Comics Vocabulary
Managing Editor - Candace Spence
Scott McClud's definition of Comics in "Understanding Comics"
According to “Understanding Comics” pg. 9, the definition of comics is any “juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce aesthetic response in viewer.” Inside of comics though, there are many different items that make up comics such as color, frames, gutters, and bleeding. Incorporating different items such as these will make up different types of comics such as “The Adventures of Jimmy Corrigan” and “One! Hundred! Demons!”. Every genre of comic books has different use of techniques that make up the book, for example the color in “The Adventures of Jimmy Corrigan” is very different from “Watchmen” because these two types of books are very different genres. Below are some different techniques that authors use in order to make the type of comic book that they want.
Besel, Jennifer. The Captivating, Creative, Unusual History of Comic Books.
Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2010. 48. Print.
This book does numerous things. It details the origins, innovations, controversy and culture that
surround comics we know today. A thorough description of the history and some
strange facts you may of not know about once unpopular books we know now as
graphic novels.
Besel introduces rich information and history that helps readers gain more information about the comics that are sometimes hard to understand.
Eisner, Will. Comics & Sequential Art. Tamarac, FL: Poorhouse Pr, 1985.
154. Print.
Eisner introduced the world to the overview of comics.He displays the different principles, form and methods
required to weave the complex stories that develop in each panel. Much like his later book, Graphic Storytelling, Eisner continues to describe how the contents and form in comics represent how stories are told and understood.
This source is wealthy in information regarding the many aspects of visual and cognitive understanding on the art of comics. This book also has complete stories for reference also his own work to help show the readers other book
that can be used to find quality information on the subject of comics.
Meskin, Aaron. “Defububg Cinucs?” The Journal of Aethetics and
Art Criticism, Vol. 65, No 4. (2007). 369-379. JSTOR. Web. 20 June
2011.
How can comics be defined? Aaron Meskin researches all the components of a comic. He
analyzes the opinions of Greg Hayman, Henry John Pratt, Will Eisner, and
Scott McCloud. He talks about the brief history of recent attempts to define
comics, the Hayman-Pratt definition of comics, comics and narrative, comics and
history, and finally comics and definition. Each topic he talks about he gives
all the opinions of scholars and cartoonists.
Meskin does a great critique in the article because he gives lengthy backgrounds on each
components of the definition of comics. Teachers, scholars, and readers can
benefit from this article because it helps lay the foundation to what is
defined as a comic. The information given to the reader is full of insight into comics.
Pannafino, James. "Sequential Art: Hand, Eye and Mind." The International
Journal of the Book (2009): Volume 6.
This text explains the term sequential art with derivations from Eisner and McCloud’s
definitions. The term is defined as “a visual medium in which images (with or
without text) are arranged in order to convey a narrative.” It also goes in
depth to discuss how comics have transitioned into newer forms of mediums to
display its content. Today, the most popular of these mediums is the digitized
options which include web comics as well as portable digitized media readers
(Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iPhone, etc.). However, despite these advances in
comic-mediums, some still prefer the ease of the simple, printed comic.
This resource could be used by scholars of comics, teachers and readers alike.
The information provided within this text provides one with multiple statistics
of surveys, great information about evolving mediums in comparison to the comic
world, as well as information from other texts dealing with the same subject
matter.
Scott McCloud: Understanding Comics.
TED Talk, (2009, January 14). YouTube video retrieved from
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXYckRgsdjI>.
Put on your running shoes, because McCloud’s delivery is fast paced. It is a virtual
avalanche of information. To get it all you might have to watch it more than once.
His passion and enthusiasm are both evident and contagious.
In this presentation Scott McCloud discusses and illustrates some of the concepts that he covers in
his book Understanding Comicsand talks about his childhood family and
early influences. It can serve to supplement a readers understanding of the text in that it sheds light
on where his approach to comics stems from.
Szabo,
Erika. “An Analysis of Watchmen: Symmetry and the Tragic Flaw.” DestroyThe
Cyb.org. Web. 10 June 2011.
Szabo explains Moore and Gibbons’ use of symmetry in Watchmen and how this symmetry suggests a pattern and a
meaning in the graphic novel. She gives many examples of symmetry and reflections throughout the book. She suggests looking at other recommended blogs and articles that give more insight into Watchmenas well.
This resource would help a reader because the article explains panel set up and small details that first time, probably even second or third time, readers wouldn’t catch. She gives many specific examples of symmetry and goes into in-depth analysis of how this contributes or can take away from the graphic novel and
unlocks key information in how to read this book.
