The adaptation of three Manchette néo-polars to Machette-Tardi’s graphic novels

Abstract

Cultural adaptations have existed for a long time (Hutcheon & O’Flynn 2013). This article discusses adaptation from one narrative genre, the textual néo-polar crime novel, to another, multimodal comics. It explores three of Jean-Patrick Manchette’s néo-polars that have been adapted by Jacques Tardi to three graphic novels: Ô dingos, ô châteaux! (Folle à tuer), Le petit bleu de la côte Ouest and La position du tireur couché. The analysis suggests that Tardi remains attached to the fidelity paradigm while he also exploits characteristic features of comics, and his own personal style. While Tardi seemingly wishes to be respectful to his former friend Manchette’s novels, he creates adaptations that can be read without prior knowledge of the adapted works and which function as independent graphic novels in a recognizable Tardian style.