Comics

Question 1

What is a comic?

Answer 1

Sequential art (Will Eisner). Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence. (Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics, 1993).

Question 2

Whats the difference of comics and graphic novels? - length

Answer 2

Comic: shorter
Graphic novels: longer

Question 3

Whats the difference of comics and graphic novels? - serialisation

Answer 3

Comic: strip(s)
Graphic novel: several volumes; a character is structured throughout the series; can be publishes as an entire book

Question 4

Whats the difference of comics and graphic novels? - cartoonicity of characters

Answer 4

Comic: stylized emotions, exaggeration of feelings, contributing to element of comedy (comedic)
Graphic novel: characters (potentially) more authentic

Question 5

Whats the difference of comics and graphic novels? - complexity (form and subject matter)

Answer 5

Comic: varies in degree, not basic of expression
Graphic novel: complex characters (character psychology), sophisticated text-image relation; colour, lettering, panel design … as meaning enhancing

Question 6

What are the 3 different types of icons comics use to communicate?

Answer 6

Comics uses 3 different types of icons to communicate:
1. symbols
2. icons of communication
3. pictures

Question 7

What are symbols?

Answer 7

1. Symbols
   Symbols representing ideas or philosophies; Stand for concept; requires cultural context

Question 8

What are icons of communication?

Answer 8

2. Icons of communication
   Letters, numbers, emojis, mathematical signs

Question 9

What are pictures?

Answer 9

3. Pictures
   Images resembling what one sees in real life, but in reduced form

Question 10

Function of line: Abstraction via amplification/abstraction through simplification

Answer 10

Abstraction via amplification/abstraction through simplification:
Essential details are amplified, in such process there is an increasing attention to form, the image becomes increasingly universal (geometric face). A picture that represents reality, is simplified to resembling words (FACE), this abstraction pushes the image from the retinal edge towards the language border, which makes the image:
1) easier to identify with
2) becomes regional decodable icons;
Vague representation of reality transitions into the way the words are pictured, in this process, the image is packed with meaning (conceptual edge).

Question 11

Function of line: Line and motion

Answer 11

Line and motion:
signals motion in body parts, or specifies the movement of the character(s) as a whole, in terms of moving speed, direction, and can be descriptive of the given action (wonky walk described with squiggly lines, zip ribbon to indicate speed-up)

Question 12

Function of line: Line and emotion

Answer 12

Lines and emotions:
Abstract representations of given character(s)’ emotion (swirly lines for confusion; zigzagged lines for spidey-sense tingling)

Question 13

Function of line: Synaesthetics

Answer 13

Synaesthetics:
Synonymous with perceptual, sensory; a concomitant sensation and especially a subjective sensation or image of a sense (as of color) other than the one (as of sound) being stimulated

Question 14

Colour: Colour and publication format

Answer 14

Colour and publication format
Graphic novels/comics do not use subtle colors as they are produced cheaply for mass audience, uses 3-4 color-printing due to limited channel-conditions

Question 15

Colour: Colour as symbol

Answer 15

Colour as symbol
Selection of colour for characters establishes them as symbolic, one character has a set of colorings (palette)

Question 16

Colour: Colour as atmosphere

Answer 16

Colour as atmosphere
When the colors stand for sth like emotions, it represents a sort of atmosphere (purple and blue for confusion)

Question 17

Image composition

Answer 17

Image composition:
• Foreground and background
• Symmetry vs asymmetry
• Size (distance to viewer): close-up, medium shot, long shot, extreme long shot
• Angle: straight-on, low, high

Question 18

Relation word and image: image as illustration

Answer 18

Image as illustration: word or picture specific; illustrates a particular word; words articulate what the image says

Question 19

Relation word and image: additive

Answer 19

Additive: adds sth the other mediation does not say

Question 20

Relation word and image: parallel

Answer 20

parallel: Word and image operate on different time level; One level does not participate in the other level

Question 21

Relation word and image: interdependent

Answer 21

Interdependent: Relation between word and meaning are interdependent -> effect: further the development of the narrative

Question 22

What are different panel transition? (Look at examples)

Answer 22

Panel transitions:
▫ Moment to moment
▫ *Action to action
▫ *Subject to subject
▫ *Scene to scene
▫ Aspect to aspect
▫ Non-sequitur

Question 23

Whats a splash page?

Answer 23

one panel covering the entire page taking up 2 pages; usually one panel contains one moment

Question 24

Whats a gutter?

Answer 24

Gutter and the role of the reader
Gap = gutter
Readers are active in decoding the story, readers try to answer the question: ‘how did we get from moment 1 to moment 2?“

Question 25

Panel arrangement on the page

Answer 25

1) Size and shape of panel are marked by the frame
2) reading order: Left -> right, top to bottom
3) various types of transitions may disrupt narrative sequence in different ways -> encourages readers to make connections
4) Larger panel dominant the page
5) Sheet size of the character tells their importance

Question 26

Page layout

Answer 26

The basic comic book page layout uses a six-panel grid with three tiers of panels, two panels per tier. For platforms that use a more comprehensive format (like Sunday editions of newspapers or webcomics), the “strip” layout is often employed

Question 27

Intertextuality

Answer 27

Pretext meaning is imported into current text
Effect: Expand meaning of individual texts; enhances the interaction between text and images
Can be related to the Communication Model