Material Practices and Semiotic Objects: A Response to Shane Denson

This contribution examines Uncle Sam's development during the nineteenth century as an interesting case study for transmedial character theory, increasingly common approach to of fictional characters. However, Scolari, Bertetti, and Freeman have argued, "older forms transmedia franchises were constructed on sharing rather than logics a particular world" (17). Characters still are in many cases nodal points intersections various processes discussed media convergence, yet distinctions between "actual" characters related terms such "cultural icons" (Brooker) or "serial figures" (Denson Mayer) remain somewhat contested often hard draw practice. addresses these issues by investigating nineteenth-century emergence transformation Sam recognizable figure within political cartoons. Without any overarching creative authority consistent "storyworld" speak of, cartoons lend themselves recontextualizations artist able uphold iconography. In media-historical terms, that did not merely comment upon actually existing public persons but instead developed their own inventory allegorical figures important link earlier, more "static" pictorial personifications of—and symbols for—countries ideas later serial comic books other narrative media.