and being seen.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 214 pages
\n Publication date: 30 March 2019
\n Publisher: Rutgers University Press
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Autobiography is a captivating and rapidly evolving genre within contemporary comics and graphic narratives, offering immense potential to represent lives and perspectives that have often been marginalized or excluded. In his insightful book, Serial Selves, Frederik Byrn Køhlert delves into the realm of this genre, exploring its ability to convey alternative and thought-provoking autobiographical narratives. Through thematic chapters, the author examines the work of artists who write from marginalized perspectives, encompassing gender, sexuality, disability, race, and trauma. This interdisciplinary approach draws from theories and methodologies from literary and visual studies, providing a detailed formal analysis to demonstrate how comics' unique aesthetics, characterized by their highly personal and hand-drawn nature, can challenge established narrative and visual conventions. By doing so, artists can invent new ways of seeing and being seen, expanding the boundaries of what is possible in the medium.

Serial Selves stands as the first comparative study of how comics artists from diverse backgrounds utilize the form to write and draw themselves into cultural visibility. This book will captivate anyone with an interest in the current surge of autobiographical comics, as well as the broader issues of representation in comics and visual culture. It offers valuable insights into the ways in which artists use comics to express their identities, challenge societal norms, and contribute to the rich tapestry of visual storytelling.

In conclusion, Autobiography is a dynamic and rapidly growing genre in contemporary comics and graphic narratives, with Serial Selves providing a profound exploration of its potential to represent and challenge marginalized lives and perspectives. Through interdisciplinary analysis and a focus on the unique aesthetics of comics, the book offers a fresh perspective on autobiographical storytelling and contributes to the ongoing dialogue about representation in comics and visual culture.

\n Weight: 340g\n
Dimension: 154 x 230 x 14 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780813592251\n \n