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The Anatomy of a Comic Book |
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Written by Jeffery Stevenson
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Tuesday, 21 December 2004 |
Ahh, anatomy. In the warrior's path, a basic knowledge of anatomy is
important for strategy, tactics, and even tending to your allies. If
you wanted to slow down your enemy's troops, you'd probably want to
target their feet and not their hands. When fighting an enemy soldier,
attacking their pinky will probably not be as effective as going after
larger areas with lots of vital organs. If an ally breaks a leg or an
arm, it helps to know that there's a bone in there that needs to be
reinforced with some kind of splint.
Well, we're not going to dive into human anatomy in this article (we'll
let the artists have their fun with that). This article will break down
the various elements found within a comic book story. We'll discuss the
following categories of elements:
- Pages
- Panels
- Word Balloons
- Captions
- Dialogue
- Sound Effects
- Characters
- Props
- Backgrounds
- Lighting
- Special Effects
- Colors
So, let's get started dissecting the physical structure of a comic book and see what's inside.
Pages
Description: Besides the entire book itself, the largest
physical division of a comic book is the page. A page in a comic book
is a lot more restrictive than most other books. In a novel, you can
just keep writing and let all the pages run over onto the next page,
and when you get to the end of a chapter, you can just leave some white
space and jump to the next page to kick off the next chapter. In a
comic, your story will wind up being broken down by pages that will
contain specific panels, dialogue, characters, etc.
Representation in comic scripts: Referred to by PAGE ??? (where ??? is a number--ONE, TWO, etc).
Variations:
- Double-page spread - Two side-by-side pages that are utilized
for a single, large piece of artwork (essentially, a single panel
stretched out to the size of two comic book pages).
- Splash/Full Page Shot - A page utilized for a single, large piece
of artwork (a single panel stretch to fill one comic book page).
Panels
Description: Panels are your windows into the comic story. They
are the a moment in time captured to give you an idea of what's going
on. A panel could be really small, it could take up most of a page, it
could take up a full page, or even span two pages. All of the
information for your comic story will generally be arranged within some
type of a panel.
Representation in comic scripts: PANEL ??? (where ??? is the
number of the panel) is used for many scripts, but a simple number can
also be used to represent a panel as well (1-, 2-, 3-, etc). Other
terms used by comic scripters to represent a panel are FRAME and PIC.
If a script doesn't do panel breakdowns, all the panels are usually
rolled into a prose-like description of all the actions on the page and
usually referred to as "plot style" or "Marvel style" (even though
Marvel mostly uses the full script format these days).
Variations:
- Horizontal - A panel that is wider than it is tall (a panel that's stretched horizontally).
- Full-width/Widescreen - A horizontal panel that stretches all the
way across a page. These are generally used for various cinematic
(widescreen) effects like zooming in and out, panning, or encircling a
stationary object/person.
- Vertical - A panel that is taller than it is wide (stretched
vertically). These are often used to give the art within the panel a
greater sense of height.
- Flashback - Panels that represent a scene from the
past...basically, a replay. Flashback panels can be represented in
different ways, but some common techniques are to use color to "fade"
the panel or to wash the contents of a panel with a specific color to
set it off from the normal panels).
- Thought - This is a panel with a cloud-like border that's used to
convey the contents of that panel as a thought from a character.
- Open - A panel with no distinct border. This gives the panel a feeling of space and openness.
- Jagged - A panel with jagged lines for its border. Often used to represent something explosive or volatile.
- Artistic - I wasn't really sure what to call this one, so I settled
on "artistic." It's a panel that incorporates the artwork from the
scene to create its border (example: a window where the contents of the
panel are inside the frame of the window).
Word Balloons
Description: Oval balloon-like objects floating around the page
that contain spoken dialogue (and occasionally thoughts) from
characters or props. It consists of two parts--the balloon that holds
the dialogue and the tail that points to the character or objects
speaking.
Representation in comic scripts: Generally, a word balloon is the result of character dialogue specified in the script. So, it would usually look like this:
JOHN: ???
...where ??? is the dialogue that goes insie a word balloon that points
to JOHN. Variations in word balloons (listed below) usually get placed
in parentheticals after the name like JOHN(thought): ???, and they
affect the overall look of the balloon.
