Ernest Hemingway casts a long shadow in literature--reaching beyond his
status as a giant of 20th-century fiction and a Nobel Prize
winner--extending even into comic books. Appearing variously with
Superman, Mickey Mouse, Captain Marvel, and Cerebus, he has even battled
fascists alongside Wolverine in Spain and teamed up with Shade to battle
adversaries in the Area of Madness.
Robert K. Elder's research into Hemingway's comic presence demonstrates
the truly international reach of Hemingway as a pop culture icon. In
more than 120 appearances across multiple languages, Hemingway is often
portrayed as the hypermasculine legend: bearded, boozed up, and ready to
throw a punch. But just as often, comic book writers see past the
bravado to the sensitive artist looking for validation. Hemingway's role
in these comics ranges from the divine to the ridiculous, as his image
is recorded, distorted, lampooned, and whittled down to its essential
parts.
As Elder notes, comic book creators and Hemingway share a natural
kinship. The comic book page demands an economy of words, much like
Hemingway's less-is-more "iceberg theory," only in graphic form. In
addition, he turned out to be the perfect avatar for comic book artists
wanting to tell history-rich stories, as he experienced beautiful places
during the most chaotic times: Paris in the 1920s, Spain during the
Spanish Civil War, Cuba on the brink of revolution, France during World
War I and during World War II just after the Allies landed in Normandy.
Hemingway in Comics provides a unique lens for considering one of our
most influential authors. Not only for the dedicated Hemingway fan, this
book will appeal to all those with an appreciation for comics, pop
culture, and the absurd.
