Week 2: Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

Hi! This week, we read "Understanding Comics" by Scott McCloud. What a great read! It manages to impart all the necessary information painlessly, while being inspirational at the same time (if only studying is this fun!). The very last part about how far each comic enthusiasts are willing to pursue the art is a good reminder about how like in many things in life, substance is everything. It also makes me wonder if I will ever be able to reach far enough to make any significant contribution in the great scheme of things.

That being said, McCloud explained that comics use different types of transitions between panels. Those transitions are:

1) Moment-to-moment
2) Action-to-action
3) Subject-to-subject
4) Scene-to-scene
5) Aspect-to-aspect
6) Non-sequitur

This is cool, because I have always wondered why Japanese manga and American comics felt so different, for reasons other than their art style. Turns out that the Japanese use more aspect-to-aspect transition, establishing the mood and atmosphere of the set, which often reflect the characters' state of mind. It is like breathing the air that the characters are breathing (Am I making any sense here? I guess not). On the other hand, action-to-action is more common in mainstream American comics. Not that it is a bad thing, but sometimes, I just want some room to breathe and not be bombarded by constant stream of dialogues and actions.

While being on the subject of aspect-to-aspect panel transitions, one of my favorite manga artists, Kiyohiko Kazuma (he did Yotsuba to! and Azumanga Daioh) did a wonderful job in portraying the mood and atmosphere of suburban Japan from the point of view of a child:

It is lacking in sound effects and colors, yet I can hear the tricking of the raindrops as they hit the concrete road, ceramic roof, and glass. Did you hear those grey clouds rumbling in the distance? Also, have you ever pressed your cheek against the cool, dry side of the windows' glass as the rain hits it from outside? I sure did........how nostalgic! Aspect-to-aspect transition can trigger powerful evocative memories, or immerse us, readers, into the wonderful world of sequential images.