According to “Understanding Comics” pg. 9, the definition of comics is any “juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce aesthetic response in viewer.” Inside of comics though, there are many different items that make up comics such as color, frames, gutters, and bleeding. Incorporating different items such as these will make up different types of comics such as “The Adventures of Jimmy Corrigan” and “One! Hundred! Demons!”. Every genre of comic books has different use of techniques that make up the book, for example the color in “The Adventures of Jimmy Corrigan” is very different from “Watchmen” because these two types of books are very different genres. Below are some different techniques that authors use in order to make the type of comic book that they want.
Besel, Jennifer. The Captivating, Creative, Unusual History of Comic Books.
Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2010. 48. Print.
This book does numerous things. It details the origins, innovations, controversy and culture that
surround comics we know today. A thorough description of the history and some
strange facts you may of not know about once unpopular books we know now as
graphic novels.
Besel introduces rich information and history that helps readers gain more information about the comics that are sometimes hard to understand.
Eisner, Will. Comics & Sequential Art. Tamarac, FL: Poorhouse Pr, 1985.
154. Print.
Eisner introduced the world to the overview of comics.He displays the different principles, form and methods
required to weave the complex stories that develop in each panel. Much like his later book, Graphic Storytelling, Eisner continues to describe how the contents and form in comics represent how stories are told and understood.
This source is wealthy in information regarding the many aspects of visual and cognitive understanding on the art of comics. This book also has complete stories for reference also his own work to help show the readers other book
that can be used to find quality information on the subject of comics.
Meskin, Aaron. “Defububg Cinucs?” The Journal of Aethetics and
Art Criticism, Vol. 65, No 4. (2007). 369-379. JSTOR. Web. 20 June
2011.
How can comics be defined? Aaron Meskin researches all the components of a comic. He
analyzes the opinions of Greg Hayman, Henry John Pratt, Will Eisner, and
Scott McCloud. He talks about the brief history of recent attempts to define
comics, the Hayman-Pratt definition of comics, comics and narrative, comics and
history, and finally comics and definition. Each topic he talks about he gives
all the opinions of scholars and cartoonists.
Meskin does a great critique in the article because he gives lengthy backgrounds on each
components of the definition of comics. Teachers, scholars, and readers can
benefit from this article because it helps lay the foundation to what is
defined as a comic. The information given to the reader is full of insight into comics.
Pannafino, James. "Sequential Art: Hand, Eye and Mind." The International
Journal of the Book (2009): Volume 6.
This text explains the term sequential art with derivations from Eisner and McCloud’s
definitions. The term is defined as “a visual medium in which images (with or
without text) are arranged in order to convey a narrative.” It also goes in
depth to discuss how comics have transitioned into newer forms of mediums to
display its content. Today, the most popular of these mediums is the digitized
options which include web comics as well as portable digitized media readers
(Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iPhone, etc.). However, despite these advances in
comic-mediums, some still prefer the ease of the simple, printed comic.
This resource could be used by scholars of comics, teachers and readers alike.
The information provided within this text provides one with multiple statistics
of surveys, great information about evolving mediums in comparison to the comic
world, as well as information from other texts dealing with the same subject
matter.
Scott McCloud: Understanding Comics.
TED Talk, (2009, January 14). YouTube video retrieved from
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXYckRgsdjI>.
Put on your running shoes, because McCloud’s delivery is fast paced. It is a virtual
avalanche of information. To get it all you might have to watch it more than once.
His passion and enthusiasm are both evident and contagious.
In this presentation Scott McCloud discusses and illustrates some of the concepts that he covers in
his book Understanding Comicsand talks about his childhood family and
early influences. It can serve to supplement a readers understanding of the text in that it sheds light
on where his approach to comics stems from.
Szabo,
Erika. “An Analysis of Watchmen: Symmetry and the Tragic Flaw.” DestroyThe
Cyb.org. Web. 10 June 2011.
Szabo explains Moore and Gibbons’ use of symmetry in Watchmen and how this symmetry suggests a pattern and a
meaning in the graphic novel. She gives many examples of symmetry and reflections throughout the book. She suggests looking at other recommended blogs and articles that give more insight into Watchmenas well.
This resource would help a reader because the article explains panel set up and small details that first time, probably even second or third time, readers wouldn’t catch. She gives many specific examples of symmetry and goes into in-depth analysis of how this contributes or can take away from the graphic novel and
unlocks key information in how to read this book.
