The devil is a myth: the dynamic uses of the folkloresque within Hellboy and Fables

Abstract

This thesis engages with the theoretical concept of the folkloresque, which considers the way in which folklore, folkloric tropes, motifs, and fuzzy allusion are integrated into popular culture materials to differing ends. Mike Mignola’s Hellboy and Bill Willingham’s Fables are considered in the vein of the folkloresque. As comics as a medium has different attributes form prose or other folkloresque products, this thesis considers the content, characters, prose, and artwork within the two series. Hellboy uses the folkloresque categories of integration and portrayal. The series uses legends and folktales to different ends in a number of different narrative arcs. Fables plays with the folkloresque category of parody to expand upon readers’ preconceived ideas of folktale characters. Intertextuality plays heavily into folkloresque texts, adding differing dimensions depending on the reader’s already-known knowledge of folklore and this dynamic influence is examined.