The wretched of the sea
Exploring migrant spatialities in Gipi’s ‘Muttererde’ (2003)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22003315 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Silvia Vari (0000-0001-8436-8328, University of Warwick, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 864-881 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Graphic Novels & Comics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2150-4857 • E-ISSN: 2150-4865 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/21504857.2025.2470950 |
| OpenAlex | W4408003574 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 14 |
The 21st-century Italian comics scene has seen a significant transnational influence, particularly in narratives shaped by migration. This article explores how migration impacts Italian graphic narratives, focusing on Gian Alfonso Pacinotti, known as Gipi, and his 2003 collection Esterno Notte. The analysis centres on the final story, ‘Muttererde’, which addresses anti-immigrant sentiments through the experiences of a sailor on an oil tanker, whose captain is obsessed with finding African stowaways during a storm in the Atlantic Ocean. By analysing the original formal techniques employed by Gipi, such as the use of oil painting with tissue paper overlays that creates a nightmarish visual style enhancing the narrative’s spectral atmosphere, the paper explores the different spaces of ‘Muttererde’ – the Ocean as a thanatic presence and the heterotopian and haunted space of the ship. ‘Muttererde’ is a ground-breaking example of comic artists’ concerns with the broader socio-political climate of Italy in the early 2000s, which saw the affirmation of globalisation, increased border securitisation, and rising xenophobia. By analysing these distinct spaces and Gipi’s unique visual techniques, this paper highlights the profound influence of migration discourses on Italian comics and their commentary on contemporary political issues
Psychoanalysis · Sociology · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Gender Studies · German Colonialism and Identity Studies · History · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Psychology
Introduction
The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State
New Keywords
“The Pleasure of Drawing While People are Drowning” Graphic Literature and the Critical Engagement with Death in Migratory Spaces
Foreign immigration to Italy
Navigating race
Affective Economies
Spectacles of migrant 'illegality
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |