The theme of cannibalism is taboo but pervasive, abhorrent yet enticing. Compelling examples of the postmodern cannibal and the rupture that it unveils are springing up in the increasingly popular world of comics[1]. These comics do not just provide visual representations of a hybrid cannibal that draws upon ideas of canonical authors. Instead, the postmodern cannibalistic comics that I am analyzing deconstruct the categories that canonical pre-modern and contemporary literature alike relies upon. The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Crossed: Volume I by Garth Ennis[2] challenge the definitive nature of groups “human” and “animal[3].” These narratives expose that there is no “us” and no “them,” but rather suggest that the nuances and crossovers between human (glorified/civilized) and animal(beast/savage) are infinite, unveiling a Derridean abyss through the cannibal figure. Continue reading Formal Proposal (Revised)
Author: Whitney Porter
Autobiographical Statement
Finding My Interests and Myself:
Was I passionate about cannibals and gore by the time I could read? Well, no. In fact, I was probably the most squeamish and nervous kid around. I hated blood and guts and all of that stuff. After I seeing Psycho for the first time when I was around 12 I was scared to close the shower curtain for months; I stayed up all night and didn’t leave my room after I watched the Exorcist; I had nightmares about E.T. – you get the picture.
My most “formative” years happened in Akron, Ohio, where I moved when I was 13. I went to a conservative private Catholic high school, which, when I think about it, probably has a lot to do with kicking my already rebellious nature into overdrive. Continue reading Autobiographical Statement
