Dodds, Nick (2004) Comic strips rock! Focus, 1 . pp. 85-93.

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THE NEWS IMHO - OUR READERS WRITE THE INTERVIEWS THE NUFF SAID INTERVIEW TED RALL TALKS TO KEN GALE

WRITING THE HEART OF TEXAS - JOE R LANSDALE INTERVIEWED

THE DAVID LLOYD INTERVIEW

BY PAUL GRAVETT WITH STEVE MARCHANT

Youcan't really 7/MERICAN SPLENDOR teach anybody ANDREW WILLIAMS INTERVIEWS HARVEY PEKAR to draw comics. THE REVIEWS 28 CHILDREN OF THE INVISIBLE ART JOSS O 'K ELLY 'S N EW COLUMN

58 IT ' S CLOBBERIN ' TIME!

/ R EVIEWS APLENTY

71 ONE OF US I want to GIOVANNI SPINELLA REVIEWS ITAL IAN COMIC RAT-MAN portray myself THE COLUMNS at somewhat less 85 COMICS STRIPS ROCK! than my best N ICK DODDS EXAMINES THE LO GIC OF COMIC PANELS 96 UNDER THE COUNTER NEVILLE COLMAN ' S CAUSTIC COMME NTS For the impassioned cerebral confectionary. The implication being that intellectually supporters of ••sequential they just don't compare with other art•• there is a case to be narrative art forms. However, look made for promoting the closely at the sequence of panels that make up a comic page and you educational value of will find a complex schematic logic comic books and graphic which allows them to resonate as both a visual and literary medium novels. The common simultaneously. As such, comic misconception applied to comic strips command their own unique books is that they are consumed station located somewhere on the intuitively and digested easily - like Comic Strip line between print and matters such as iconography or film. Its the hybrid nature semiotics. of comics that makes them such a fascinating art form Last year I was invited by the Tullie and deserving of greater House Gallery in Carlisle to organise critical attention. and present a full day workshop on Furthermore, they have comics aimed at a largely teenage developed with their own audiel'!ce. The intention was that the set of conventions, their workshop tied in with the touring own signs and syntax. exhibition in the main gallery. The There is more than enough exhibition Air Guitar • Art in the pages of almost any Reconsidering Rock Music explored to keep the the relationship between youth Roland Barthes school of culture and pop music, pulling structural analysis busy. together a group of artists working Comic strips can help to in different mediums but united in a teach us important things common theme. Hence the title of about how we perceive the workshop - Comic Strips Rock! and interpret images and text and how we relate The main objective of the workshop this to the experience of was to create a piece of artwork that the wider world. would hang at the entrance of the exhibition. However, it was also At all levels of art important to give some insight into education, in the the weird and wonderful world of classroom or studio, comic comics and talk through some of the strips can be used as a contextual issues mentioned briefly stimulus to engage above. The morning session started students not just with out with a brief look at the visual storytelling but also vocabulary of comic book narrative; some of the practical panels, meta-panels, speech bubbles, issues that arise when on a canvas or page are viewed, narrative boxes, sound effects, drawing and painting. different perspectives, the expressive gutters etc. In discussing the actual Specifically, experimenting power of line and tone, use of light mechanics of creating comic strip with pictorial devices and shade, working with figures and narratives, both Scott McCloud including composition or so on. Alternatively, comics can open ( & controlling the order in up debates on more theoretical Reinventing Comics) and Will Eisner which individual elements (Comics ft Sequential Art) are pretty

