Graphic Novels and the Gothic

            In non-illustrated narratives the author must rely on words to communicate his ideas to the reader. This can be beneficial when the reading allows for more interpretation, since the author is presenting a blurrier depiction of the narrative, a variety of imaginings can accompany the words. In an illustrative piece the author uses words, albeit less of them, and illustrations. This combination of words and illustrations allows the author to depict a narrative that is much closer to his imaginings. The author is allowed to more accurately convey their narrative in the way they intended, the story is less likely to get lost in translation. This does not mean that the story cannot be interpreted and appreciated on different levels.

            Commonly the illustrations are able to depict graphic happenings in a way that might be more disturbing to some readers, or prompt reader’s to connect the illustrations to more graphic ideas or images. In a non-illustrated work the author must rely on the words to connect ideas and occurrences. In these works words can only reference words, allusions within the piece or to other works occurs in one dimension. In illustrated works the author and illustrator have another dimension to incorporate ideas and allusions.

            These changes from non-illustrated to illustrated does not make the graphic novel better or worse than the usual written narrative. The graphic novel allows the author to present a very specific mental image, to infiltrate the readers mind and replace interpretation with a crafted depiction of their choosing. This can limit the reader’s role in making the story come alive, and individual to the reader. The story can at times seem more real, more disturbing, and more gothic when the author hits the nail on the head. There is less room for error however, and when the story falters in places, the author cannot rely on the reader to make up the extra.

            Horror by itself is not gothic. Irony is also not particularly gothic. When the two are combined however you get something that is often gothic, especially in the sense of it becoming uncanny. Horror can fail to be horrific at times when it becomes too familiar. This familiarity means that the tactics used to scare are expected, and without the surprise, the sense of terror is lost. When horror is combined with irony, the surprise returns because the familiar horror is made unfamiliar.