At the heart of this exhibition is the adaptation of a short story as a comic. Most people will have read a comic before, and many will probably have a comic or two at home. The aim of this exhibition is to make the process of turning a text into a picture story tangible and to highlight the hurdles involved in such an adaptation. The focus is therefore not on the finished comic, but on the process of making it.
In the last few years of my studies in literary and cultural theory, I have mainly dealt with African-American texts and history with a focus on racism theory, violence and power. Through this I came across W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963), one of the most important African-American historians, sociologists and civil rights activists, who also wrote poems, short stories and novels - including the short story “The Comet”, which is the basis for my comic.
The adaptation of an African-American text dealing with racism by a white European like myself involves certain risks. It is important to avoid a disrespectful or insensitive take on the text, especially one that dilutes or obscures the astute exposure of the consequences of racism for the Black man and the white woman. As such, I have done extensive research into Du Bois' biography and the history of African-American comics. Nonetheless, this project is an experiment, therefore I welcome any feedback, criticism, questions or suggestions. Please feel free to send them to aaron.koenigspam prevention@student.uni-tuebingen.de. I look forward to hearing from you.
Through the exhibition, I hope to make the hurdles as well as the joys of my adaptation process visible. I deliberately chose the project in this form in order to challenge myself, especially in terms of drawing, and I can definitely say that I have succeeded in this. Among the numerous challenges throughout the process was drawing the same figure over a hundred times and making sure that it stays recognizable. You can decide for yourself whether this I have been successful in this. The aim of the exhibition was to make my process of creating the comic comprehensible in five steps. Which is why I highlighted Du Bois' original text as well as every step towards the finished comic page.
I also hope that the exhibition will reveal my passion not only for drawing, but also for the extraordinary basic text. Because despite all the efforts that the project has entailed, it has also been one of the most enriching experiences of my life and has taught me a lot both as an artist and as a person. I hope you enjoy reading the comic. Thank you.
