Walking Corpses & Conscious Plants: Possibilist Ecologies in ...

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Bingham 44 graphic narrative posits that the disappearance of state apparatuses we depend upon to maintain order and normalcy is possible. The work imagines how people would react to a mass pandemic and shows those who've hoped upon government intervention either perishing or being forced to adapt and develop a greater sense of self-sufficiency. Since the series is currently nearing the release of its 113 th issue, I've decided to reference the first compendium version released in 2009 for reasons of accessibility. This particular publication collects the first forty-eight issues of the series, although it does not have any of the original cover art. It spans over a thousand pages which are not numbered, so any image discussed is reproduced in the appendix at the end of this chapter. The compendium is divided into eight chapters which are the summation of six monthly issues each; they are labeled with three word titles which are taken from earlier trade paperback releases. The differentiation between the universes contained in The Walking Dead and lived actuality make the concepts of bodily transformation and communal reconsideration interesting and manageable. Coping with mortality and loss is mitigated first and foremost through the gap between physical space and conceived space where the story occurs. Physical space is formed by grids of panels that make up each page of the text, whereas conceived space is the environment as perceived by the characters. This type of relationship engages the reader. According to Scott McCloud, “Comics panels fracture both time and space, offering a jagged staccato rhythm of unconnected moments. But closure allows us to connect these moments and mentally construct a continuous, unified reality” (Understanding 67). Prompting readers to absorb visual information through pictures, the creators have implicated readers in bringing the events of the narrative to life
Bingham 45 thus creating an affective response. The ability to see these changes hinges upon strong character development. As the import of ethics can only be measured by actions, the decision to craft the narrative arc around protagonist Rick Grimes is incredibly significant. As the story develops, multiple plots emerge; however, Rick's perspective remains paramount. In an interview given on May 19 th , 2008 for the online publication Comic Book Resources the author revealed, “Rick Grimes is arguably the main character...He's the only character who's been in every issue so far...and he's the only character we've really focused on at all times” (Kirkman). Because Rick's presence is so important, I will be tracing his development and overlooking some of the parallel plot lines involving other characters. Moreover, Rick's anchoring presence allows readers to measure how repeated exposure to violence and use of the force alter his sense of self and role within the community. 1 The first chapter of the work, “Days Gone Bye,” foreshadows change and indicates nostalgic longing for a bygone era. Beginning in the midst of a shootout, the foreground of the first panel shows Rick and partner Shane taking cover behind a squad car with guns drawn (Figure 1). In the background is a battered pick-up from where the assailing fire has originated. Above the pickup an onomatopoetic clue indicates the blast of a shotgun: “BOOM!” The two o's intersect as a Venn Diagram might; this visual clue prompts readers to consider how two seemingly separate things share common properties. About a quarter of the size of this word and extending the line which forms the cruiser's hood stands, “SPAK!” We are shown an immediacy of danger as surrounding motion lines depict the discharged bullet pinging of the cruiser's hood close to Rick's head. Apart from these words, other visual clues evoke multiple aspects of sensory
Page 1 and 2: Walking Corpses & Conscious Plants:
Page 3 and 4: Bingham 3 I owe an extreme debt of
Page 5 and 6: Bingham 5 Introduction My project e
Page 7 and 8: Bingham 7 personal growth through t
Page 9 and 10: Bingham 9 beliefs. Seeing a possibl
Page 11 and 12: Bingham 11 zombie exceeds death as
Page 13 and 14: Bingham 13 the validity of singular
Page 15 and 16: Bingham 15 Chapter I: The History o
Page 17 and 18: Bingham 17 Swamp Thing. According t
Page 19 and 20: Bingham 19 instructional profession
Page 21 and 22: Bingham 21 Another artist who worke
Page 23 and 24: Bingham 23 action into panels (Cohn
Page 25 and 26: Bingham 25 sponsorship. He designed
Page 27 and 28: Bingham 27 Charles Moulton. Marston
Page 29 and 30: Bingham 29 Frederick Wertham prompt
Page 31 and 32: Bingham 31 “graphic novel” was
Page 33 and 34: Bingham 33 what is or isn't a graph
Page 35 and 36: Bingham 35 Works Cited Benton, Mike
Page 37 and 38: Bingham 37 Chapter II: Transfusion
Page 39 and 40: Bingham 39 conflict or war. This ex
Page 41 and 42: Bingham 41 and dismember other bodi
Page 43: Bingham 43 bodies to pieces. (Cavar
Page 47 and 48: Bingham 47 margins. Unlike the four
Page 49 and 50: Bingham 49 implicates the role of o
Page 51 and 52: Bingham 51 demonstrates that he is
Page 53 and 54: Bingham 53 Amy (Figure 10 & 11). Th
Page 55 and 56: Bingham 55 being who has done nothi
Page 57 and 58: Bingham 57 transgressions, this ima
Page 59 and 60: Bingham 59 Returning to the full pa
Page 61 and 62: Bingham 61 order” (200). The prem
Page 63 and 64: Bingham 63 possession, selling, ste
Page 65 and 66: Bingham 65 with yourself? Not me. I
Page 67 and 68: Bingham 67 immediate proximity of t
Page 69 and 70: Bingham 69 experience, or the human
Page 71 and 72: Bingham 71 sentences Thomas to hang
Page 73 and 74: Bingham 73
Page 75 and 76: Bingham 74 Works Cited Berger, Arth
Page 77 and 78: Bingham 76 APPENDIX A Fig. 1. Openi
Page 79 and 80: Bingham 78 Fig. 7. Fig. 8.
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Fig. 38. Bingham 94
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Fig. 41. Bingham 96
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Bingham 98 Fig. 43. Fig. 44.
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Bingham 101 Chapter III: Speaking o
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Bingham 103 preserved, yet not enti
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Bingham 105 increasingly more discu
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Bingham 107 Wrightson only drew the
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Bingham 109 by the inexorable progr
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Bingham 111 appeared. Though the tw
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Bingham 113 General Avery Carlton S
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Bingham 115 dismembered body which
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Bingham 117 sheltered from or not e
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Bingham 119 authority. This subtle,
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Bingham 121 the center of the page
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Bingham 123 affect. Apart from this
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Bingham 125 acts of fictional chara
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Bingham 127 resemblance, their comp
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Bingham 129 experience. The creator
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Bingham 131 justified. What follows
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Bingham 133 present to witness it t
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Bingham 135 If we read each charact
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Bingham 137 able to issue an urgent
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1 According to comics historian Rob
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Bingham 140 - Interview by David Ro
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