Collective memory in George Sprott: 1894-1975 and building Stories

Abstract

This thesis examines collective memory in the graphic novels George Sprott: 1894-1975 by Seth and Building Stories by Chris Ware. Seth and Ware illustrate how individual memory is inextricable from collective experiences of history, space, and community by using unconventional publishing formats paired with the visual language of graphic narrative. I argue Seth and Ware also extend the border of collective memory to include the non-fictive space of the reader through multi-media adaptations and collaboration. Seth’s cardboard Dominion models, the chamber oratorio Omnis Temporalis, and Ware’s iPad comic Touch Sensitive create a larger community of memory that extends beyond the page.