Teu Week 2

What does Baetons (2001) mean by ‘monstration’, ‘graphiation’ and the ‘graphiateur’’?

While reading Baetens (2001) I found it very interesting to see all of the different types of words and explanations for comic related terms. I haven’t come across 'graphiation' and graphiateur' before but in reading the text this is what I have found according to Baetens (2001) “In the case of comics the enunciator is of course also a narrator and a graphic artist - a maker of image and a calligrapher.” (p.147) Baetens goes on to say “In order to make the distinction of the various types of enunciations and enunciators easier, Marion proposes to call 'graphiation' the graphic and narrative enunciation of the comics, and 'graphiateur', the agent responsible for it.” (p.47) I think graphiation contributes to the storytelling of comics in a way in which it is very crucial to have images which a range of colours and meanings, it is an integral part to comics to have graphiation. The pictures display the acts and story in the comic while helping the reader to enter a world of their own imagination.

According to Baetens (2001), “Gaudreaults suggests to call the narrative instance of a film the ‘image-narrator’ or ‘great image-maker’, and to analyse the specific narrative situation of movies as the hierarchical combination of several types of narration or, as he calls it, ‘monstration'.” (p.148) Monstration I think means a type of demonstration that the character form in the readers mind, I think comic books are designed especially for the visuals and monstration and well as narrative help form the books in that particular way. Monstration creates certain images and visuals that may push the reader into using their imagination while presenting a picture of character formation that helps the reader to further the storytelling.

Baetens, J. (2001). Revealing Traces: a new theory of graphic enunciation. In Varnum, R.& Gibbons, C.(Ed.). The Language of Comics: word and image (pp.145-155). Jackson: UP of Mississippi