Cavafy reanimated: Intermedial transformations in comics and animation

Due to his prominence and recognizability, Cavafy’s reception has expanded in recent years to include diverse types of media. This article focuses on the intermedial transformations/translations of Cavafy’s work into comics, animations and film. It begins with a theoretical overview of current terms, such as intermedial transformation and adaptation, and goes on to examine general aspects of the transition from one medium to another. It subsequently analyses the ways in which the specific characteristics and devices of the source medium are transformed in the target medium. Special attention is directed on Cavafy’s prose piece ‘Eis to fos tis imeras’/’In Broad Daylight’ (1895–96), as well as the poems ‘Ithaki’/’Ithaca’ (1911) and ‘Teichi’/’The Walls’ (1897). The article questions traditional views that distinguish between commercial visual transformations/translations and artistic ones or between ‘faithful’ and ‘unfaithful’ adaptations, pointing out that the most accomplished intermedial translations of Cavafy are often those which stray from the original context of Cavafy’s poetry.