Fantastical autography in Asaf Hanuka's 'The Realist'

Originally published in the Israeli business newspaper Calcalist, Asaf Hanuka's series The Realist introduces readers to the real-life experiences that he has as an Israeli, a father, a husband, and a professional cartoonist. Each week's comic revolves around one event or experience from Hanuka's personal life during the preceding week. In many of the cartoons, Hanuka employs science fiction and fantasy motifs that provide the reader with insights into Hanuka's feelings and attitudes toward the nonfictional element. This article analyzes the series by employing a literary concept that I will call fantastical autography. I argue that Hanuka's use of the fantastical in his comics enables him to make use of complex visual metaphors that offer commentary on Israeli society and Hanuka's own place in it. More often than not, Hanuka's depictions of the "real" world are bleak and dreary, but fantasy provides a way out.