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)Spiderman. Batman. Daredevil. Superman. Wonder Woman. X-Men. These are all comic book characters. Today, many of the comic book characters are finding themselves on the Big Screen, but their home will always remain with the comic book. Those who have selected one of the many different types and titles of comic books understand how versatile they are and how effective they can be in the realm of education. They can inspire a reluctant reader to READ, they can encourage readers to understand the complexity of dialogue, they inform the reader of the world of pop culture, they offer an outlet to writers and artists to go beyond the classical restraints of their disciplines. To read, to appreciate, and to create a comic book invites the readers to a world that is beyond their imagination.
As in any field of interest, it is necessary to understand how the comic book developed and is created and how it can change a reader and inspire them to create their own.
Through reading and creating their own comic books, students will develop their skills in observation, articulation and critical thinking skills.
First, what is a comic book?
A Comic Book is defined as a booklet of words and pictures integrated into a flexible and powerful printed format. Comic books are mass-produced inexpensively and quickly. Comic books are considered a visual piece of art in sequence. Comics combines art and writing. According to some, there is a comic literacy that is needed to interpret what goes on between the panels.
Comic books uses everyday language in dialogue balloons to communicate a point quickly and directly. By using a series or sequence of pictures, a cast of characters that the audience can relate to, and lots of dialogue and text within the picture, the creators of comic books draw their readers to their creation. Writers and Illustrators tend to use stereotypes of basic characters and clichés to express their meaning. Writers will use idioms, puns and slang to relate to the everyday individual. Comic Books are a form of narrative fiction and so they have a plot, characters, setting, dialogue, and symbolism.
The pictures in the comic book control the reader's interpretation of the words. The picture forces the reader to see what the writer wants him/her to see. Action lines and dialogue balloons allow the reader to hear the messages in their heads, thus inviting the reader into the make believe world of comic books.
Comic Books are basically 32 page periodicals about 7" X 10" in size. Each of the 32 pages are divided into approximately 6 panels. Panels are approximately 2 X 4 or 3 X 3. In a 32 page book, the number of panels can add up to anywhere from 90 to 200. Each story is made up of a certain number of pages, each page is made up of a certain number of panels, and each panel holds one illustration. The size of the panel reflects the conception of time. Small panels illustrates time as going by quickly and large panels makes time look like it is taking a longer amount of time.
The splash page is the first full page panel that also has the title of the story and credits the author, artist, penciller, and inkier. The first panel is also generally used to set up the scene. The rest of the comic book can consist of one long story, several shorter stories, or one long story broken into parts.
What Makes a Comic Book Appealing? Also answers the question of why to READ them. They appeal to more than just kids. In fact, in a 1943 survey, comic book readers were usually boys under the age of eighteen. Today, individuals who read comic books are under and over eighteen. In fact today, comic book readers are women over thirty, men over fifty, teenagers, young adults, and kids almost everybody.
Comic books offer readers action, entertainment, mythological references and recognizable characters, and important themes. Comic books are produced for entertainment. But really, comic books looks at society, looks at you and me and the world around us and through narration makes us see our world through the eyes of the characters, the artist, and the writer. Comic books mirror our world.
Choosing a particular comic book reflects an individuals interest in a certain type of book. Just as an individual would choose a particular type of book to read so does the comic book reader choose a particular comic book based on interest in a particular genre. For instance, if a book reader chooses a MYSTERY to read, a comic book reader would probably choose a DETECTIVE story or a SUPER-HERO comic book.
Reading comic books can be very entertaining especially with an appealing one. Creating a comic book takes the understanding, appreciation, and entertainment levels another notch up. Writing Comic Books reinforces writer's skill in audience identification, mapping storylines, developing plot lines, conversation skills, and imagination.Illustrating Comic Books allows the artist to experiment with storytelling through images, working within a fixed format, sketching, drawing, inking, and coloring, and creating action with images.