Comic S-t:rips .R.ock! Nick Dodds indispensable, especially audience at the workshop thinking. when explaining the To illustrate, I showed them the two illustrate key points. In dynamics of panel panels from the chapter entitled transitions. Unfortunately there Comics and Sequential transitions and the Blood In The Gutter, one of which wasn't time to explore fully the way Art, Eisner devotes a concept of time and shows a close-up of a figure in which he categorises different whole chapter to the tricky movement. brandishing an axe looming towards panel to panel transitions, including notion of timing which he another figure and the subsequent the controversial - non sequitur - but illustrates with a Spirit To date Understanding panel which shows the silhouette of we did look briefly at moment to story called Foul Play. This Comics is the closest thing a city skyline at night with the letters moment and action to action sequence is extremely we have to a textbook and, EEYAA! ! scrawled across it. This transitions in reference to a story by useful in getting across the partly because it is drawn drew thoughtful and humourous Will Eisner. Where Understanding seemingly abstract notion like a graphic novel the responses in equal measure. Comics aims at a wide range of of time in comics and how techniques McCloud writes Conclusions made tended to support theoretical targets Comics Et it can be controlled in about are immediately the view that the gutter is the Sequential Art sticks pretty much to order to build dramatic recognisable to the reader. designated space in the story where the construction of panel narrative. tension into a storyline. In His arguments on why the reader grabs the reins. The approach taken by Eisner is Foul Play Eisner constantly gutters play a vital much more hands on, a major refers to visual markers - a interactive role in a strip We went on to discuss how McCloud difference being that he uses his dripping tap, the ringing of are persuasive and expands upon theories on the gutter back catalogue (mainly Spirit stories a telephone, the lighting of certainly got my young to establish the various panel dating from the 40's and SO's) to

Comic S-t:rip& ~ock! Nick Dodds matches - to suggest the Bagge's well observed yet gloriously slow passage of time. unhinged Hate stories which had a discernible influence on the overall At Tullie House the basic look of the artwork. Throughout the idea behind the final day each participant in the workshop artwork was to take the worked solidly on a single panel or a small, concise and portable section of the larger design. medium of the comic page Although the overall layout was and enlarge it to fill a pretty much preordained there was gallery wall. On reflection enough scope for embellishment in a comic strip on that scale the adding of pattern, shading and poses interesting crosshatching, facial expressions questions about how it is and assorted rock star paraphernalia viewed - do you treat it for each young artist to put their like a painting and take in own individual stamp on the finished the whole or focus in on a artwork. part of the image or do you read it as a pattern of At the end of the afternoon session, images in sequence? In each piece was duly signed and keeping with the retro joined together 'jigsaw' style with musical theme of the main other pieces to create one gigantic exhibition I designed a comic page. As some were adding black and white strip that the finishing touches to the final played on the performance artwork, others were drawing bold and interaction between a caricatures of their own fantasy rock fictional rock band and band characters. All in all a busy yet audience. Some elements rewarding day. in the strip were lifted and collaged from a variety of Events like this obviously help to sources including increase an awareness of the comic photographs of rock book form and in some small way bands, panels and covers increase the potential of bringing from 1970's young people into an exciting field of counterculture magazines artistic expression. Responses to the (including Punk and Rock workshop were very positive. Some n' Roll Comix). Also, in of the questions asked on the day preparation I went back centred on how to get started in the and reread some of Peter business of creating and selling

Comic S-t:rip& ~ock! comics • questions I felt ill saturated age, comics can still equipped to answer not inspire, enthral and be debated. So knowing enough about the reach for the ink and strike up the business and publishing power chords - comic strips rock! side of comics. To the relatively young, References one of their definite plus Understanding Comics by Scott points about comics isu McCloud. First published by Kitchen that they come in a form Sink Press 1993. that is accessible and non­ patronising. Arguably, part Reinventing Comics by Scott of this is that they also McCloud. Published by HarperCollins come free of the historical 2000. and revisionist baggage that is attached to a lot of Comics ft Sequential Art by Will contemporary art. Eisner. Published by Poorhouse Press However, comics do have a 1985. rich cultural legacy that is not widely known about. Punk Rock: So Whatl edited by As I have already Roger Sabin. Published by Routledge mentioned, one of the 1999. problems inherent in teaching a formalist Hey Buddy (compilation) by Peter approach to comics is the Bagge. Published by Fantagraphics paucity of critical texts Books 1993. that deal with the form. Understanding Comics, Buddy the Dreamer (compilation) by great as it is, dates from Peter Bagge. Fantagraphics Books the early 90's and was 1993. intended in McCloud's words to initiate 'the great debate'. Despite the erstwhile efforts of McCloud and others perhaps we could do with a little more 'baggage' in this area. Even in this technology driven image

Comic S-t;:rips .R.ock!