“In which ther were moo ymages”: Comics, Autobiography, and the Wife of Bath

Abstract

This autobiographically inflected essay argues for the value of integrating creative work, comics in this case, into scholarly practice in order to encourage a different way of reading, communicate with diverse audiences, and to model an approach that encourages further creative-critical experimentation within medieval studies. Citing the repetition and compression built into the process of cartooning as both challenges and generative strengths of the comics medium, the essay describes three research-informed cartooning projects alongside images taken from the discussed works, all of which take the form of literary adaptations. Discussion of these individual projects leads to a broader examination of what creative-critical work and artistic response might make possible for scholars seeking new ways to engage with the medieval past through less common media and approaches and how this practice might address contemporary conversations about creativity, attention, and community.