'Understanding Comics' Chapter 4 Summary

The forth chapter of the Scott McCloud’s ‘Understanding Comics’ explains the unique combinations of time and space and time and motion within comics, and how they are able to be combined in a way that no other mediums can do.

Within the chapter McCloud explains altering the frames within comics or enhancing the images and words within them can lead to timelessness, 4th dimensional quality. The space presented can be extended and changed to direct the reader’s eye in a new fashion, leading to different perceptions of time to be met. Time can also be reflected with blurs (Similar to what’s seen it photos of fast moving objects), giving static images a sense of moving in time within the frame. This is in contrast to the previousness method of time moving around the images themselves

The concept of time hasn’t really been touched on too much within class. However I myself have overlooked this concept of time quite consistently in my own comic reading. I’ve always just read such movements in time within comics as a natural occurrence and have never actually acknowledged or realised the complexity behind their usage. I never realised how unique the timeframe within a single frame in a comic is in the world of art.

However one form of movement within art I am familiar with is Cubism

Cubism, like in the painting you see above, shows an object from many angles composed over one another (In this case, a person and their guitar). Although it may look like a mess (To some uncultured people anyway) it is in fact a vague representation of a still image in many different views, essentially giving it a sense of movement in time and space. However this sense of time is still not as powerful as comics. Cubism is almostly like a static 3D image while comic can actually show movement through time, which is more like a static scene of a film. For this reason it seems that comics can be seen as more powerful than any other art style in terms of power with time.

Overall, the presentation of time within comics is unique from any other medium and can be used to enhance the reading of comics greatly from an artistic and presentational standpoint.

'Understanding Comics' Chapter 3 Summary

The third chapter of the Scott McCloud’s ‘Understanding Comics’ explains how the spaces between frames in comics, know as the gutter, are a special element that only comics can capture and how their power over the reader is utilised with different techniques and in different cultures.

Within the chapter, McCloud outlines how the gutter allows the reader to paste together their own version of what happens between frames, ultimately immersing the reader deeper in the comic. And how throughout comics, different types of transitions between times and actions and the use of the gutter can effect the flow of the comics and the ultimately the way the reader interoperates the storyline. McCloud also explores the percentage of each kind of transitions used in Western and Eastern comic styles, showing how certain use of these transitions can reflect the country’s history of art and how their artists choose to tell their stories artistically.

The idea of the reader/viewer putting together their own version of a story without actually seeing everything is similar to what we discussed about the lack of a human pushing the lawnmower in the Cain Toad video.



We also looked at anime like 'Grave of the Fireflies' where animators will not animate certain sequences, rather having static images in frame and using sound to fashion the idea of whats happening in the background (This is also an effective way of cutting animation costs, and doesn't detract from the actual film itself). We don't see what happens but thanks to the sounds our minds are able to put together whats happening with closure and progress the story forward. Even in horror films, you may not see the fatal stab but you hear the scream or see blood splatter across the wall. Your mind judges how violent the attack from your past experiences and closure yet again allows directors to cut down on production cost (In a totally artistic fashion of course).

We automatically assume such things due to conditioning with situations before, enhancing our viewing experience in a similar way we can with comics. This, plus the contrasts and similarities between Western and Eastern styles and how they intend on affecting the viewer was also touched on in class when comparing the styles of Osamu Tezuka and early American cartoons.

Overall, McCloud aims to educate us on how a simple, unique addition only found in comics can enhance our reading experience exponentially and how different cultures and artists use this to various advantages.