‘A picture is worth a thousand words’, that popular saying is more related to the sphere of politics that might usually be expected. The unique language of comics as a visual art, encompassing both words and pictures, seems perfectly fit for a variety of political purposes. Graphic novels and comic books are used by various actors to propagate specific behaviors or attitudes or to promote particular political ideologies. They might depict a particular historical moment communicate a dominant ideology to the audience or, on the contrary, reading them might be a practice through which individuals defy hegemonic political or social conceptions. Polish political comics and graphic novels served all of the abovementioned purposes and were also a subject of heated debates regarding their status as a viable form of art. A research project on Polish comic books, under development, will be presented during this meeting.
Speaker
Wojciech Lewandowski is an associate professor of political science at the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw and the Fulbrighter at the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures. His research is focused on political discourse and its representations and on depictions of social and political phenomena in popular culture. Politics is discussed through a lens of meanings and interpretations audiences attach to it. Author of From Fascist Dystopia to Anarchistic Utopia. Political Ideas in Alan Moore’s and David Lloyd’s ‘V for Vendetta’ Graphic Novel (2019; published in Polish) and forthcoming Capitalism, Freedom, Future: Picture of Polish Transformation in the Graphic Novel ‘Osiedle Swoboda’ (in Against Translation: Global Comics History and Memory)
About Mershon Monday
Mershon Mondays encourage Ohio State researchers in different disciplines, career stages, and professional networks to share ideas and perspectives on global security questions. A light lunch is served. Given a strong response in the fall, we're now requesting advance registration.
