Introducing Paul Cobley: a graphic guide

Abstract

Abstract Within the discipline of semiotics, written text remains the primary mode of communication and analysis, despite the fact that, as all good semioticians know, signs occur in all modalities – which is why we think of artists and musicians, no less than novelists and poets, as applied semioticians par excellence. In 1997, Paul Cobley and Litza Jansz combined the semiotic tools of words and drawings to produce what is undoubtedly one of the most successful and influential texts for the dissemination of semiotic theory: the illustrated graphic guide called Semiotics for beginners (later published as Introducing semiotics). On the occasion of this well-deserved festschrift honoring Paul’s life of work in semiotics, the authors felt it most appropriate to pay homage to Paul – and to the graphic guide with which he has inspired countless readers across the world to better understand the fundamentals of semiotics – by once again combining the semiotic tools of words and drawings to illustrate the ideas and history of this master semiotician.