44. Creative Symbolism in David Mazzuchelli’s Asterios Polyp

Abstract

Abstract: Comics have become an increasingly important cultural phenomenon as evidenced by the multimillion dollar comic book movie industry. Their importance is even beginning to be seen in academia, as shown by the development of comics studies classes in universities around the country. In response to the recent scholarship in comics studies advanced by Neil Cohn, Will Eisner, and Hannah Miodrag, I have chosen to analyze the various aspects of symbolism in the unique combination of words and images that only comics offers. In my presentation, I analyze David Mazzucchelli’s Asterios Polyp, a 2009 graphic novel about a middle-aged man’s journey to discover what he truly values in life. I focus on different aspects of symbolism in different panels from the book. Through my analysis of these panels, I show the thought and literary depth of the work, and how Mazzucchelli’s techniques can only exist in the comics form.

Keywords: Comics Studies/Visual Rhetoric/Symbolism/Analysis/Mazzucchelli