Variations:
- OP - This term represents a balloon whose tail points to a character "off-panel."
- Thought - A balloon with a cloud-like outline to it that's used to represent a character's thoughts.
- Whisper - A balloon used to represent quiet speech. Usually represented by a balloon with a dashed outline to it.
- Burst - I've actually seen different meanings for a "burst"
balloon. One is for loud dialogue (like a shout or a "Crazy Eddy's
Bargain Bedding" loud, annoying advertising voice) and is usually
represented by outlining the balloon with jagged edges (like a jagged
panel). I usually refer to these as "jagged" balloons in my scripts
(but they are also referred to as bursts by some people). It can also
represent a balloon whose tail looks like it "bursts" through an
object. This is used with dialogue that is spoken through an object
(examples: character talking on the other side of a closed door,
character speaking from inside a locked trunk).
- Jagged - See "Burst."
- Electric - A balloon that represents sound from a radio or
television (or communication from electronic devices in general).
Usually represented with a lightning bolt for a tail (and most of the
time, it uses more of a rectangular balloon to give it more of a techie
feel).
- Wavy - A balloon that represents dialogue from a character in a
weakened or sickly state. Depending on the state of the character
speaking, it could just be the tail represented by wavy lines, or the
outline of the balloon could be made wavy to express an even worse
condition for the character.
- Connected - Two or more balloons from a single character in a panel
that are connected via a tail. Used to help emphasize a small pause in
the dialogue from that character.
- Not connected - Two or more balloons from a single character in a
panel that are not connected to each other (each has their own separate
tails). Often used to emphasize a change in subject by the character.
- Broken - Two balloons connected by a "broken" tail (a tail that's been cut off in some way). Used to represent a broken speech.
Also note, that certain characters can have specialized word balloons
(unique balloons that set the character off as if they had a inhuman
voice...like demons and deities). These should be represented in the
character descriptions, talked over with the letterer, or mentioned in
a note at the top of the page when the character is first introduced in
the script.
Captions
Description: Captions are the (mostly) rectangular boxes that
contain narration, assorted dialogues, and text from various sources
like computers, notebooks, books, and papers. They're used in lots of
different ways. For example, some captions provide additional
information to the story, some relay a character's comments from a
different time/place than what's pictured in the panel, and some just
reveal the character's thoughts (a method considered by some as
"cleaner" than doing thought balloons).
Representation in comic scripts: CAPTION, CAP, NARRATION, NARR.
If the narration belongs to a specific character, the caption box
should be referenced with the character's name like CAP/JOHN. This
helps the letterer easily locate any caption boxes that need to be
created differently (to stand out from the rest, so readers can more
easily identify captions from different character).
Variations: Standard omniscient narration boxes should maintain
a consistent look throughout the comic, so there's not much variation
there. Caption boxes used to represent computer text, notebook
scribbles, and such will have a different appearance on the comic page
and should be identified in the script. Parentheticals can work for
this as well: CAP(computer) or CAP(diary). As mentioned previously,
caption boxes for different characters will generally have a different
appearance, so readers can easily distinguish captions from the various
characters.
Dialogue
Description: Dialogue refers to the words that actually fill the
word balloons and captions...the dialogue between characters or the
dialogue between the narrator and the reader.
Representation in comic scripts: There's no real terminology for
dialogue. It generally follows the panel description and is located
after the character name (JOHN: ???) or the caption description
(CAP/JOHN: ???).
Variations:
- Loud/yell/shout - Loud dialogue represents shouting, yelling,
or raising your voice. It's usually portrayed by using a larger font
size for the dialogue.
- Soft/quiet - This dialogue represents a quieter tone for whispering
or mumbling. It's usually represented by a smaller font size.
- Emphasized words - Some words need emphasis to capture a simulated inflection for the character's "voice." "This is the most
important part." These words must visually stand out to the letterer
amongst all the rest of the dialogue, so underlining the dialogue helps
with that.
Sound Effects (SFX)
Description: Sound effects represent different sounds throughout
the comic. They're used to help give a little more depth to the comic
by giving visual cues for sounds that could be heard in an environment
but aren't spoken.
