Framing the Unreal: Exploring Graphic/Visual Science Fiction and Fantasy

Description

“Comics Multiverses and Infinite Adaptations”

The call for papers for the seminar “Comics Multiverses” references the issue of contrast and continuity in universe construction, raising the question of what changes and what stays the same as comic book readers are transported from one universe to another. The same question—what changes and what stays the same—can be asked of an adaptation, where an original source text is transformed or imitated by a later text. Comics multiverses may or may not feature an original source universe, but even where there is no Earth Prime, multiverses often present multiple versions or adaptations of a recognisable world.

The aim of this paper, therefore, is to read comics multiverses in the context of adaptation theory, particularly the work of Gérard Genette. This approach understands that comics universes are not created as parallel, self-contained realities but as transformations and imitations of existing worlds. What Genette calls transpositional practices require readers to think about semantic transformations (changes to the events and actions in familiar stories—for example, how The Flash gains his powers—including changes to the characters' motives for those actions) and transvaluation (positive revaluations or negative devaluations of characters—for example, Mister Fantastic / Maker—in terms of their roles in the value system of one universe as compared to that of another).

But Genette also enables us to think of the secret wars between multiple universes. He terms continuations those works or, for us, worlds that involve a form of faithful imitation of another. And he contrasts these with unfaithful efforts, termed supplements, that aim to erase the other world and which have a long tradition in a comics industry that embraces the commercial attractions of rewriting a character's or even an entire comic book universe's history.

Period	13 Nov 2024
Event type	Conference
Location	Venice, ItalyShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International