Land–labour–capital: Henri Lefebvre's Rhythmanalysis and Ben Katchor's comic 'The Deep Tub'.

This article analyzes Ben Katchor's twelve-panel comic "The Deep Tub" (2013) through the lens of Henri Lefebvre's spatial theory and rhythmanalysis, focusing on the triad of land, labour, and capital. The comic critiques capitalist urbanism by juxtaposing a real estate tour of a luxury apartment with the absurdly deep bathtub that metaphorically connects consumer experience to the extensive industrial labor and capital exploitation beneath the city. Katchor's visual narration employs rhythmic and melodic elements to reveal the alienation embedded in urban space production, while humor and social critique invite readers to perceive the deeper socio-economic processes shaping everyday urban life. The article situates the comic as a form of dis-alienation, aligning with Lefebvre's call to understand urban rhythms beyond capitalist commodification.