Comics Beyond Text and Image

Benjamin Fraser is a professor at the University of Arizona, USA, where his research centers on comics studies, urban studies, and disability studies. He has written a number of books, and his writing on graphic novels and comics has appeared in journals worldwide. He currently serves on the editorial board of Studies in Comics.

• Introduction. What Comics Can Do: Visual Narration and PhilosophyPart I. Theory1. Corporeal Voicings (Art Spiegelman, Ben Katchor, Nick Drnaso)2. Iconic Cartographies (Joe Sacco, Sole Otero, Ana Penyas, Liniers)3. Thinking with the Body (Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, Adrian Tomine, Seth, Julie Doucet)Part II. Commentary4. The Body in Motion: Alison Bechdel, The Secret to Superhuman Strength (2021)5. Propulsion: Eric Drooker, Flood! A Novel in Pictures (1992)6. Respiration: Laura Pérez, Ocultos (2020)7. The Sudden Scream: Bishakh Som, Apsara Engine (2020)8. Pores: Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (2018)9. Plumage: Brecht Evens, The City of Belgium (2021)10. Pulling Hairs: Ebony Flowers, Hot Comb (2020)11. Digestion: R. Sikoryak, Terms and Conditions (2017)12. The Cinematograph of the Mind: Martin Vaughn-James, The Projector (1971)13. Sheets of Past: Richard McGuire, Here (2014)14. Tactile Memory: Nora Krug, Belonging (2018)15. The Skin of Comics: Marc-Antoine Mathieu, Le Processus (1993)16. Puzzling Pieces Together: Chris Ware, Building Stories: Vortex of Anamnesis (2021)Conclusion Index

“This book uses philosophical and formalist approaches in new ways, to create detailed close readings that are sensitive to the affects and social significances of the comics under analysis. A beautiful, worthwhile approach that can serve as a model for any comics scholar.” -- Dr. Barbara Postema, University of Groningen, The Netherlands“Who would have thought a 17th-century European philosopher would have so much to say about modern comics? Benjamin Fraser applies insights from Spinoza and other thinkers for a holistic re-envisioning of what graphic narrative is and what it does, all brought to life by meticulous commentaries on pages drawn from comics works spanning the globe. This book does it all! Fraser’s marvelously learned text shows us that comics can indeed be and do anything. I will certainly never look at them the same way again.” -- José Alaniz, University of Washington, USA“In Comics Beyond Text and Image, Benjamin Fraser employs an expansive array of new and classic texts to encourage readers to re-think and re-see the way bodies shape and define narrative in comics. A fascinating and rewarding read for fans and scholars alike.”-- Professor Jessica Baldanzi, Goshen College, USA