Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2006

Abstract

The idea that legal scholarship should include visual elements is not a new one. Early student work blazed a trail some thirty years ago. More recent contributions have been produced by scholars such as Keith Aoki. And, in 2006, the Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke University published a comic book addressing copyright law and the fair use doctrine.

Despite these efforts, there does not appear to be any systematic attempt to use graphic art in legal scholarship. This project makes such an appeal. It challenges the conventional format for legal scholarship that has been used for over 150 years and offers an alternative approach. Our project is interdisciplinary in nature and incorporates numerous fields of study. It is influenced by the work of Susan Sontag, Umberto Eco, Marshall McLuhan as well as Derek Bell and Richard Delgado. Our project is also informed by the work of Art Spiegelman and Osamu Tezuka.

From the photographs of abuse at Abu Ghraib to the cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, graphic art can be compelling and descriptive. It can also provide an extraordinary opportunity for discourse across a wide range of issues. Its imagery is not limited by language and is, therefore, more accessible and less likely to be lost in translation. And yet, this format has not been fully explored in legal scholarship. In light of recent challenges to the continuing relevance of the law review, legal scholars would do well to explore new formats for presenting their work. Indeed, the growing popularity of Internet blogs on legal topics suggests that the movement away from orthodoxy is already in progress. As this Postscript reveals, graphic art cannot replace text. But it can offer scholars a different format for addressing legal issues. We hope this project encourages others to challenge the orthodoxy of format that infuses all legal scholarship.

Download

Share

COinS