Page - 21 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 03/01

On the History and Hermeneutics of Comics | 21www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/1, 17–44 crowns – symbols of earthly power and riches – towards the dying man, whom they seek to seduce with words of ambition and pride and to bring to commit a deadly sin (“Coronam meruisti!”; You deserve the crown!). such early forms of picture stories – designated here a “protocomic” – al- lowed the illiterate to access a story, as the accompanying text in fig. 3 explicitly notes: “Anyone who cannot read / need only watch the dance / to see how death always / has humans on his leash”.11 the dawning of the comic is usually located in the late 19th century, with The Yellow Kid often cited as the first such example,12 although the parallels with what is today understood as a comic are often only limited. the Katzenjammer Kids certainly seems closer to today’s definition,13 although its creator, exiled German cartoonist rudolph Dirks, plagiarised Wilhelm Busch’s Max und Moritz even to the extent of drawing on individual episodic details. Dirks enriched Busch’s concept (though he was unable to replicate Busch’s graphic brilliance) 11 “Wer doch nit lessen kan, / beschau den tantz nur an, / wie der tott all augenblickh / den menschen hat an seinem strickh.” 12 Drawn by richard Outcault, published in New york World from 1895. 13 Drawn by rudolph Dirks, published in the New york Journal from 1897. Fig. 2: Anonymous: Ars moriendi, c. 1460. Banners appear here as the forerunner of the later speech bubble.