COMICS

Comics are a visual medium used to express ideas through images. They are often combined with text or visual information.

Comics

Different types of comics

Comic strips

Comic books

Political cartoons

A sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative

Comic strips

Comic booksA publication of comic art in the form of sequential panels that represent individual scenes. Comic books tell a story, and they are not necessarily humorous.

Political cartoonsAn illustration containing a commentary that usually relates to current events or personalities. They often include hyperbole and satire.

Communicating through comics

Different forms of communication

Captions

Speech balloons

Thought balloons

Sound effects

Captions

Captions are used as a narrative device.

They are sometimes used to convey dialogue or to communicate a character’s thoughts.

Speech balloonsSpeech bubbles or word balloons

Thought balloonsor thought bubbles

Sound effects

Sound effects are usually in bold or 3D text in all upper case.

They are usually written or drawn in a way that will emphasize their nature.

The use of perspective in comics

Comic books in particular use many different perspectives.

Long shot

Medium shot

Full shot

Close-up

Point of view

Camera angles

A long shot typically shows the entire character. It is a way to establish where a character is and what the setting might be.

Long shot

A medium shot helps to establish where the characters are in relationship to one another. It usually shows them from mid-thigh up. It is relatively good in showing facial expressions, but works

well to show body language.

Medium shot

Full shotA full shot is used to show the full figure of a character. It helps to give the reader a look at the character they are reading about.

Close-upA close-up tightly frames a person or an object. It displays the most detail, but does not include the broader scene. It allows the artist to show a character’s reaction or feelings.

Point of viewA point of view shot shows what a character is looking at. It helps the reader to see the scene from the character’s perspective.

Camera angleCamera angle is the reader’s point of view to the comic page. A scene may be shot from several camera angles. The different camera angles will have different effects on the viewer and how they perceive the scene they are reading.