Graphic Novels: Inference Graphic Novels: Inference

“The great sorrow of my life is never having done comics” - Pablo

Picasso

Trina Bright

How do we find meaning in words?

• Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with the shades of deeper meaning.“

• Maya Angelou

• “What the reader brings to the page is more important to comprehension than what is on the page.”

• Alvermann & Phelps

• Reading in the Twenty-First Century often involves more than the mere understanding of words. “ . . . reading of words is but a subset of a much more general human activity which includes symbol decoding, information integration and organization . . .” (Wolf)

Inference

• Inference is the process of creating a personal meaning from text. The reader’s unique interpretation of text is the product of this blending. Students remember and apply what is read, create new background knowledge, discriminate and critically analyze text and authors, and engage in analytical or reflective responses.

• Mosaics of Thought, Keene & Zimmerman

• Encoding Message Decoding Message• story closure• encapsulation cognitive reaction• layout affective reaction• composition story

Blend between the lines??

• In comics, meaning does not 'happen' in the words, or the pictures, but somewhere in-between. Because this "in-between" space is difficult to identify and varies from title to title, reading comic books requires an active, yet subconscious, participation on the part of the reader.

• The Power of Comics, Duncan

• Closure – Meaning derived as the reader fills in the details of the empty spaces between the panels.

Inferences skilled readers use When Kids Can’t Read, Beers

• Figure out unknown word meaning from context clues

• Understand intonation of characters’ words

• Provide details about the setting, characters’ beliefs, personalities, and motivations

• Understand characters’ relationships to one another

• Understand the author’s biases and view of the world

• Offer conclusions from facts presented in the text

Inference in ComicsInference in Comics

• Moment to Moment

Inference in comics Inference in comics Encapsulation

• Action to Action

• Subject to Subject

• Scene to Scene

• Aspect to Aspect

• Non Sequitor

What movies are based on comic What movies are based on comic books?books?

• Road to Perdition Incredible Hulk Popeye • V for Vendetta The Phantom Elektra • Garfield Chasing Amy Flash Gordon • The Mask Sin City • American Splendor Richie Rich Dick Tracy • A History of Violence Fantastic Four Men in

Black • Blade Judge Dredd X-Men • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ghost World• League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

• Catwoman Superman Batman Spiderman

Recommended for Elementary Recommended for Elementary • Archie• Justice League Unlimited• Power Puff Girls• Walt Disney Comics• Scooby Doo• Lions, Tigers, & Bears• Degrassi• Queen Bee• Bone• Owly• Astro Boy• Goosebumps• Breaking Up• Baby-Sitters Club• African Myths• Myths and Popular Stores from Around the World• Lost Cities• The New Adventures of Abe Lincoln

• *Cartoon History of the Universe I, II, III• *Suspended in Language: Niels Bohr's Life Discoveries and the Centuries he shaped

*Fallout: Atomic Bomb• *Cartoon Guide to the Computer • *Street Law: Rights and Liberties / *Supernatural Law • *Poe • *Maus• *Two Fisted Science: Stories about Scientists • *Suspended in Language• *Adventures: An Adventure in Evolution• *Quantum Physics • *Who is Fourier and What is Quantum Mechanics?• *The Genie in the Bottle: 67 all New Connections of the Fantastic Chemistry of

Everyday Life • *Genetik, Genetics, Environments • *Pedro and Me: Friendship Lost and What I Learned • *Still I Rise: A Living History of African Americans • *Adolph• *Pedro and Me: Friendship Lost and What I Learned

Recommended for SecondaryRecommended for Secondary• Lizzie McGuire• Angel• Superfriends• Young Justice• Justice League of America• Mage, The Hero Defined • League of Extraordinary Gentleman• Green Lantern• Oh My Goodness!• Promethea• The Yellow Jar• Bone• Buffy Vampire Slayer• Archie• Smallville• The Sandman • Tom Strong• *Mark Twain *Ambrose Bierce *Jack London; (Graphic Classics)

• Tone - Each student creates a six panel visual narrative on index cards. No words are used. The cards are then collected and passed onto another student who adds narration to them on a second set of cards. This happens five times, so that each picture-sequence has five different narrations to go with it.

• Irony - Students create a picture sequence with narration. At one point the narration should be parallel to the story in the picture sequence (that is, appear to be telling a completely different story), and at another point it should shift to relate very closely to the pictures.

Mood - Create a sequence using all six of these balloons:• the standard speech balloon• the bubbly “thought” balloon• the dotted-line “whisper” balloon• the spiked “shout” balloon• the jagged-edged “telephone” balloon• the icicle-trimmed “conceited” balloon

• Metaphor – Find "visual metaphors." In Art Spiegelman's Maus, there is the unforgettable image of Spiegelman (wearing a mouse-mask, an ongoing metaphor throughout the comic), slumped over his drawing table, with the rotting bodies of concentration camp victims underneath. In this case, the drawing eloquently illustrates the author's feelings of guilt for profiting from a holocaust story.

• Using a selection of pieces from a collection of short stories, students translate the story into a 2-4 page visual sequence, using as little narration as possible. A strong emphasis is placed on finding visual ways to recreate the same effects the writer achieved with literary conventions, such as metaphor.