'An investigation into the relationship between narrative and Illustration; can I challenge the misconception that diverse styles of narrative should generally be accompanied by Illustrations associated with that genre. Or by using different styles of images can the meaning of the narrative be improved; and can I then use this research to produce a more emotive and compelling story visually and written'.

For my final major project I produced a comic in which I intended to produce an emotive story depicting basic human emotions such as love, loss, obsession, violence and passion; as they are the most emotive and compelling stories. I started to write the story based upon stereotypical comic book literature and illustrate it using typical techniques used in this genre. However, I felt that the style left the narrative lacking in depth and there was no connection and relationship between the characters appropriate to the emotive text that accompanied it. The main influence for my story was the graphic novel by James O' Barr of which he wrote as a response to the grief he felt at the death of his girlfriend. The graphic novel is broken up into chapters relating to the five stages of grief, which is introduced by song lyrics and poetry from other writers. I felt that this eclectic take on narrative makes the story more emotive and powerful in expressing loss and pain by drawing on these diverse literary influences. I intend to draw on these influences and research fields such as film noir, sonnet, rhyming couplets and stereotypical comic book style text to challenge one of my original sections of writing as to which if any of these styles would improve upon my storytelling and intern; produce a more passionate and compelling story.

To go along side this writing, I also intend  to experiment with my own image making based upon my researched styles of Illustrations that would typically be associated with these genres of narrative i.e. pencil drawings with poetry, heavily shadowed images associated with film noir, cartoons with comic book style text etc. I intend to widely experiment with varied styles of images and investigate as to whether a different style of image making or text would be more powerfully emotive and expressive than the typical comic book style Illustrations I would usually use and use these influences to improve upon my original narrative in which I felt was lacking depth and emotion.

Original Narrative

Her.....an angel...........the perfect woman.
I can feel her......
Her eyes gleaming impairing my vision as her beauty ignites my body,
urging my soul to break free and take her away from all her pain and suffering.


my original text from my comic-  the starting point to researching narrative to improve upon this text and produce a more compelling and emotive story, visually and written.

research publication work

 

Film Noir Narrative  

Her...the goddess, the perfect woman fallen into my desolate world or corruption. She belongs where mortals cannot harm her. I can feel her presence..................................

The vision of her beauty enslaves my heart urging me to break free and take her away from all her pain and suffering. Her vision ignites my body aching to touch her. It pains me to think of her soul not at peace. The power of fer takes hold and throttles any morals you once had. Revenge sweeps through your veins and your heart beats like a war drum craving violence. 

As research for my narrative I investigated literary techniques used in film noir script writing. These films are characterised as reflecting a dark, morose tone containing more pessimistic characters than in other forms of cinema. The premises typically in film noir shapes round the corrupt lives of the male characters of which they have 'no control' over, highlighting an atmosphere of 'impending doom'. The relationship of love commonly expressed in film is replaced by 'blind passion and sexual obsession, which often erupts into violence and cold-blooded murder'. These stories are centered round crime and reflect 'the other side of the American Dream in which death has been preceded not by success but by grim failure'. Typically the text is presented with a narrating voice-over 'sometimes used to express bleak resignation' 'concerned with emotions, human failings and sexual obsession'. The characters typically have no clear distinction between right and wrong, yet are left ambiguous showing morality but 'can do so against the law'. I have used these techniques to produce somewhat of a soliloquy expressing his pain at his lovers death-his failing....his 'sexual obsession' through text describing his lust for her, finishing the narrative with his need to go against the law and seek vengeance.

research publication work

                                                                 Comic Style Narrative


Her...........the vision of a goddess fallen among the world of Hades.
Her beauty transcending the realms of which a villain like me has become a part of.
I can feel her............
her angel lips upon mine wiping away the sins of my past and embracing me with her mercy. I shudder to think of her cold, her soul not at peace.
I kiss those sweet lips of hers and promise to shield her soul from the horrors of the underworld in which I dwell.

