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Essay on Understanding Comics funny way uses a combination of images and texts to convey information

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Understanding Comics

The commonly used ways of conveying information includes written materials, audios, pictures, visuals, audio visuals, signs and symbols and comics. Comics is one of the ways in which information can be passed. Comics in a funny way uses a combination of images and texts to convey information. In comics, the communicating person will predetermine a certain sequence in which the comics will follow. Panels will be used to show flow of events and activities in comics. Most of the times the person communicating the information through comics will consider several items such as the color to use, the background, the sequence among several other items that influences the meaning of the comics. Comics uses juxtaposed pictures, images and texts in a certain predetermined pattern in panels with an intention of creating an aesthetic response to the viewers. Imagination and the closure are the main contribution of the viewer to the comics.

Comics uses pictures, images and words to pass information. “Mccloud says words and pictures has great powers to tell stories when the creator exploits them both(p.153)….” There are several combinations words and images that are used to communicate in comics. If an art is word specific it means the words are the dominant item in that particular art and it communicates more than the images. In other cases comics will be dominated by images and thus the images the main communicating item. In duo specific, the images and the texts will convey the same meaning. When parallel combination the images and the words tells different stories that are parallel to each other. At times there would be image and word combination where each item is used to convey information that the other item cannot convey without the other. Therefore, in every art of comics there must be a proper combination of images and words for the intended information to be conveyed. Media like audios must not have combinations like comics.

Despite the fact that in comics there is no sound accompanying the images that does not mean aspects like emotions and feelings cannot be communicated. “Mccloud highlights that invisible world of senses and emotions can also be portrayed between panels(p.121)….” Some specific items will be used by the artist to illustrate aspects such as emotions like pains, anxiety, happiness, being frightened, shock, anger among other various emotions and feelings. Frowning on the face can be shown using some short several lines on the forehead in an image of a person’s face. The artist will use specific colors to convey certain information about emotions and feelings. Different lines will still be used to show emotions, feelings and sensational qualities and characteristics like being proud gentle among other characteristics and personalities.The artist will use some items like moving background while the subject remains static to show motion. For instance several panels with different backgrounds and the same subject like a vehicle would show the car is moving. In other media like audio visuals, we don’t see different panels, but we see the real vehicle moving while the background is not.

Closure and the ability to make clear mental pictures or imaginations are greatly used in comics. Mccloud explains “closure as the phenomenon of observing a part, but perceiving a whole (p.63)…” For instance when you see someone’s finger in an image you automatically believes they have the whole hand. When we are watching televisions and videos and other audio visual communication media, we are basically seeing rapidly sequence of standstill images but the process of closure takes places very quickly since the devices are more advanced technologically and powerful. Closure in comics usually takes place slowly depending on the viewer’s ability to perceive the images. When closure takes place in comics it helps the viewer to create mental images in his mind and therefore perceive the intended information

Comics unlike other media never gets old and it is a process. “Mccloud says that in comics the cycle begins all over in the world as young readers discover comics for the first time and in few cases, begin to develop the love for comics that will last for a lifetime(p.172)…..” There are six steps in comics creation. The steps must follow each other as required. In the early stage the readers will experience ideas, characters and purpose. In early stages comics becomes an important tool in storytelling.The form is then chosen and the artist has to make sure he has chosen the best comfortable form with him. Determining which style to use, determine the structure of the comics, craft and surface. Once the comic artist develops and idea or gets something to communicate through comics, he she will decide the form in which to present the comics depending on the type of information. The idiom and the form may precede each other depending on the artist’s choice or preference. Style that will be used to communicate has a lot of impact to the comics and hence the artist have to choose carefully and use the appropriate structure. The comic artist will then craft his comics and upon finishing he has to surface his work. Some other media forms might not follow this process in order to pass a certain information.

Comics unlike the other ways through which information is conveyed is considerably interesting. The viewers of the comics are required not just to be passive viewers but to actively participate through closure and imagination. The ability of a viewer to make visual imaginations from the pictorials, images, backgrounds and colors used determines the information he or she will receive from the comics. Comics is impressive way of passing information particularly to small children. Comics should widely be used and developed in a way that it may be used by those who don’t talk or hear for learning and entertainment purposes in the future. Many artists should be encouraged to embrace comics and bring out new ideas out of it. Many comic artists use comics as their earning tool therefore further research in comics should be undertaken and new comics concepts be taught to those interested.

 


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