I Think You're Sauceome

The digital, multimodal nature of webcomics like I Think You’re Sauceome allows authors to explore their identity over time, providing a more in-depth characterization than prose. Cartooning enables the author, Becan, to objectify herself in caricature form, creating a sense of distance that invites scrutiny and honesty [1]. Rather than simply recalling her experiences and anxiety with food, she portrays herself in multiple settings and environments, drawing from both her self-image and how she thinks the world sees her (i.e. helpless and insecure). In comic strips like the first one pictured, Becan draws herself around other people, which naturally forces her to compare herself to others and depict the differences she perceives. Becan chooses to focus on her larger body size and lack of confidence as evidenced by her derogatory self-talk and portrayal of a monster symbolizing her overwhelming thoughts.

Second, the fragmented nature of the webcomic in the form of distinct blog posts with specific time stamps allows Becan to reflect on her self-image over the span of six years (2010-2016). By looking at the speech bubbles and accompanying descriptions in the separate blog posts in the artifact, one can see that Becan’s self-talk progressively becomes more sympathetic and uplifting. Her color choices become more vibrant and facial expressions more content when discussing her relationship with food, which clearly illustrates her transformation in identity over time [2]. In the artifact shown, the comic strip from April 2010 contains only hues of blue, symbolizing Becan’s sadness and depression whereas the comic strip from September 2013 contains hues of green, symbolizing Becan’s renewal, energy, and growth accompanying her more positive self-image.

Last, Becan utilizes multiple verbal layers, adding narrative reflections following each comic strip to create a “space between” the speech bubbles and graphic images [3]. By examining her life from the “outside-in” through such extradiegetic narration, Becan uncovers the reasons behind her feelings and the meaning behind her life experiences. These reflections provide further space for scrutiny and self-reflection as Becan often utilizes this space to justify her feelings or deem them irrational. All of these elements enable Becan to provide a deeper and more dynamic representation of herself and her relationship with food that cannot be achieved solely through text.

1. Charles Hatfield. Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2005), 117

2. Dale Jacobs. "Multimodal Constructions of Self: Autobiographical Comics and the Case of Joe Matt's Peepshow." Biography, 31 (1), 59-84.

3. Robyn Warhol. "The Space between: A Narrative Approach to Alison Bechdel's Fun Home." College Literature 38, no. 3 (Summer, 2011): 1-IV. http://prx.library.gatech.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.prx.library.gatech.edu/docview/880561210?accountid=11107.