By: Asherra

There is no question that there is something within the gothic heart that is drawn to the morbid, the dark, and the profane. Red upon black, heavily contrasted images composed of black ink and grotesquely twisted figures. Scenes illustrating the mysteries of the night and drawing the viewer into a world of lonesome graveyards, back alleyways wet with a fresh coat of rain, or any other horrific setting the gothic mind can come up with. It’s not only with pictures however that goth’s choose to draw the minds eye in. The roots of the gothic movement can trace their lineage back to the early gothic literature movements of the eighteenth century. It was with these ‘graveyard poets” like Horace Walpole and his tale of the tragic and supernatural events at The Castle of Otranto that gothic literature took root. With the emergence of the graphic novel (other wise known as the comic) around the turn of the 20th century, it seemed natural that ever popular horror and supernatural stories would now come to life in this new style of media. From this point, the comic book became the staple of American popular media.

The path from the beginnings of the graphic novel to its present incarnation are both straightforward and complex. One can see how the early form of the graphic novel diverged into three veins. Super-hero based comics, Horror based Comics, and Comedic Comics. It the marriage of mainly horror and humorous comics that spawned the sub-genre of the gothic comic. Mainly focusing on the ironic and socially-inept antics of extremely characterized gothic anti-heros’s, the gothic comic makes fun of social stereotypes while connecting with the reader in a profound method. Comic artists such as Jhonen Vasquez (JTHM), Neil Gaiman (The Sandman), Roman Dirge (Lenore), Tim Burton (The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy), and Voltaire (Oh My Goth!) tell stories of misunderstood and socially rejected characters who’s stories parallel and illustrate emotions often by those in the gothic community. More humorous illustrations highlight the irony of the social place of Goths within today’s society. Religious humor also has a place within the gothic comic book genre. Comics such as Sinfest, Hellboy, and Constantine along with a medley of other comics focus on the interaction of the religious or Occult with many visually gothic undertones. Visually most gothic comics focus on heavy contrast, black and white, smatterings of color for emphasis, and heavily characterized and humorously drawn characters. Often the stories take place at night, within stereotypically ‘gothic’ settings- a.k.a. allies, city streets, basements, and graveyards. There is a distinct style to most gothic art and it’s not hard to notice at first glance from the cover art if a certain comic is going to be of any interest to a gothic reader.

Gothic comics have carved out a niche for themselves within the graphic novel community and are just one piece of the gothic media movement. These days, both internet and in-print comics are popular and way too numerous to count. These days with the slightest bit of research comics filled with gothic humor, ironic and random jokes, and beautifully horrific artwork aren’t far from your fingertips.

Suggested reading:

• Aaron A.:
  • Serenity Rose
• Christopher:
  • Ghoulie Boys
  • Haunted Mansion
• Roman Dirge:
  • Lenore
  • Something at the Window is Scratching
  • Haunted Mansion
• James O Barr:
  • The Crow
• Rob Reger:
  • Emily the Strange
• Serena Valentino:
  • Nightmares and Fairtales
• Jhonen Vasquez:
  • Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
  • Squee!
  • I Feel Sick