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The vocabulary of comics consists of the many different techniques and images which comics artists will employ in order to convey a narrative within the medium of comics.
This vocabulary forms a language, variously identified as sequential art, graphic storytelling, pictorial stories, visual language or comics. Whilst scholars have yet to unite on a term to define the language, the communicative tools of that language have been formalised in works by authors such as Mort Walker, Will Eisner,and Scott McCloud.
Panels
Images are usually laid out within borders, known as panels.
The layout of the panels can be in a grid, Watchmen being notable for utilising a nine panel grid, of three rows and three columns. Occasionally Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons would use larger panels that broke the format of the grid to emphasise specific acts or points in the narrative.
Other techniques of representation used within comics are: the speech bubble; the thought balloon; the narrative box; and the style of lettering.
Panel frames
The border or edges of a panel, when drawn, are termed frames. These are normally of rectangular shape, but this shape can be altered to convey information to the reader. A cloud shaped panel can indicate a flashback or dream sequence, whilst one with a jagged edge can be used to convey anger or shock. A panel without a frame is used to convey space. The frame itself can be formed by the image, for example, a scene can be framed by a door frame or by binoculars.
Bleed
Full bleed is usually used on a comic book cover, and is when the art is allowed to run to the edge of each page, rather than having a white border around it. Bleeds are sometimes used on internal panels to create the illusion of space or emphasize action. This is more common in manga and in modern comics.
Splash page
A splash page, sometimes referred to simply as a splash, is a full page drawing in a comic book. A splash page is often used as the first page of a story, and includes the title and credits. Splashes that are not the first page of a story are sometimes called interior splash pages. Interior splashes may, or may not include titles and/or credits. A panel that is larger than others on the page is called a splash panel. A splash that appears across two pages of a comic book is called a two-page spread.
By analogy, a splash page of a web site is a sort of pre-home page front page, usually providing no real information besides perhaps a note about browser requirements and sometimes a web counter. Often this page is graphics-intensive and used only for reasons of branding; sometimes it provides a choice of entry points for the site proper, for instance links to Macromedia Flash and HTML-only versions of the site. The term splash screen is sometimes used interchangeably.
Speech balloon
- Main article: Speech balloon
The speech balloon, also known as a speech bubble, is a graphic used to assign ownership of dialogue to a particular character. Bubbles which represent an internal dialogue are referred to as thought balloons. The shape of the balloon will indicate the type of dialogue contained, with thought balloons being more cloud like and connected to the owner by a series of small bubbles. Speech bubbles are more elliptical, although those used to represent screaming or anger tend to be spiky, and square boxes have been used to represent dialogue spoken by robots or computers. Whispers are usually represented by balloons made up of broken lines.
Motion lines
- Main article: Motion lines
Motion lines, also known as speed lines, are lines that are used to represent motion.
Gutter
The gutter is the space between borders. Scott McCloud identified the gutter as one of the most important narrative tools in comics, invoking as it does a procedure McCloud defined as closure.
Emanata
Mort Walker defined the iconic representations used within comics and cartooning as emanata. Examples being the lightbulb above a character's head to indicate an idea, the indication of sleep by a saw cutting a log or a line of "zzzz", and the use of dotted lines to indicate a line of sight, with daggers being used instead of dotted lines to indicate an evil look.
Endnotes
"Comic book vocabulary"