Comics

toc = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =**Comics**= Edeline Bernal

Topic Focus
This concept map is a visualization tool that attempts to define the meaning of Comics. Taking into account its connotations and denotations, this map is divided into three parts: its main applications, its socio-cultural significance, and its main components as a medium.

Research Summary
According to Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics, Comics is "sequential art" - or more accurately, "juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer." This book made me realize that Comics is beyond the stereotype of superheroes and villains, and uneducated readers. Comics is actually very versatile: genres extend from superhero to romance, mystery, autobiography, action, science fiction, whimsy, and reportage. Its purpose also is not solely for entertainment alone, but includes a much higher calling in its ability to openly address important political and social issues. Comics, as I also found out, did not originate from Japan (i.e. mangas) but is in fact, present multi-culturally (i.e. India).

The idea of Comics existed as early as 1049 A.D. in a pre-Columbian picture manuscript, and is also evident in Mexican Bayeux Tapestry and Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Comics-making isn't also as easy as it would seem on the surface. Every line in every panel of every scene has been given careful thought to ensure that the message received is exactly what the artist intended (i.e. panel to panel transitions like action-to-action, scene-to-scene, etc.). This whole experience of the reader could include emotional response; sensual response; a sense of time, sound, motion, and environment; or active participation in the reader's mind such that the gaps in between gutters are understood; hence, the characters and events come to life.

Preliminary Sketches
Prior to consulting the net or other sources, I decided to brainstorm everything I knew about Comics. [|View]

As I try to expand on my map, McCloud's Understanding Comics keep proving most of my ideas to be stereotypical and not accurate. This (frustratingly) caused me to constantly update my map from time to time. I guess, for the love of accurate information, I should be grateful. At this point, I noticed a pattern in my research and decided to categorize through color-coding. Categories include Applications, Medium, Comic-Culture, Culture, Definition, Themes. [|View]

By the time I finished reading the McCloud's book, I figured it's safe to finally divide the map and expand on each category individually. [|View]

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Cmap Versions
The maps above are interrelated and I combined them using Cmap Tools to manage the information more efficiently. At this point, I've narrowed down my categories to Medium, Application, Definition, and Culture.

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I tried to further develop this map and I could notice the links becoming more and more complex. [|View.jpg]

So I decided to arrange these concepts in a visual hierarchy. The size of the bubble is directly in relation to its importance - such that the bigger the bubble is, the more crucial it is to the definition of Comics. At this point, I've narrowed down my categories even further: Applications, Socio-Cultural Significance, and Denotation. I was debating with myself whether I should place the Socio-Cultural Significance (the pink ones) on the same level as the Applications and Denotations. However, I came to the conclusion that for every medium to have an impact on a society, it needs to be utilized first; hence, its location directly below Applications. [|View]

As I was translating this in Illustrator, I thought of incorporating Comics' style to my map. I used speech bubbles as containers of my concepts. The little 'ticks' point to the direction of the linking word, and is sometimes connected to another concept by angular lines. The combination of these lines give the illusion of panels used in Comics. I also used the typeface typically used in most American comic books (i.e. Comic Book Commando). [|View]

I also was planning on using colored panels or a half-tone pattern as a background to visually separate the concepts into its categories. This map was critiqued to have too many lines that is making it hard to read. It was suggested to simplify the manner of linking: saying more by showing less. This also has a problem of overlapping bridges. [|View]

Close Ups
I decided to modify the above map post-critique. I changed the size of the map (*now in proportion to the actual dimensions of an American comic book) with the intention of tightening the concepts together, hopefully resulting to shorter and less complicated connecting lines. I also treated the linking words a bit differently here to improve on readability. At the same time, it also enforces a Comic book feel to it. I ended up using a combination of half-tone and solid color panels for my background. It still allows me to categorize the concepts, but with a more subtle, interesting look to it. I also used a variation of solid and dashed lines as a solution to any overlap, and went to a bolder color palette to imitate the bold colors of most Comics. [|View]

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Resources

 * Carrier, David. The Aesthetics of Comics. Pennysylvania: The Pennysylvania State University Press, 2000.
 * "Comics." //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. 28 Jan 2008, 03:00 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 28 Jan 2008. <[|http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comics&oldid=187391006>.]
 * Magnussen, Anne, ed. Comics Culture: Analytical and Theoretical Approaches to Comics. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 2000.
 * McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1994.