Between censorship and innovation: The translation of American comics during Italian Fascism

Sinibaldi, Caterina 2016. Between censorship and innovation: The translation of American comics during Italian Fascism. New Readings 16 , pp. 1-21. 10.18573/newreadings.24

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Abstract

This article outlines the main issues surrounding the process of import, translation and cultural adaptation of American comics in Italy from 1908 to 1942. During this time, the first comics were translated from Europe and the United States, leading to a revolution in Italian children’s literature. These were also the years in which comics began to be perceived as a political, as well as pedagogical problem, which prompted the Fascist regime to issue censorship measures aimed at limiting their circulation. The aesthetic and ideological dimension of comics will be investigated alongside the different strategies of translation and adaptation used by Italian editors and cartoonists. The reasons behind the disapproval of comics by Italian pedagogues, and the ambivalent attitude of the Fascist regime, will also be explored. In conclusion, my analysis aims to offer insights into the cultural function of children’s literature during Fascism and the specific role of comics as a site for innovation.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Modern Languages
Subjects:	N Fine Arts > NC Drawing Design Illustration P Language and Literature > PQ Romance literatures P Language and Literature > PS American literature P Language and Literature > PZ Childrens literature
Publisher:	Cardiff University Press
ISSN:	1359-7485
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	02 May 2023 22:48
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/128917

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