👀 Scroll Through A Novel, Literally

#109 | You Ain't Seen Nothing Like This

Ever heard of a “scrolling graphic novel”? I hadn’t until a friend shared Phallaina with me.

The first of its kind, Phallaina combines cognitive science and mythology to convey a tale of personal growth. This is a reading experience like no other –  made up of a series of drawings in various scales that meld into one another, complemented by exquisite sound design. 

Reading Phallaina took me back to my first year in college. For a course titled ‘Literature and the Other Arts’, our class read Art Spiegelman’s Maus, the autobiographical story of the author’s father’s experiences in the Holocaust and the author himself coming to terms with its ramifications. Reading Maus was a revelation – learning to pick apart and appreciate the nuances of graphic storytelling opened up new horizons for all of us. 

I’m sure, at some point in the not-so-distant future, a scrolling graphic novel like Phallaina will find a place in the curriculum for courses that explore the widening boundaries of what we know and love as literature. 

Until then, make it part of your personal curriculum of joy and wonder. 

Proiti