Oct. 20

Today’s reading, again a comic sketch by author McCloud, continued to tell readers about how to properly create a successful comic strip.  A big part of this reading was about the idea of choice.  McCloud attempts to convince readers that a comic sketch is really nothing more than a series of decisions.  These decisions create the flow in a comic.  Within this topic, he represents this concept by showing different ways to generate a story line.  He says one way is to have a big idea in your head and carefully plan out each frame and void space.  He says another is to create one frame in its entirety, finish it, and then start this process over on the next.  Either way, flow is represented by the choices represented in the frames themselves and the spaces between.  This idea of choice goes further than just which frames to show, it is constant throughout the entire sketch.  This is represented down to, again, how a given scene is represented.

            This set of readings is extremely interesting in terms of representation.  The fact that the author is attempting to teach viewers how to successfully create a comic, and on a larger scale how to generate and compose a set of ideas, through comic as a medium is fascinating.  In addition, I think it is very effective as he can show that his principals actually work through the successfulness of this particular comic.  On a more specific note, it is interesting how McCloud shows the concept of idea manifestation.  He argues that not only the individual scenes and their make up are important, but similarly are their intentions.  Representing emotion is critical to the success of a comic.

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