Shakespeare Comics: Art, Time and Character
By (Author) Svenn-Arve Myklebost
Edinburgh University Press
Edinburgh University Press
7th November 2025
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Literary studies: c 1400 to c 1600
Literary studies: general
Graphic novel / Comic book / Manga: genres
Classic and pre-20th century plays
Hardback
240
Width 156mm, Height 234mm
Investigating how character, time and art manifest and interact in the visual-verbal medium of Shakespeare comics, Svenn-Arve Myklebost uncovers how this medium (which includes comic books, graphic novels and manga) reframes and interrogates the Shakespeare canon. He argues that comics' blend of literary narrativity, dramatic action and fine art draw out elements of the plays, their genesis and afterlife that other media cannot capture. Among comics' distinct affordances are their spatial treatment of time, their ability to mix genres and media, their meta-aspects, their art-historical roots, their position within print culture, their "dramatic" combination of words and visuals, and their generic flexibility all of which offer new ways to look at Shakespeare's dramatic and printed production.