Editorial Research - What makes comics so effective and unique?
What makes comics so effective and unique?
What makes them unique to both read and draw is the relationship between space and time which the artist creates. A panel by definition is a moment in fictional time so when we read a sequence of panels we infer that within the fictional world time is moving. One action is happening after another. But at the same time a panel is just a physical drawing. Art Spiegleman said 'Cartooning is the art of moving time back into space'. He said this because in comics one is trying to instil time into a physical sequence of panels. We try to give the illusion of time passing inside a comic.
Another advantage of comics is that although the panels are in sequence and one action leads clearly to the next. But if we look at two panels in any comic there is a gap between the two actions which the reader does not see. When you read a comic our minds work out what must have gone in between. 1925 born American illustrator, Edward Gorey, was famous for this. This practise means some of the comic is imagined by the human brain. Although the artist does not give us the information that an animation would, we see the sequence of pictures and intuit the hidden movements behind. The importance of this is that comics exist both the physical art and the readers' imaginations, similarly to written literature.
More practically there are other advantages to comics. In the production of high-budget films or animations there is a financial limit on what you can do. For a director to depict a science fiction cityscape there are significant VFX costs whereas in a comic the limit is only your patience as you can draw anything. Imagine another situation, you want to use a really really particular old car in your film that you are convinced your character would have. In film a director would have to search far and wide to find the right car while a comic artist can just learn to draw it.
Another aspect unique to comics is the act of reading. Music, for example, can be enjoyed either in a group or alone and the context can vary massively. On the other hand with comics people have to read them meaning they are usually alone and in a quiet place. This means the artist has much control over how the comic is enjoyed.
One limitation of comics is that they are very time consuming to make as there are usually multiple panels just on one page. This panels being mostly fairly small can make it even more time consuming as they tend to be more tedious and it can br harder to depict something clearly in a small box. Comic artist usually don’t make much money just through comics. Simon Hanselman is the New York Times best selling comics artist, but he stil releases zines for fairs because he makes more money through zines than comics.
What makes them unique to both read and draw is the relationship between space and time which the artist creates. A panel by definition is a moment in fictional time so when we read a sequence of panels we infer that within the fictional world time is moving. One action is happening after another. But at the same time a panel is just a physical drawing. Art Spiegleman said 'Cartooning is the art of moving time back into space'. He said this because in comics one is trying to instil time into a physical sequence of panels. We try to give the illusion of time passing inside a comic.
Another advantage of comics is that although the panels are in sequence and one action leads clearly to the next. But if we look at two panels in any comic there is a gap between the two actions which the reader does not see. When you read a comic our minds work out what must have gone in between. 1925 born American illustrator, Edward Gorey, was famous for this. This practise means some of the comic is imagined by the human brain. Although the artist does not give us the information that an animation would, we see the sequence of pictures and intuit the hidden movements behind. The importance of this is that comics exist both the physical art and the readers' imaginations, similarly to written literature.
More practically there are other advantages to comics. In the production of high-budget films or animations there is a financial limit on what you can do. For a director to depict a science fiction cityscape there are significant VFX costs whereas in a comic the limit is only your patience as you can draw anything. Imagine another situation, you want to use a really really particular old car in your film that you are convinced your character would have. In film a director would have to search far and wide to find the right car while a comic artist can just learn to draw it.
Another aspect unique to comics is the act of reading. Music, for example, can be enjoyed either in a group or alone and the context can vary massively. On the other hand with comics people have to read them meaning they are usually alone and in a quiet place. This means the artist has much control over how the comic is enjoyed.
One limitation of comics is that they are very time consuming to make as there are usually multiple panels just on one page. This panels being mostly fairly small can make it even more time consuming as they tend to be more tedious and it can br harder to depict something clearly in a small box. Comic artist usually don’t make much money just through comics. Simon Hanselman is the New York Times best selling comics artist, but he stil releases zines for fairs because he makes more money through zines than comics.
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