Digital Commons Network^™

The Art Of Trauma: Abstraction And 'Locke And Key', Kirsten Stricker

Undergraduate Research Conference

Graphic novels have been studied primarily by historians and narratologists, with outcomes that demonstrate how graphic novels are historically and educationally significant; however, the art has received minimal attention within art historical contexts. The abstraction found in the art of graphic novels has become increasingly common in our modern visual culture, and therefore, merits closer study. Locke and Key, a winner of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez, is an exemplar of the sophistication possible in graphic novel art. The stylistics decisions made by Rodriguez – including the manner in which the characters are depicted …