Post modern heroic narrative : a practical exercise in re-adapting the myth of Icarus in graphic narrative form

Abstract

This dissertation revolves around the re-appropriation of the Icarus myth by manipulating the medium and format of the graphic narrative form. This aims to explore the act of retelling of stories, to illustrate how myths transcend the ages through adapting to different contexts. Textual analysis looks into past interpretations of the mythological figure along with the comic medium and storytelling all together, to serve as the basis for the actual creation of the 24-page comic, a process that makes use of traditional and digital media. The final graphic narrative project aims to convey through Icarus, an allegory for the artist, exploring the anxieties, aspirations, epiphanies and subsequent failures of creators and in doing so breathing new life into the myth.