To Outsmart an Alien Study of Comics As a Narrational Medium
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Faculty of New Media Arts Graphic Design 2D Visualisation Inga Siek S17419 Bachelor diploma work To Outsmart An Alien Matt Subieta Chief Supervisor Marcin Wichrowski Technical Supervisor Study of Comics as a Narrational Medium Anna Machwic Theoretical Supervisor Klaudiusz Ślusarczyk Language Supervisor Warsaw, July, 2020 1 Wydział Nowych Mediów Grafika Komputerowa Wizualizacja 2D Inga Siek S17419 Praca Licencjacka Przechytrzyć Kosmitę Matt Subieta Główny Promotor Marcin Wichrowski Techniczny Promotor Badanie Komiksów jako Medium Narracji Anna Machwic Teoretyczny Promotor Klaudiusz Ślusarczyk Promotor Językowy Warszawa, Lipiec, 2020 2 This thesis is dedicated to the study and analysis of comics, both in terms of history and practice, as well as it is an attempt to change the common view of the practice as immature and primitive. In order to develop a good understanding of what comics are and their origins, this work starts by giving the reader a quick historical overview of the genre and its predecessor, sequential art. The reader will learn not only about the roots of comic illustration design but also its modern influences. The paper will refer to major names in the industry, and well as identify important historical events, both of which helped steer comics into the direction they are today. Additionally, descriptions of the main elements of comics will be provided. The last chapter will supply a number of examples in the utilizations of comic design components that include story, characters, panels and text by different artists who helped shape the craft of comics, and hopefully this will inspire the reader as well as provoke them to start viewing comics in a different, or perhaps even more positive light. Keywords: Sequential art, Comics, Character Design, Writing Praca jest zadedykowana badaniu historii oraz sztuce komiksu. Jest również próbą zmiany pospolitego poglądu na komiks jako sztuka dziecinna i prymitywna. Aby stworzyć dobre zrozumienie czym jest komiks, oraz skąd pochodzi, zaczynam pracę od szybkiej lekcji historii gatunku, oraz jego przodka - sztuki sekwencyjnej. Czytelnik nauczy się nie tylko o korzeniach ilustracji komiksowej, lecz również co na nią wpłynęło w czasach nowoczesnych. Praca odnosi się do znanych osób w przemyśle, oraz identyfikuje ważne historyczne zdarzenia, które pomogły nakierować komiks w stronę tego, czym jest dziś. Dodatkowo praca zapewnia opisy oraz wyjaśnienia głównych elementów komiksu. Ostatni rozdział dostarczy kilka przykładów wykorzystania komponentów komiksu poprzez znanych artystów, którzy pomogli nadać kształt tej sztuce. W komponenty wlicza się fabuła, postacie, panele komiksowe i tekst. Mam nadzieję że to zainspiruje i sprowokuje czytelnika do postrzeżenia komiksu w innym, być może bardziej pozytywnym świetle. Słowa kluczowe: Sztuka Sekwencyjna, Komiks, Projektowanie Postaci, Pismo 3 INDEX • Introduction, p. 5 • History and usage of sequential art, p. 7 • History of Comics, p. 10 o First Steps, p. 10 o Growing up, p. 14 • Narrational Elements, p. 21 o The Story, p. 21 o Characters, p. 25 o Panels, p. 30 o Text, p. 35 • Conclusion, p. 38 • Bibliography, p. 39 4 STUDY OF COMICS AS A NARRATIONAL MEDIUM Introduction Comics are a form of visual communication that has existed for millennia. As one era turned into another, comics also evolved and went through several phases. During this process, certain elements of narration were always present, and these perhaps make up the rules that define what comics truly are. A more accurate term for a comic would be sequential art, and although this definition is much more precise, although it still leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation. The term sequential art is self-explanatory, but it could potentially include other forms of communication that we normally would not consider a comic. Music is also considered a form of art and it can only exist within a sequence. Therefore, it could also be described with the term “sequential art”. To avoid confusion an American cartoonist, Scott McCloud, came up with a term that would ensure comics would not be put in the same category as music, poetry, or other forms of sequential art. McCloud defined comics as: “Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or produce an aesthetic response in the viewer.” 1 Most of us think of one thing when they hear the word “comic”; a sequence of panels featuring backgrounds, characters and speech bubbles with dialogue, forgetting that there is possibly more to this term. With McCloud’s definition, we can start to distinguish what counts as a comic, and what does not. For example, when looking at an illustrated instruction of what to do when an airplane is crashing, would you think of it as a comic or perhaps just an instruction? This is an important question to ask ourselves to challenge our perception of comics. Western society mostly considers comics a cheap and childish form of entertainment rather than a form of art. It is worth mentioning that another definition of the word comic or 1 Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics (New York, HarperPerennial, 1993), 9. 