ABSTRACT
The history of comic art has seen the medium draw upon a range of generic influences that have established the critical ground from which to assess its impact upon contemporary culture. From the early science-fiction fantasy of Depression-era America, through to the horror of the 1950s Tales from the Crypt (EC), the comic form has adapted and assimilated different genres, culminating in the populist superhero subgenre. Similarly, Gothic fiction has also adopted and assimilated different textual and thematic materials, diversifying into theatre, cinema and new media. It is precisely in these areas of generic hybridity that comics and the Gothic find a shared textual and contextual space. As Fred Botting notes about the historical status of the Gothic:
This chapter will argue for ways in which the thematic, structural and historical conventions and tropes of the Gothic have been appropriated within the field of comic art. At the same time, it will assess the impact comics have had upon the Gothic, suggesting a mutual generic convergence. Whilst acknowledging the range and importance of comic art that originates from Europe, Asia, Australia and South America, the argument will focus primarily on British and American writers and artists who have influenced the way ‘graphic novels’ have explored the motifs, themes and visual signifiers of Gothic literature and cinema.
