1. I thought it was interesting how the comic mentioned closure and defined it as a way that we survive. We don't know what is out in the world when we can't see it, but we depend on faith. The artist also writes about closure as a way to calm our minds, for instance, how a smiley face resembles a human face even though it is a couple of lines.
2. McCloud's discussion of comics being closure was also an interesting point to me. He discusses how we have to simulate time and motion in comics because of their jagged and separate images. I never thought of that before. Much of the story lies in the gutter and is reliant on the reader imagination of the scenario.
3. The final point that I found interesting was the ending of the comic in which McCloud states that he, as a comic artist, has to make assumptions about the reader in order to make his comic successful. if the reader does not fit in to McCloud's assumption, then his comic will not make sense
1. The idea of the gutter, and our own involvement in taking in stories created by others. I find it applying to not just comics, books and film — but to everything. Even music, staring out a window, and the random thoughts rattling around in my head.
2. Closure. Even typing in this comment box has a closure to it. I could be typing away in an identical box on a different blog, and it would be exactly the same.
3. Final point I took away — everything and moment is a never-ending amalgam of experiences. It can't be shut off. Even sleep is an experience through time. Not just the dreams, but the functions of the body, the ritual of bedtime and of waking up.
1. The use of the word "closure" confused me for the first few pages and then I suddenly related it to the closure we sometimes seek at the end of relationships-- we're left filling in gaps until we get it. In this context it's used as more of a tool and I think it's an interesting choice of vocabulary; like mending pieces of our minds together so we can better understand... anything.
2. The part where they mentioned that looking at a photograph is a form of closure stuck with me because we do bring photos to life when we look at them and that is a closure. "We transform it into reality", or a reality, but one we are satisfied with enough to move on.
3. AAAAHHH I died at page 142 where he's using an action-to-action section of a comic in which one scene is someone wielding an axe towards someone's back, seemingly to harm him. The next scene is a zoomed out house (assuming the house they were in) with a text box of unintelligible words that can only mean someone is in harm. So naturally we assume a murder took place but that showing the gruesome details was unnecessary for the story-line. But what I loved about how he manipulated the use of the blank space between the scenes is that this space is for us to fill in a black; to imagine how the murder (if it was a murder!) took place. Because we participate in creating the storyline he says, "all of you participated in the murder". I mean, lol, damn.
I was really intrigued by the cultural difference in story telling between Asia, and he mentioned Africa, and Western culture. He mentioned that we read stories for the conclusion, maybe this is why we are all so addicted to suspense, but eastern cultures are more about the journey, they pause and enjoy the ride, meandering is the point of the story. This is why there are more moment to moment and split moment scenes in Japanese comics. 2. my mind was a little blown by his theory of our senses being ignited because they aren't. We pick up on visual clues to activate and fill gaps with our senses after given prompts. Our subconscious reactive reflexes are so powerful and complex! 3. The other thing that got me was the idea of artistic consistency throughout a comic or even a section, being a bad thing. He did a good job of explaining it. If there is too much consistency there is less for the reader to fill in, less work to be done, AND its somehow harder for the reader to differentiate between happenings of the frames, it all becomes muddled. This idea should be taught to all art students of all mediums in my opinion. It is very useful.
1. I found it really interesting how If you take all the scenes in a movie and look at them by frame its a comic because thats a way of looking at movies that I have never thought of before. Its cool how we can take very small moments of time and look at them in a way of it being a comic and a story. 2. I also liked the way they showed old carvings as comics because they do tell a story through pictures. It interests me on how old comics are and how something that seems more modern like comic books can be traced back through history to early times. I think taking modern pieces of culture and exploring their history is extremely intriguing. 3. The point that I found the most interesting was that the less realistic looking characters connect with the reader more. They are more open for your interpretation because you can get more of choice of how you view them than realistic people. With realistic pictures you are forced to look at them a certain way but with more cartoonish people you can connect more because your mind decides how you view them.
1. I really appreciated McCloud explaining a format (comics) by using that format, and the different ways you can explain something via that medium ie demonstrations or using a character version of themselves to explain scenes. This is absolutely something I want to explore in my own work.
2. I loved the comparison between comics from different regions, styles, and artists. Such as how japanese comics use a different panel structure of action and pacing vs traditional american comics.
3. I think the demonstration of the non sequitur is really effective in this reading. Its just one of the many ways the author demonstrates how the pace that a reader experiences the comic by panel to panel transitions.
