Representações do sertão nordestino na produção quadrinística potiguar (1992-2015)

Abstract

It questions the aesthetics and the way in which two comic book publishers from Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, represented the northeastern sertão, the sertanejo subject and their cultural practices. The study covered twelve (12) journals, in which representations about sertão were found in twenty (20) narratives. In this universe, ten (10) are present in seven (07) issues of the magazine Maturi, from the Research Group on Comic History (Grupehq), in Natal; and ten (10) in five (05) publications of the Pau a Pique Group of Comics (Grupphq), current Avoante Cultural Association (AAC) of the interior city of Currais Novos: Cowboys Stories, Chaos in Tetas, Kueka, Comics Avoante nº 01 and Kankão nº 01. From this collection, it was selected one (01) comic from each group to obtain data. We used a methodological approach of semiotic analysis from Umberto Eco to decode the graphic signs as pointed out by Antônio Cagnin. It was applied Wally Wood's “twenty-two panels that always work” scheme to identify frames of scenes. We used categories to define each type of transition between the paintings elaborated by Scott McCloud. To recognize the sertanejos signs, we based on Janaína Amado, Erivaldo Neves, Durval Albuquerque Júnior and Antônio Araújo Sá. After using the methodological diagram, we found two production aesthetics and two representations about the sertão. One on the coast, covered by stereotypes such as poverty, misery, disease and rusticity, linked to the idea of barbarism and violence; another from the interior, and among the characteristics, the representation of fun, humor, as well as, social and economic perspective, even if it still accompanies stereotypes.