HOW DO GRAPHIC NOVELS WORK? IMAGERY, SEQUENCE & JUXTAPOSITION
The more I reread Essex County the more I am amazed by the possibilities of the graphic novel. This week we are looking at how Tales From the Farm works and there are so many things we could discuss. I have some "terms" I want to introduce to help us unpack what is going on in the text. Please read over these terms and then visit the forums. We will start with your initial response and then I will ask you to go back and relook and reread some sections.
TERMS: I borrowed Scott McCloud's classic text Understanding Comics to help inspire me. McCloud, using the form of comic books, explains why and how comic books work. It is an amazing read because it is impressive how he can convey complex academic thought through still pictures and words. There are a couple of key ideas that were new to me that I wanted to share.
IMAGERY: McCloud points out the imagery of comics (and by extension graphic novels) is often iconic. It is not intended to be realistic like film but representational. We, as the reader, need to use our imagination and past experience to help fill in the details that are simplified and missing. This made me wonder about your experience of the imagery. "What past experience did you draw upon to understand this story? What parts of the Tale struck your imagination?"
SEQUENCE: McCloud makes a clear distinction between film and graphic novels even though they share some similarities. The framing of images or the "shots" use a similar language for a similar effect. You have long shots, wide shots, extreme close ups, high angle and low angle. But unlike film where the image occurs in exactly the same place --on the television, computer or movie screen- the graphic novel's are laid out in a sequence. When you turn a page you see all the images at once and then proceed to "read" the image in the order that the artist lays out of you. This made me wonder about your experience of sequence. Was the book "easy" to read? Did you find some sections confusing? Do you know why? When did you have to go back and get more details?
JUXTAPOSITION: I love this word "juxtaposition." I remember the day I first learned it in my senior English class. In my own words, it means when you purposely put things side by side to create contrast. Turns out, according to McCloud, that juxtaposition is an important ingredient of a graphic novel. As the panels are laid out in a sequence, they create contrast. When we interpret this contrast, it helps us create meaning. This made me wonder about your experience of juxtaposition. When did images side by side help you understand the feelings, concerns, thoughts or ideas of the characters or the author?
EXAMPLE:
I am not sure how this happened but a poem sprung out of me today when I sat down to explain where all these terms (imagery, sequence and juxtaposition) were going when we discussed Essex County.
I found the image on a website that sells off the original work of graphic novelists. I hope reading the poem helps explain what I am writing about and why I find it interesting.
The Crows
It was the birds that got me the first time.
We had had crows on our farm. Always watching. And he included the crows. At times in extreme close-up, then in silhouette and then set into contrast with the vastness of the landscape. Tiny moments of life found and lost on the farm. ~AD |
NOW LET'S DISCUSS IT.....
Remember the online code of conduct from last week. This is completely public. Post at least 1 response to the question for each topic. Respond to at least 2 other people's posts. You may need to jump back and forth. Most importantly, if you find something confusing, say so. There is not such thing as stupid questions and I won't judge, so speak up!