Comics Flashcards
What is a comic?
Sequential art (Will Eisner). Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence. (Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics, 1993).
Whats the difference of comics and graphic novels? - length
Comic: shorter
Graphic novels: longer
Whats the difference of comics and graphic novels? - serialisation
Comic: strip(s)
Graphic novel: several volumes; a character is structured throughout the series; can be publishes as an entire book
Whats the difference of comics and graphic novels? - cartoonicity of characters
Comic: stylized emotions, exaggeration of feelings, contributing to element of comedy (comedic)
Graphic novel: characters (potentially) more authentic
Whats the difference of comics and graphic novels? - complexity (form and subject matter)
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
What are the 3 different types of icons comics use to communicate?
Comics uses 3 different types of icons to communicate:
1. symbols
2. icons of communication
3. pictures
What are symbols?
- Symbols
Symbols representing ideas or philosophies; Stand for concept; requires cultural context
What are icons of communication?
- Icons of communication
Letters, numbers, emojis, mathematical signs
What are pictures?
- Pictures
Images resembling what one sees in real life, but in reduced form
Function of line: Abstraction via amplification/abstraction through simplification
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).
Function of line: Line and motion
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)
Function of line: Line and emotion
Lines and emotions:
Abstract representations of given character(s)’ emotion (swirly lines for confusion; zigzagged lines for spidey-sense tingling)
Function of line: Synaesthetics
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
Colour: Colour and publication format
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
Colour: Colour as symbol
Colour as symbol
Selection of colour for characters establishes them as symbolic, one character has a set of colorings (palette)
Colour: Colour as atmosphere
Colour as atmosphere
When the colors stand for sth like emotions, it represents a sort of atmosphere (purple and blue for confusion)
Image composition
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
Relation word and image: image as illustration
Image as illustration: word or picture specific; illustrates a particular word; words articulate what the image says
Relation word and image: additive
Additive: adds sth the other mediation does not say
Relation word and image: parallel
parallel: Word and image operate on different time level; One level does not participate in the other level
Relation word and image: interdependent
Interdependent: Relation between word and meaning are interdependent -> effect: further the development of the narrative
What are different panel transition? (Look at examples)
Panel transitions:
▫ Moment to moment
▫ *Action to action
▫ *Subject to subject
▫ *Scene to scene
▫ Aspect to aspect
▫ Non-sequitur
Whats a splash page?
one panel covering the entire page taking up 2 pages; usually one panel contains one moment
Whats a gutter?
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?“
Panel arrangement on the page
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
Page layout
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
Intertextuality
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
