The Clear Line in Comics and Cinema: A Transmedial Approach

The clear line style in comics and cinema is a storytelling strategy that generates a deceptively simple, lucid, and hygienic narration. This book offers a new outlook on the development of the style in the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly in the context of the European bande dessinee. It also expands the concept of clear line to other artistic domains by introducing and defending its transmedial use, which is particularly relevant for the understanding of the oeuvres of certain filmmakers of the 20th century.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 04 July 2022
Publisher: Leuven University Press

The clear line, a term coined by Dutch essayist and artist Joost Swarte in 1977, has become a widely recognized term in the field of comics studies. It refers to a specific style of storytelling that originated with Herge and the Ecole de Bruxelles, characterized by its deceptively simple, lucid, and hygienic narration. This style is often described as made out of light, fluidity, and limpid clarity, as coined by Philippe Marion. By conducting a comprehensive historical and theoretical analysis of clear line comics, this book offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of the style throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly within the context of the European bande dessinee. Moreover, the book pioneers the concept of clear line beyond comics by introducing and defending its transmedial application, which holds significant relevance for understanding the works of certain filmmakers from the postwar period, such as Yasujiro Ozu in Japan, Jacques Tati in France, and Frank Tashlin in the United States. As a result, The Clear Line in Comics and Cinema emerges as a pivotal theoretical work for enthusiasts of bande dessinee, comics scholars, and film studies scholars alike, while also making a substantial contribution to the field of transmedial narratology.

The clear line, a term coined by Dutch essayist and artist Joost Swarte in 1977, has become a widely recognized term in the field of comics studies. It refers to a specific style of storytelling that originated with Herge and the Ecole de Bruxelles, characterized by its deceptively simple, lucid, and hygienic narration. This style is often described as made out of light, fluidity, and limpid clarity, as coined by Philippe Marion. By conducting a comprehensive historical and theoretical analysis of clear line comics, this book offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of the style throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly within the context of the European bande dessinee. Moreover, the book pioneers the concept of clear line beyond comics by introducing and defending its transmedial application, which holds significant relevance for understanding the works of certain filmmakers from the postwar period, such as Yasujiro Ozu in Japan, Jacques Tati in France, and Frank Tashlin in the United States. As a result, The Clear Line in Comics and Cinema emerges as a pivotal theoretical work for enthusiasts of bande dessinee, comics scholars, and film studies scholars alike, while also making a substantial contribution to the field of transmedial narratology.

Weight: 620g
Dimension: 230 x 170 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789462703209