Abstract

Sometimes comic book readers randomly encounter images in a comic that closely resemble images in other comics. This artwork could appear to the reader to have been copied, even directly 'lifted' from older or better-known comics. Sometimes, however, it does seem like any similarities have been generated independently, by chance or serendipity. In this note we draw on the work of Umberto Eco, William Lethaby, Walter Benjamin and Carl Jung to describe a multidisciplinary conceptual framework to analyse similar images using a heuristic approach involving two analogy concepts drawn from two different disciplines: linguistics and biology. When the origin of similarity between images is well documented, we propose the linguistic analogy approach can explain the phenomenon of recurrent images. When the similarity between two images appears to be unexplainable, or the result of mere chance, we propose that the concept of biological analogy can be helpful to explain the superficial resemblance of elements that have different origins.@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face{font-family:Cambria;panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536869121 1107305727 33554432 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:none;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;mso-ansi-language:ES-MX;mso-fareast-language:ES-MX;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-size:11.0pt;mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;mso-ansi-language:ES-MX;mso-fareast-language:ES-MX;}.MsoPapDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;margin-bottom:10.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:none;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}

Highlights

  • In this note we draw on the work of Umberto Eco, William Lethaby, Walter Benjamin and Carl Jung to describe a multidisciplinary conceptual framework to analyse similar images using a heuristic approach involving two analogy concepts drawn from two different disciplines: linguistics and biology

  • When the origin of similarity between images is well documented, we propose the linguistic analogy approach can explain the phenomenon of recurrent images

  • When the similarity between two images appears to be unexplainable, or the result of mere chance, we propose that the concept of biological analogy can be helpful to explain the superficial resemblance of elements that have different origins

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Summary

City Research Online

Searching for a Common Ancestry: Linguistic and Biological Analogies in Comic Art. The Comics Grid : Journal of Comics Scholarship, 11(1), 4.. The Comics Grid : Journal of Comics Scholarship, 11(1), 4.. This is the published version of the paper. This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. URLs from City Research Online may be freely distributed and linked to. Reuse: Copies of full items can be used for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge. Title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way

THE COMICS GRID Journal of comics scholarship
OPEN ACCESS
Linguistic Analogy
Biological Analogy
Conclusions
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