Ο Ζορμπάς σε graphic novel: διαφηγηματικότητα, διεικονικότητα, αυτοαναφορικότητα και μετακειμενικότητα σε μια crossover αποκατάσταση της Καζαντζακικής βιοσοφίας

Abstract

In this paper, a critical approach is attempted in the adaptation of Kazantzakis’ novel “Zorba the Greek” into a graphic novel by Soloup (Antonis Nicolopoulos: Zorbas. Green most beautiful stone. The re-creation of Zorba in a new multimodal form is an aesthetic challenge that opens perspectives for exploring the potential of the present artistic creation and the experiences of contemporary readers, combined with the history of the reception of the original work. It is argued that Zorba, having been proclaimed to a contemporary cultural myth, has been inscribed in the collective imagination mediated by his famous cinematic rendering by M. Kakogiannis. We argue that Soloup, in conflict with the dominant cinematic version, tries - successfully in our opinion - through narrative reconstruction to restore Kazantzakis' biosophia, not only transforming the raw material of the text but mainly through his visual narration. In addition, having immersed himself in the “Kazantzakis phenomenon”, he creates interesting intertextual references and visual metaphors as well as inter-artistic dialogues that generate interpretative layers. This feature turns the graphic novel into a cross-over reading suitable for both the young, novice and the adult, savvy readers. Finally, the self-referential allusions are commented on. These refer to the graphic novel’s creation process and reveal patterns of Soloup's artistic idiom while functioning as metatextual comments that indicate the author's previous, in-depth research engagement with the author and his work.