O GÓTICO ATUALIZADO EM SANDMAN, DE NEIL GAIMAN: UM DIÁLOGO ENTRE NARRATIVA LITERÁRIA E ARTES GRÁFICAS NAS REPRESENTAÇÕES DO INFERNO

Abstract

The present article offers an analysis of the comic book Sandman (1989-1996) by Neil Gaiman, considering the so-called "gothic machinery," as established by Horace Walpole in the preface to the first edition of The Castle of Otranto (1764). This machinery is composed of three main elements of the gothic: the locus horribilis, the ghostly presence of the past and the monstrous character. Each of these aspects not only permeates the narrative but also manifests graphically in the illustrations that make up the comic, creating a dark dialogue between text and image. By examining how Gaiman and the illustrators of Sandman utilize these gothic elements, we seek to understand how they shape the representation of Hell, offering a reflection on the nature of fear and suffering within the universe of the work. In this way, Sandman becomes an important narrative for the discussion of the connections between writing and graphic arts, revealing its relevance and the permanence and transformations of the gothic aesthetic in contemporary literature.