Telling my story

After reflections and discussions with Tom and Joanne, I found the best and simplest way to sum up my research. I want to look into comic book narrative and how computers have democratised access to all to tell their story in comic book form.

Most of the web-comics out on the internet right now which are successful are by self taught people. Artists who have managed to get hold of a graphics tablet and a software to draw on. But that's not all that's needed from these self taught comic book artists: it's the art of designing a comic book narration.

Comic books are a whole bunch of different design styles all squeezed on a page. Design is involved throughout each step of the creative process. Comic books have very particular reading rules, because when one opens a comic book, you can see the whole narrative of a double page spread in a glance, and a successful comic book design should allow the reader to follow the plot in a way which can be read using shear logic. Good comic book design lets no ambiguity in the order of reading, in the way of reading and in the method of interpretation.

The message is in itself something completely different from the design, although a good message will be enhanced by good design and vice-versa. The comic book design start with the page layout, then goes to the square by square correlation between the images on the page in the grid layout. The interaction of each square with another is essential. Then inside each square a narrative of its own take place which involves designing efficiently the image, text and balloon layout so that the story can be read easily. The placement of the speech balloons is somewhat of a design art in itself because it has to take into consideration reading rules: in the English language (for example) we read from left to right, then from top to bottom, therefore a logical layout has to be made considering this and also allowing the narration to be in the logical place.

Now computers have allowed anyone to make comic books even if the computer is only used as a publishing medium. Anyone can publish there web-comics online. Also good design is necessary if one wants to be able to be read.