Representation in comic scripts: SFX: ??? (where ??? is the
actual sound effect that will show up in the panel...like WHAM, KABOOM,
KRAK, etc). Occasionally, special instructions can be placed in
parentheticals to give the letterer a better idea of what you're going
for...especially useful for when you have sound effects coming from
multiple objects in a single panel.
SFX(from shotgun): CHA-THOOM
SFX(from MP-5): BRRRAP BRRAAP
Characters
Description: Characters represent the people, creatures, and
animated objects taking action in the comic. Action can be sitting,
talking, walking, running, fighting, etc. Characters do stuff...yep,
that's what they do.
Representation in comic scripts: Most of the time, a character
is referenced by their name. JOHN, LOBO, FATHER DUNCAN, etc. In the
case of "extras" in the script (generic characters that won't be
playing a recurring role in the story), it's easier to refer to them in
generic terms. THUG #1, MAN IN AUDIENCE, BUS DRIVER, etc. If it's an
essential character, you should always refer to them by their
name...even if you want their identity obscured for a later reveal.
"Behind JOHN, a dark SILHOUETTE emerges from the alleyway." How would
the image the artist draws change if the silhouette was a man or a
woman? If it was Dragon-man or Howard the Duck? Yes, artists are smart
enough to scan ahead in the pages to find out who it is, but you can
make it easier on them by just telling them right there (and
emphasizing that they're hidden). "Behind JOHN, a dark silhouette
(CONAN hidden amongst the shadows) emerges from the alleyway."
Props
Description: Props are all the distinctive objects in the comic.
The king's ornate throne, the police cruiser, the battleship, the
toaster, the book, the Pancor Jackhammer, the television, etc.
Representation in comic scripts: Props are simply mentioned by
name or described in the panel description (or page description for
plot style). Some props can be mentioned by name for dialogue or
referenced in the parentheticals for sound effects.
RADIO(electric): And the weather today will suck. Stay at home.
SFX(from bomb): tick tick tick
Backgrounds
Description: Well, stories usually have to take place somewhere.
The backgrounds in a comic help immerse the reader in these different
locales. New York City, The Hideout Bar, Middle Earth, a Star Destroyer
in a far off galaxy, run-down farm in the middle of nowhere, etc.
Timing can also make a difference with backgrounds. New England in fall
or Greenland in winter. Rome in ancient times or Los Angeles in the
future.
Representation in comic scripts: Backgrounds and setting are
described in panel descriptions (or the page for plot style). Some
writers like to use the screenplay style scene heading where it lays
out the setting for you (INT. THRONE ROOM OF UDROGOTH -- DAY). Usually,
it's fine to mention a description for the setting once, and not
mention it again until the setting changes.
Lighting
Description: Does this part of the story take place during the
day or at night? Twilight or dusk? Indoors with fluorescent lights or
in a cave lit by the occasional torch? Lighting impacts the visuals of
the scene as well as the mood of the story.
Representation in comic scripts: Unless you're going for a
specific visual, it's easiest to just mention whether it's day or night
and not mention it again until it changes. Most descriptions for the
setting/background will assume a certain type of lighting (an office
building would have a certain type of lighting and a fancy French
restaurant would have a different kind of lighting).
Special Effects
Description: These are visual effects depicted on the page.
Glowing hands, magical auras, flaming tennis balls, explosions,
lightning, "Kirby Krackle," etc.
Representation in comic scripts: Like characters, props, backgrounds, and lighting, special effects are a part of the panel description.
Colors
Description: Colors are the bright, flashy stuff placed on top of the black lines to make them look super-spiffy.
Representation in comic scripts: If the colorist has a good
character guide to work from and good descriptions for backgrounds and
lighting in the script, color doesn't even really need to be mentioned
except in special cases. If the villain's aura just changed from yellow
to red, you should probably mention it. If a character's lips start
turning blue from the onset of an allergic reaction, the colorist
should probably be made aware of this.
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And that's it. I'm sure there might be a few things I overlooked (and
I'll edit those into the article as I learn about them), but this gives
a good overview of the majority of elements you'll find in a comic
book. It's knowledge that will help with understanding what kind of
information your team will need to know to get their jobs done for the
comic. And guess who provides them with most of that information?
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