5 comical is that of something related to comedy2. Perhaps this is because most people are introduced to comics during their childhood, and as adults, we only start noticing the genre again in the newspaper funnies. However, this colloquialism is unjust to sequential art, as it is much more than just a way of telling a funny story. Comics are first and foremost a craft. They require not only great skill and premeditation but also harmonious collaboration from both artists and storytellers alike for their comics to be not only functional but also engaging. A comic does not need to be comical. It can be as serious and thought-provoking as any other medium; all that it needs is the right approach. To prove this point, one only needs to scrutinise sequential art and see where it refutes the common expectations. To do so, we need to analyse its origin and usage, as well as how it evolved in terms of technique. It will also be crucial to distinguish some of the greatest artists who helped influence the directions sequential art took during its never-ending lifetime. Subsequently, we can start examining the different narrational elements that make up a comic, mainly the story, illustrations, characters, and layout. It is important to understand not only the history, but also the inner workings of sequential art before we can start speculating how it will evolve in the future. 2 Merriam Webster, definition of the word “comic”, retrieved 22.11.2019 (https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/comic) 6 Chapter 1 – History and Usage of Sequential Art Every art movement and technique had its starting point, and comics are no exception. Although ‘traditional’ comic was not developed until the 19th century, it would be insufficient and unfair not to talk about its predecessors in sequential art. Art itself has existed for at least 73 000 years3, and it should not be too difficult to believe sequential art has been around for a similar amount of time. Cave paintings are the earliest example we have of sequential art. With the help of dirt and charcoal, humans of the Palaeolithic period would draw and paint figures in different poses as a way of conveying movement. These paintings could be used to portray and preserve a story or legend that people would primarily share through the spoken word long before written language was developed. Subsequently, this helped to create the fundaments of art expression in human culture. As one period passed and another began, humans discovered that sounds could be written down as symbols, and then they could be read. This distinct writing system was practical for everyday use, as it was much more accurate in terms of recording events than actual images. Despite its many practical uses, writing found its followers among artists as well. They now could record their tales in the form of poems, letters, or perhaps even songs, which were carved in stone, painted on walls or written on paper. This was the birth of literature. Nowadays literature is considered a completely separate form of art, and as a narrational medium it is seldom compared to paintings or drawings; and, people rarely think about the fact that at one point in time, they were both one and the same. The hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt are a great example showcasing how most letters had the form of pictograms rather than abstract symbols that we use today. Different sounds could be symbolised by animals, body parts or tools drawn with ink on a piece of papyrus. As time passed the hieratic and 3 Nicholas St. Fleur, “Oldest Known Drawing by Human Hands Discovered in South African Cave”, The New York Times, 2018), retrieved 02.12.2019 (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/science/oldest-drawing-ever- found.html) 7 demotic scripts were developed, which often simplified images derived from the hieroglyphic script, possibly making the process of writing faster and easier. Hieroglyphs on the Temple of Kom Ombo (https://www.britannica.com/topic/hieroglyph), retrieved 13.12.2019 Although writing was superior to painting in terms of recording information, ancient Egyptians did not neglect sequential art. Scientists report many instances in which the people of ancient Egypt chose to tell a story through paintings in sequence rather than through written words. The paintings found in the tomb of Menna are a great example of this. When read in the correct order, they reveal a scene from the late official’s everyday life. 4 Many other ancient artefacts present sequential art not only as a lively decoration but possibly also as a spiritual connection to the unseen. For instance, Greeks and Romans would embellish their pottery with segments of myths and legends.