Artigo Acesso aberto Revisado por pares

Vaude-villain and violent funster: Harley Quinn and humour

2024; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 15; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/21504857.2024.2330587

ISSN

2150-4865

Autores

Anna‐Sophie Jürgens, Anastasiya Fiadotava, Crystal-Leigh Clitheroe,

Tópico(s)

Narrative Theory and Analysis

Resumo

Harley Quinn is not only DC's ever-yearning romantic Joker victim – a libidinous, self-centred coarse bumpkin in suspenders, who regularly gets thrashed without mercy – but also an eccentric clown and violent vaude-villain. We argue that the diversity of Harley Quinn's personality as portrayed by different writers and impersonated by cosplay fans is intrinsically connected to the complex and multi-dimensional humour that is associated with the character. Drawing on humour and clown theories, we unpack Harley Quinn's obvious but under-examined humour facets – including her humorous contradictions, meta-humour and clown iconography and routines – with the aim of better understanding her specific comics aesthetics and their humorous momentum both within her fictional worlds and beyond.

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