Thesis (M.Phil) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2000 / 230 leaves printed single pages,numbered pages 1-230.Includes bibliography.Digitized at 600 dpi grayscale to pdf format (OCR),using an Bizhub 250 Konica Minolta Scanner. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Anton Kannemeyer and Conrad Botes have been publishing Bitterkomix,, their comics magazine, for nearly a decade in South Africa. These comics are a structured satyrical attack on the South African and specifically Afrikaans culture. Both artists employ different narrative strategies to convey their sometimes shocking message. The reaction on their writing and drawing shows an unwillingness in certain academic circles to analyse their texts critically. As a result Bitterkomix has drawn very little academic attention. This unwillingness is a product of the modernist approach to the comic as "low" literature. Modernists didn't regard comics as worthy material for critical analyses. The literary paradigm shift towards popular culture, and therefore comics, and the pluralistic reading strategy ofpostmodemism make it possible for an academic approach towards this previously ill-treated art form. This thesis is an attempt to suggest an approach strategy to Bitterkomix as a South African underground comics magazine. As a backdrop the study looks at the development of comics in general, as well as the changes that took place in the traditional approach strategies to the modem comic. It also focusses on selected texts by Kannemeyer and Botes to demonstrate how Bitterlwmix functions as an underground comic in the changing South African society. The writers draw upon methods and strategies used by underground comix artists in the United States during the sixties. Their specific employment of the drawing styles and narrative contents of artists like Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson and also the Belgian artist, Herge, makes intertextuality one of the strongest postmodemist aspects of Bitterlwmix. Botes's and Kannemeyer's combined use of intertextuality and other postmodemist metafictional narrative strategies gives Bitterlwmix a literary value that requires an academic approach. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Anton Kannemeyer en Conrad Botes se strokiestydskrif Bitterkomix verskyn reeds bykans 'n dekade in Suid-Afrika. Hulle strokies, wat van 'n akademiese en literere uitgangspunt getuig, is 'n berekende satiriese aanval op die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing en meer spesifiek die Afrikanerdom. Beide skrywers span 'n verskeidenheid vertelstrategiee in om hulle somtyds skokkende boodskap oor te dra. Die reaksie op hulle skryf- en tekenwerk spreek egter van 'n onvermoe ofonwilligheid by die akademici om die tekste op kritiese wyse te analiseer. Gevolglik het Bilterkomix tot dusver min akademiese aandag gekry. Hierdie onvermoe stam myns insiens moontlik uit 'n modemistiese miskenning van die strokie as kunsvorm. Strokies is as "lae" literatuur gekategoriseer en is volgens modemiste dus nie geskikte materiaal vir 'n diepsinnige bespreking me. Die literere paradigma ten opsigte van populere kultuur en dus strokies het egter intussen verander en die pluralistiese leesstrategie van 'n postrnodemistiese benadering maak dit moontlik om akademiese aandag aan hierdie voorheen miskende kunsvorm te skenk. Die tesis is 'n poging om 'n benaderingswyse voor te stel tot Bitterkomix as Suid-Afrikaanse underground-strokiestydskrif. As agtergrondstudie ondersoek dit die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van die strokie in die algemeen, asook die veranderinge wat plaasgevind het in die tradisionele benaderingswyses tot die modeme strokie. Daama fokus die bespreking op geselekteerde tekste uit die oeuvres van Botes en Kannemeyer om te probeer aantoon hoe Bitterkomix as underground-strokie binne die veranderende Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing funksioneer. Die skrywers gebruik onder andere uitgangspunte en strategiee van die underground-strokie, soos dit veral in die sestigerjare in Arnerika gevind is. Hulle doelbewuste inspeling op beide die tekenstyle en verhaalinhoude van skrywers soos Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson asook die Belgiese Herge maak intertekstualiteit een van die sterkste postmodemistiese kenmerke van Bitterkomix. Botes en Kannemeyer se gebruik van intertekstualiteit, metafiksionaliteit, en ander postrnodemistiese vertelstrategiee verleen aan Bitterkomix 'n literere kwaliteit wat om 'n akademiese benaderingswyse vra. / Instituut vir Navorsingsontwikkeling van die Raad vir Geesteswetenskaplike Navorsing