Lisa Runnels   

Gothic as a Genre:

Animation and Graphic Novels

Although all Gothic fiction is tragedy, its key component is the edifice [or building] . . . . Gothic fiction usually takes place in an ancient castle or abbey whose owner discovers his noble line is doomed, usually because some past misdemeanor has caused the family to be cursed. . . . [The genre] was desensationalized and adopted into the mainstream by Charlotte Bronte in Jane Eyre (1847) and Emily Bronte in Wuthering Heights (1847). . . . [In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries] the Gothic mode shifted toward romantic fiction, and was revived strongly in the work of Daphne du Maurier, who built on the work of the Brontes to lay the foundation for the modern Gothic romance. . . .--Mike Ashley, "Gothic Fantasy," The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, eds. John Clute and John Grant. NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1997.

http://www.uhcl.edu/itc/course/LITR/4232/gothic.htm

Examples:  Disney’s Gargoyles, The Dark Knight (Batman)

Representational Genre:  Narrator + Dialogue

Narrative Genre:  Tragedy, High Comedy, Romance

Subject Genre/Audience Appeal:  Animation, fairy tales, fantasy, cartoons. The audience appeal crosses generations. 

Identifiable Highlights:  Dark, brooding characters with noble intentions coupled with gothic architecture. 

Additional Examples:  Batman Beyond, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Discussion:

How do these gothic images influence the quality of the animation?

Do the gothic images make the animation more appealing to all age groups?

Class Discussion: 

Many in the class were intrigued by the Gothic example with the Gargoyle’s the movie.

It was full of high comedy, and the main character often quoted author such a Shakespeare in his dialog. This would limit the audience if they were not well read.

The wit that was used held hidden messages

Modern times it wit could be compared to the TV Show the Simpson’s

The representational example: The claw marks, was followed my narration before any dialog

The date viewed in one of the scenes in Scotland gives another example of narration

Gothic sometimes holds hidden message and at time historical facts.

Gothic open up another genre of myths

The use of Gothic in an animation is creative, and could be used in school to teach this element of literature