Contributions by Kelly Baron, Angie Chau, Jennifer Nagtegaal, Lee Okan, Diana Pifano, Russell Samolsky, Kay Sohini, Anastasia Ulanowicz, and Aanchal Vij
Comics and Catharsis: Exploring Graphic Narratives of Trauma and Healing explores the idea that trauma and healing hold an imbalance in many forms of literature—but especially in the world of comics. Whether it be war-based, national, physical, or sexual trauma, this volume looks at a wide variety of trauma and the psychological pain and devastation that arise during and—crucially for the question of trauma narratives—following the events as the psychological (and often physical) wounds are processed.
Essayists in the collection engage with questions of how comics process trauma through depictions and receptions. Viewing trauma through the lens of comics such as Maus, Persepolis, and Fun Home, as well as works by comics writers who are little-known or unknown outside their communities, contributors analyze how trauma is used in artistic style, writing, and overall storytelling. Together, the essays in Comics and Catharsis show how people who have suffered trauma often flock to these works to find a way to acknowledge and process their own suffering.
Edited by:
Jordan Tronsgard
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi
Country of Publication: United States [Currently unable to ship to USA: see Shipping Info]
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781496858931
ISBN 10: 149685893X
Pages: 254
Publication Date: 15 September 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgments I. Introduction Jordan Tronsgard II. Drawing Apart: Physical and Generational Separation and Belonging Chapter 1. From Confinement to Catharsis: Reading the Comics Aesthetic in Manuel H. Martín’s Documentary 30 años de oscuridad/30 Years of Darkness Jennifer Nagtegaal Chapter 2. Graphic Representations of Violence in La herencia del coronel by Carlos Trillo and Lucas Varela Diana Pifano Chapter 3. On the Threshold of Being and Belonging: Refiguring History in Autobiographical Comics Kay Sohini III. Drawing Together: Nation and Narrative Chapter 4. The Burden of Translating History in Li Kunwu’s A Chinese Life Angie Chau Chapter 5. ""American God"" to a Soviet Superman: Exploring the Cathartic Function of Counterfactual Narratives Aanchal Vij Chapter 6. Re-Framing (Post-)Soviet Ukrainian History: Walter Duranty, Igort’s The Ukrainian Notebooks, and the Ethics of Graphic Reportage Anastasia Ulanowicz IV. Drawing Close: Individual, Intimate, and Traumatic Chapter 7. Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and the Impossibility of Testimony Kelly Baron Chapter 8. Graphic Novels and Sexual Trauma: Processing Sexual Trauma Through Creative Expression Lee Okan Chapter 9. The Good Empty: Trauma, Displacement, and Catharsis in Sabrina Russell Samolsky V. Conclusion Jordan Tronsgard List of Contributors Index
Jordan Tronsgard is professor of Hispanic studies and chair of the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Bishop’s University.
Reviews for Comics and Catharsis: Exploring Graphic Narratives of Trauma and Healing
Comics and Catharsis is a timely book that adds to writings on health-related trauma, largely work in mental health and sexual violence, and the horrors of war. With a global focus that moves beyond the typical comics canon, this book encourages a broader reading of trauma and the potential for healing across generational, national, and communal traumas.--Matthew Noe, lead collection and knowledge management librarian at Harvard Medical School
