Earticle

This study develops a cognitive linguistic framework for analyzing multimodal metaphors in graphic novels, with a focus on Art Spiegelman’s Maus. While research on multimodal metaphor has advanced significantly in domains such as advertising, film, and political cartoons, graphic novels remain comparatively underexplored and are often examined primarily as trauma narratives. This study addresses that gap by proposing a replicable framework that identifies four principal units of analysis - visual motifs, verbo-pictorial interactions, layout, and sequential structures - and classifies them in relation to established levels of linguistic metaphor analysis. The analysis demonstrates that multimodal metaphors in Maus fulfill three interrelated narrative functions: they represent trauma and emotional experience as affective interiority, reveal power asymmetries through ideological critique, and structure memory and temporality through sequential and spatial design. By integrating insights from cognitive linguistics and comics studies, the article extends Conceptual Metaphor Theory into the domain of graphic novels. The framework not only illuminates how Maus realizes complex figurative meanings across visual and verbal modes but also provides a methodological foundation for future research on multimodal metaphor in long-form narrative media.

정보의 대중적 공유를 목적으로 하는 커뮤니케이션디자인은 그래픽디자인이라는 효율적인 소통기법으로 진화하였다. 한편, 최근 그래픽 디자인 분야에서, 단순히 시각적인 스타일에 치중하거나, 실용적인 디자인 위주의 제작방식에서 벗어나 그래픽의 구성에 있어 조형론적 방법론을 적용하여 다양한 문화적인 의미를 생산하여 차별화된 ‘시각적 디자인 콘텐츠(Visual contents)'에 대한 요구도 증가하고 있다. 이와 동시에 그래픽디자인의 시각문화에 끼치는 영향 또한 증가해 온 것이 사실이다. 본 연구에서는 그래픽의 대표적인 형식요소인 지면(紙面)을 중심으로 그래픽 구성요소의 적용사례를 통하여 그 원리적인 방법론을 분석하여 궁극적으로 그 효용성을 알아보고자 한다. 또한 복합적인 요인에 의해 영향을 받는 지면구성의 과정에서 그래픽 재료가 시각적으로 표현되도록 하는 조형적 원리와 그 구체적인 표현 방법은 물론 평면공간에서 발생할 수 있는 지면구성 원리의 이론적 접근 가능성도 알아보고자 한다.

The purpose of the communication design is to share the information publicly and it has been evolved to an efficient communication method. Recently, the need in visual contents and making various cultural meanings has been arising through applying formative graphic methodology, not only just focused on visual style and functional design in the field of graphic design. At the same time, it is true that the impact of graphic design on the visual culture has been getting more significant. The main goal of this research lies on proving the validity of theoretical analysis on graphic methodology. To achieve this goal, the boundary of study is limited within physically flat surface (e.g. paper) and the examples in this research has been followed this criteria. In the course of fabricating the spreads, many kinds of outer factors affect this process. Taking account this fact, the research objective also covers the feasibility of graphic principles for visualization of formative elements, expression methods and theoretical chances to set up the methodology within the flat space for graphic design.