Metafiction, intertextuality, and consumerism in transmedia resemiotization: a postmodern analysis of a comic book adaptation of the Chinese classic Journey to the West

Abstract

Abstract Classic Chinese novels have frequently been adapted into other media formats. Such transmedia adaptations involve shifts in meaning, which are often shaped by contemporary postmodern culture. This article explores the textual transformations in a comic book adaptation of the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West, and the postmodern culture behind these transformations. Viewing transmedia adaptation as resemiotization, we analyse the metafictional strategies, intertextuality, and representation of consumerism in the comic book. These three aspects, which subvert the narrative of the original novel, define the postmodern nature of the comic book adaptation. We conclude that the comic book adaptation is not only a nostalgic representation but also a critical rewriting of the Chinese classic, which is shaped by postmodern norms and values. This study enriches our understanding of the adaptation and reception of the classical novel Journey to the West in contemporary popular culture, thus shedding light on the postmodern rewriting of Chinese classics in general.