As my final major project is a comic, I then researched stereotypical comic book narrative in which the medium conveys a sequential narrative originally expressing humour and satire. The formal traditions used in this genre are devices such as speech balloons to 'indicate dialogue' while sequential boxes and panels are used to introduce the flow of the images and text. However, the field has expanded to a diverse range of literary genres such as the neo-noir style of Frank Miller in his 'Sin City' graphic novel series, the fables comic series written by Bill Willingham as well as the recent recreation of the Shakespeare plays in graphic novel series. I felt that as I want my comic to be heavily influenced by film noir, I should use the influence of Frank Miller;s narrative in 'Sin City'. Miller uses devices commonly used in film noir such as soliloquies and a narrating voice over expressing bleakness of a corrupt event that has caused his failing; 'She was murdered and I was right her when it happened'. His text is also reminiscent of sexual obsession used in film noir; 'Her, the vision of a goddess. Goldie'. I have used this grimly realistic depiction of violence, loss and sexual obsession to influence my narrative into a piece reminiscent of neo noir, yet with a comic style narrative; 'the son of a bitch who killed the angel lying next to me'.

research publication work

                                                                  Sonnet Narrative

From when I had found her I will evermore
Protect her soul from the horrors thou sitst below.
Her life entwined in my transcending corruption
Became her doom of this eternal store.
O that I were transformed immortal
And feel her presence beside my aching body.
And let my lips from kissing not remove.
Her vision feeds greedy eyes hence eyes never remove.
If she art here my thoughts might rest
She might tenderly kiss me and fondly caressed.
Issue my heart from thy aching love
And make a garland for her heavenly brow.
Might the angels embrace my queen of beauty.
Lord, shield her soul might pain remove.

I then chose deflect from the film noir/neo-noir influences that I have researched and look at  diverse style of narrative such as sonnets. I chose to research sonnets as a form of poetry due to its meaning; 'little song' reflecting deep human emotions such as love and loss. English sonnets were introduced in the early sixteenth century by Thomas Wyatt. However, Sir Philip Sidney's sequence 'Astrophel and Stella' introduced the concept of sonnet sequences commonly used by Edmund Spencer and Samuel Daniel with the general premise of the poet expressing his love for a woman. I found parts of the sonnet 'Upon the Crucifix' by William Alabster incredibly emotive; 'Issue my heart from thy two-leaved door', as well as Shakespeare's sonnet '116' 'Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom'. I have used a similar style of text to express a deep meaning of passion and sensibility for the main character towards his lover and abrupt demise. I feel that these influences have given a diverse, yet new sensuality of the narrative that comic style and film noir narrative cannot.  

research publication work

   
                                                        Rhyming Couplets Narrative

The angels will hear his whisper in the skies,
The soft sound of her innocence sung.
Her beauty transcending the mortal world in which she dies,
In death the innocence faded and ended so young.

The thought of her pain leaves me shorn of my strength,
Her sighing and sobbing as she calls my name.
It tortures my thoughts as I lie at full length,
My powers becoming her enemy fills me with shame.

I can vision her, her tender lips, those sparkling eyes,
My powers she found endearing became my vice.
My lost love drowning inside me, releasing to the skies,
Now she is gone, my love for her comes at a price.

I lie visioning her, composed in my bed,
With the horrible thoughts that her soul would not last.
The pitiless pain of the guilt she is dead,
I pray for vengeance and that this event will be past.

I then referred to poetry in one of its simplest forms; rhyming couplets. I intend to research this diverse style of narrative and explore the effects of the devices used and question whether this style is better fitting to produce an emotive story than my original narrative. Alexander Pope's text in 'An Essay on Criticism'; 'True wit is nature to advantage dress'd; What oft thought, but ne'er so well express'd' is effective in calling attention to the text as the rhyme comes about so abruptly. However, due to their predictable rhyme scheme they can feel simple and false; 'Where-e'er you find the cooling western breeze' the next line follows; 'whisper through the trees'. I feel that Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'For Annie' has the most effective rhyming couplets in its simplest form, yet the form is atypical of the genre, allowing for more description and sensibility in the narrative;

                                               "And I rest so contentedly,
                                                Now, in my bed,
                                                (With her love at my breast)
                                                That you fancy me dead-"

I have used this influence to produce a poem with a similar rhyme scheme adopted by Edgar Allan Poe to produce an emotive narrative that draws the audience's attention to the rhyme and yet shows a sensibility to the text that a film noir/comic style narrative cannot.