Hobo Lobo of Hamelin: Narrative
Hobo Lobo of Hamelin differs from the traditional folktale in that Hobo Lobo who takes the place of the pied piper is a general problem solver whereas the pied piper went to the town of Hamelin claiming he could get rid of the town's rat infestation. Another key difference is that Hobo Lobo of Hamelin dramatizes the story's moments through the diction used.
The Effect of Diction
Let's take the following moment from the comic as an example:
When Hobo Lobo confronts the Mayor he uses certain words and phrases that convey a passive aggressive tone as seen from the annotated image above. This allows readers to sympathize with Hobo Lobo's situation. Furthermore it is a stark contrast to the aggressive nature of the mayor as he insults Hobo Lobo as seen below.
This moment was chosen because it represents the climax of the conflict between Hobo Lobo and the Mayor. It occurs just after Hobo Lobo attempted to contact the mayor and failing to do so he storms through the Mayor's building to speak with him face to face. He speaks with the mayor in a respectful and passive aggressive manner but the mayor responds with an aggressive and demanding tone. The Mayor's response also illuminates readers to the injustice that Hobo Lobo faces as his contract with the mayor is broken and his help of the town of Hamelin is not reciprocated.
Phrases like "a brief exothermic reaction in the void" and "a fleeting fart in the pleasant breeze of my existence" are creative metaphors for how insignificant Hobo Lobo is in the eyes of Dick the mayor of Hamelin. The words "brief" and "fleeting" serve to describe Hobo Lobo as a trivial passing occurrence.
This use of such diction exemplifies the mayor's unexpected and corrupt treatment to Hobo Lobo and hence highlights how throughout this piece Hobo Lobo is wronged by the mayor and the government he represents.
Živadinović makes certain parts of the mayor's dialogue be in all caps to draw readers attention to those insults in particular. In the book Writer/Designer, Cheryl Ball, Jennifer Sheppard and Kristin Arola point out that placing elements that have distinct differences side by side makes them stand out. "Color, size, placement, shape and content can all be used to create to contrast in a text." Here the authors describe features that can be used to make one part stand out. In relation to the mayor's outrage at Hobo Lobo we can see that the phrases: "MEATBAG", "AT MOST", and "HOW DARE YOU". All of these phrases draw attention to themselves because they are in all caps compared to the text around them. Živadinović made these decisions to convey the mayor's anger and thus highlight how Hobo Lobo is being seriously wronged by the mayor.
Juxtaposition in the characterization of Hobo Lobo and the Mayor
While Hobo Lobo has a name that seems non-sensical which makes one think he may have a flawed personality. However on the contrary Hobo Lobo is a well mannered and helpful person and doesn't discriminate or have prejudice against the citizens of Hamelin. In addition, Hobo Lobo is at the bottom of the "power ladder" because he is a stranger to Hamelin. On the other hand Dick the mayor has a common name and is at a position of power as he runs the government with a polarising and corrupt iron clad rule. He is short tempered, moody, and also narrow minded. The direct opposite of Hobo Lobo.