1. I thought it was interesting how the comic mentioned closure and defined it as a way that we survive. We don't know what is out in the world when we can't see it, but we depend on faith. The artist also writes about closure as a way to calm our minds, for instance, how a smiley face resembles a human face even though it is a couple of lines.
ReplyDelete2. McCloud's discussion of comics being closure was also an interesting point to me. He discusses how we have to simulate time and motion in comics because of their jagged and separate images. I never thought of that before. Much of the story lies in the gutter and is reliant on the reader imagination of the scenario.
3. The final point that I found interesting was the ending of the comic in which McCloud states that he, as a comic artist, has to make assumptions about the reader in order to make his comic successful. if the reader does not fit in to McCloud's assumption, then his comic will not make sense
1. The idea of the gutter, and our own involvement in taking in stories created by others. I find it applying to not just comics, books and film — but to everything. Even music, staring out a window, and the random thoughts rattling around in my head.
ReplyDelete2. Closure. Even typing in this comment box has a closure to it. I could be typing away in an identical box on a different blog, and it would be exactly the same.
3. Final point I took away — everything and moment is a never-ending amalgam of experiences. It can't be shut off. Even sleep is an experience through time. Not just the dreams, but the functions of the body, the ritual of bedtime and of waking up.
We are sort of the "editor-in-chief" of what are senses report to us.
ReplyDelete1. The use of the word "closure" confused me for the first few pages and then I suddenly related it to the closure we sometimes seek at the end of relationships-- we're left filling in gaps until we get it.
ReplyDeleteIn this context it's used as more of a tool and I think it's an interesting choice of vocabulary; like mending pieces of our minds together so we can better understand... anything.
2. The part where they mentioned that looking at a photograph is a form of closure stuck with me because we do bring photos to life when we look at them and that is a closure.
"We transform it into reality", or a reality, but one we are satisfied with enough to move on.
3. AAAAHHH I died at page 142 where he's using an action-to-action section of a comic in which one scene is someone wielding an axe towards someone's back, seemingly to harm him. The next scene is a zoomed out house (assuming the house they were in) with a text box of unintelligible words that can only mean someone is in harm. So naturally we assume a murder took place but that showing the gruesome details was unnecessary for the story-line.
But what I loved about how he manipulated the use of the blank space between the scenes is that this space is for us to fill in a black; to imagine how the murder (if it was a murder!) took place. Because we participate in creating the storyline he says, "all of you participated in the murder".
I mean, lol, damn.
XO
I was really intrigued by the cultural difference in story telling between Asia, and he mentioned Africa, and Western culture. He mentioned that we read stories for the conclusion, maybe this is why we are all so addicted to suspense, but eastern cultures are more about the journey, they pause and enjoy the ride, meandering is the point of the story. This is why there are more moment to moment and split moment scenes in Japanese comics.
ReplyDelete2. my mind was a little blown by his theory of our senses being ignited because they aren't. We pick up on visual clues to activate and fill gaps with our senses after given prompts. Our subconscious reactive reflexes are so powerful and complex!
3. The other thing that got me was the idea of artistic consistency throughout a comic or even a section, being a bad thing. He did a good job of explaining it. If there is too much consistency there is less for the reader to fill in, less work to be done, AND its somehow harder for the reader to differentiate between happenings of the frames, it all becomes muddled. This idea should be taught to all art students of all mediums in my opinion. It is very useful.
1. I found it really interesting how If you take all the scenes in a movie and look at them by frame its a comic because thats a way of looking at movies that I have never thought of before. Its cool how we can take very small moments of time and look at them in a way of it being a comic and a story.
ReplyDelete2. I also liked the way they showed old carvings as comics because they do tell a story through pictures. It interests me on how old comics are and how something that seems more modern like comic books can be traced back through history to early times. I think taking modern pieces of culture and exploring their history is extremely intriguing.
3. The point that I found the most interesting was that the less realistic looking characters connect with the reader more. They are more open for your interpretation because you can get more of choice of how you view them than realistic people. With realistic pictures you are forced to look at them a certain way but with more cartoonish people you can connect more because your mind decides how you view them.
1. I really appreciated McCloud explaining a format (comics) by using that format, and the different ways you can explain something via that medium ie demonstrations or using a character version of themselves to explain scenes. This is absolutely something I want to explore in my own work.
ReplyDelete2. I loved the comparison between comics from different regions, styles, and artists. Such as how japanese comics use a different panel structure of action and pacing vs traditional american comics.
3. I think the demonstration of the non sequitur is really effective in this reading. Its just one of the many ways the author demonstrates how the pace that a reader experiences the comic by panel to panel transitions.