Abstract
Although scholars have explored the meaning-making affordances of peritextual features such as dust jackets, case covers, beginning and final endpapers, frontispieces, title pages and imprint pages in picturebooks, limited research has focused on the peritextual elements of graphic novels. Purposive sampling was used to select a data set of 30 graphic novels, and the functions and examples of the Peritextual Literacy Framework (PLF) were used as a structure to analyze the books. As the content analysis proceeded, revisions were made to the original PLF due to the nature of the peritexual elements featured in the graphic novels. Analysis of the data set revealed the following: although all six functions of the PLF were realized in the graphic novels, the production and promotional functions were the most predominant functions of the peritetxual elements; substantial variation was evident with respect to the presence of peritextual elements associated with each function; and the types of peritextual elements in the graphic novels required the addition of multiple features, especially to the production and promotion functions. Overall, the findings showed how the publishers and creators of the graphic novels included diverse peritextual elements in various locations in the books and that these features fulfilled multiple functions, at times simultaneously. The complex and rich nature of the peritextual elements featured in graphic novels requires readers to engage in careful looking and deep thinking in order to understand, appreciate and critically consider the functions, and information and aesthetic value of peritextual elements.
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Sylvia Pantaleo is a Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in language and literacies, and children’s literature.
Appendix: Graphic Novels Data Set
Appendix: Graphic Novels Data Set
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Pantaleo, S. An Investigation of the Functionality of Peritextual Elements in Graphic Novels. Child Lit Educ 53, 507–525 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-021-09462-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-021-09462-9