Violence and the media have been sharing a long history together. This is primarily because people have always been interested in the question whether violence in the media increases the aggressive potential of real human beings. Although this question, according to Kunczik and Zipfel, cannot be answered satisfactorily, great parts of the world’s population blame violence in the media for being responsible for the sway in our nowadays society (399). Nonetheless, violence rapidly gains more and more importance in the pop culture which also affects the productions of media corporations (Ahrens 125). Action and horror movies often cause rushes to the cinemas and theaters worldwide. Bookstores sell thousands of thrillers every year and the names of authors such as Steven King or John Sinclair are famous throughout the globe. However, also smaller markets like the comics market are crowded with whole series containing a huge amount of violence and are, therefore, recommended for mature readers only. One graphic novel which “filled itself to the brim with violence, cursing and things most would never dream of publishing” (Batson, “Vertigo – The Birth of an Imprint”), is Vertigo’s Preacher (see fig. 1) by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. The protagonist, priest Jesse Custer, accidentally merges with a mysterious creature called Genesis. From that point on, he possesses the power of God. Together with his ex-girlfriend Tulip and the Irish vampire Cassidy, he starts a horrible and dark journey across the USA in order to find God, who has abdicated heaven’s throne. As already mentioned, Preacher contains a lot of violence which makes it according to Korsun “the most intense adult comic in ages” (44). Hence, the “intensity of violence is located to a large extend in the degree to which it is presented as immediate an impactful on the viewer” (King, “’Killingly funny’” 129). Nevertheless, King also argues that a huge amount of immediate violence can distract the audience (“’Killingly funny’” 129).
To keep their comic entertaining, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon had to establish certain narrative techniques which helped them to distance their readership from Preacher’s violent content. This leads to the circumstance that Ennis’ and Dillon’s work does not only contain hostile violence, but also a more humorous, almost kind violence.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Establishing a distancing framework
3. The convention of strong first impression in Preacher
4. Black humor in Preacher
5. Exaggeration of violence in Preacher
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines how Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon utilize specific narrative techniques in the graphic novel Preacher Book One to mitigate the impact of intense violence and distance the audience from the graphic content. By analyzing how these methods transform disturbing imagery into an entertaining, fictionalized experience, the research explores the intersection of extreme violence, humor, and genre conventions.
- Narrative techniques for distancing readers from fictional violence
- The application of genre conventions in graphic novels
- The role of black humor and incongruity in softening violent themes
- The effects of exaggerated violence on audience perception
- The importance of a fictional framework in moderating viewer responses
Excerpt from the Book
3. The convention of strong first impression in Preacher
As it is portrayed in the above, conventions of specific genres can be used to create a distancing effect from fictional violence in different sorts of media. This is also true for the comic Preacher, since Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon apply the convention for strong first impression, which is, according to Ecke part of the “mode of practice’s extrinsic norm[s]” (232) and, therefore, evokes some kind of familiar atmosphere in the readers’ minds. To verify this statement, the next section presents the analysis of two scenes which show how two additional characters are introduced to the plot.
The first scene to be analyzed takes place on page 29 (see fig. 2). One of the Adephi, angels who sit on the left side of heaven’s throne, is assigned to go to Boot Hill and wake the Saint of Killers. Afterwards, this Saint of Killers is obligated to find and kill Jesse Custer to bring Genesis back to heaven, who has, in order to get a physical shape, merged with the priest. At the beginning of this sequence, the Adephi comes down the stairs of the tomb of Boot Hill and sees a coffin which is located on top of uncountable human skulls. After removing an observing rattlesnake from the top of the coffin, he opens it and just says the word “Awake” (Ennis and Dillon 29).
The next thing the reader sees is a hand holding an old cold and shooting the shocked Adephi in the head. Although page 29 of Preacher just consists of five panels and only one word, the reader clearly gets a strong first impression of how the Saint of Killers will behave throughout the comic. The place where the Saint of Killers rests, until he is called, is depicted as being very dark and not made for humans. He sleeps in a coffin, surrounded by skulls, and watched over by a poisonous rattlesnake. Yet, the most impressive action definitely happens at the end of the scene, in which the reader takes over the Saint of Killers’ perspective killing the angel without any warning or hesitation.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the historical context of violence in media and introduces Preacher as a graphic novel that employs specific techniques to balance intense violence with entertainment.
2. Establishing a distancing framework: This chapter defines the theoretical framework, discussing how genre conventions, humor, and exaggeration serve as narrative tools to distance the audience from graphic content.
3. The convention of strong first impression in Preacher: This chapter analyzes how the initial visual introduction of characters like the Saint of Killers and Miss Marie establishes their roles and helps the reader perceive the narrative as fiction.
4. Black humor in Preacher: This chapter examines how the juxtaposition of trivial, off-hand remarks and violent situations creates an incongruity that functions as black humor, reducing the intensity of the violence.
5. Exaggeration of violence in Preacher: This chapter explores how over-the-top, stylized violence in action sequences, such as the Saint of Killers' shootout, prevents the reader from taking the brutality literally.
6. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the findings, concluding that Ennis and Dillon successfully use these techniques to frame violence within a fictionalized, enjoyable context for the reader.
Keywords
Preacher, Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, Violence, Media, Distancing Effect, Black Humor, Graphic Novel, Genre Conventions, Exaggeration, Fictional Framework, Narrative Techniques, Saint of Killers, Miss Marie, Audience Reception
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how the graphic novel Preacher Book One manages to keep its extremely violent content entertaining and acceptable for readers by employing specific narrative techniques that create a psychological distance.
What are the central thematic fields discussed?
The themes include the relationship between media violence and audience response, the function of genre conventions, the use of grotesque and black humor, and the role of exaggerated action sequences in storytelling.
What is the core objective of the study?
The goal is to demonstrate how authors Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon successfully transition from hostile, disturbing violence to a more humorous and stylized form that allows the reader to engage with the text as a piece of fiction.
Which scientific methodology is utilized in this paper?
The paper uses a qualitative analytical approach, applying theoretical concepts from media studies—specifically those proposed by Geoff King regarding film comedy and violence—to the medium of graphic novels.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers three major techniques: the convention of establishing a "strong first impression" for character development, the use of black humor through incongruity, and the strategic exaggeration of violent scenes.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include distancing effect, fictional framework, black humor, genre conventions, exaggeration of violence, and the analysis of graphic novel narratives.
How does the "strong first impression" influence the reader's perception?
By defining characters like the Saint of Killers or Miss Marie immediately through visual cues, the authors provide the reader with a predictable narrative framework, which reduces tension and reinforces the fictional nature of the story.
In what way does black humor act as a distancing tool?
Black humor, particularly through incongruous dialogue during tense or violent moments, creates a gap between the gravity of the situation and the characters' trivial reactions, making the violence feel less immediate and more "entertaining."
- Citar trabajo
- Kim Frintrop (Autor), 2014, Entertaining Violence. Distancing the Audience from the Violent Content in Garth Ennis’ and Steve Dillon’s "Preacher Book One", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/296202