Because comic books are read by a variety of individuals, its a good idea to identify the audience first. The audience can be broken down by kids (ages 12 and younger), teens (ages 18-13), Adults (ages 19 and older).
Before you begin writing, list all your characters on a separate sheet of paper and describe their physical attributes and personalities. The artist will incorporate the physical descriptions into the images of the characters. Through different situations and actions, the personalities of the characters will become apparent. You can also include in this list occupation, background information, and how they relate to the other characters. This information may be helpful in developing the story line.
You can map out the storyline using Inspiration, Kid Inspiration, or a pen and pencil. Remember to keep the story short and simple. It is also important to keep the story lively. Because the comic book is basically a visual story, action and movement need to be part of the storyline. It is important that "the communication must be direct and unequivocal. It must be capable of being read in a second and it must lead onto it succeeding element." Action and conflict keep the story interesting and moving. Action is one reason why super-hero comic books are popular.
Setting (the room was sparse except for the desk with the computer), description (the person had blond short hair), sound (fingers snapping, etc.), emotion (the person was happy) are all told through the images. Because so much is revealed through the images, writers need to include this information for the artist in the panel descriptions. Its also a good idea to keep the descriptions short and to the point. This can be accomplished by only adding information that is necessary. If certain details are important to tell the story, include it in the description. It is also good to allow the artist to interpret the description with some give and take.
Dialogues make up a majority of the storyline. They appear in balloons or bubbles. Usually there should be no more than three balloons in a panel. Short conversations are more interesting than long conversations. Also the speech balloons also indicate whispering (dotted or broken line), thought (small bubbles leading to the speech balloon), or screaming (pointing balloon). To keep the story moving and active have characters doing something while they are talking with one another or with themselves (internal monologues). There are some comic books in which there is no dialogue. When information can not be said in dialogues, the writer will use captions (boxes located in the corners of the panel). Captions may indicate time, setting change, or mood. For the most part, captions are seen as slowing down the reader.
Before drawing, you need to read the script or plot summary and pay close attention to the details around the characters and setting (what types of backgrounds are needed). As the penciller begins sketching, they need to address certain issues, for example the character's body type, realistic portrayal, the angles that will be used, where to use close-ups and distant shots, and where will the speech balloons will be placed. It is a good idea to use guide sheets, rough sketches of characters from various angles (facial, angle, and action angles), to help keep the image of the character consist throughout the comic book. After any preliminary sketches or guide sheets are made, the penciller will roughly sketch out the main art for the panels and the story. The background sketches are added later as are the finishing details of the images.
The penciller can use a couple of techniques to illustrate action and the passage of time. One way is called the breakout panel. In a breakout panel, the drawing does not stay within the panel borders. Part of the drawing, such as a hand, food, or object, may extend beyond the panel's border, as if breaking out of the panel. The penciller can also use sequence drawing which shows a series of very small panels with borders or can be a series of combined drawings within one large panel.
The letterer begins where the penciller ends. The letterer prints the words into the dialogue balloons. By drawing faint lines first, the letterer makes sure that all the words are the same size and are straight. Usually letters are about 1/4 inch height.
The inkier draws over the penciller's drawings using ink or markers. By making the images permanent, the pages can be reproduced easily. The inkier will also add depth and any details that were left out by the penciller. After the ink is dry, the coloring begins. Markers, pencils, watercolors, or pastels are some of the tools used to color the comic book. Just like the inkier, it is important to be careful not to smudge or smear the colors.
Finally, the finished product should have a front and back cover and be bound. Binding the comic book doesn't always have to be professionally, but could just be tied with ribbon, yarn, rings, fasteners, or whatever. A comic book is not truly complete until it is shared with lots of readers.
Comic books offer learners a way to merge their skill in writing with their talent in art. It offers a creative outlet to telling a story through dialogue and action and allows the reader to intimately relate to the story being told. Today's comic book is no longer a piece of cardboard glued together. Comic Books are reflections of today's society and invite readers to READ more.
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