A comic about comics. Genius, I think.

I mean, what better way to understand the art of comics than through a comic and this was well executed in ‘Blood in the Gutter’ which is an extract from ‘Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art’ by Scott McCloud. The reading creates focus on the importance of closure and how it plays a vital role when reading comics. Closure also very much depends on the reader’s faith. An example that the author uses is that in a box, we can’t see the characters legs, yet we assume that they are there. We can’t necessarily be shown every exact detail that is happening in a scene of a comic than you would in a movie, because the difference between the two is that movies are moving images and comics are fragmented still images that somehow link together to make sense.

As readers, we are unconsciously forced to participate in the unfolding story of a comic because of its arrangement. Graphic novels are separated yet pieced together by panels. It is the images inside the panels that determine how it will transition into the next one beyond the gap. The author mentions several transitions (moment-to-moment / action-to-action / subject-to-subject / scene-to-scene / aspect-to-aspect / non-sequitur), which will take far too long for me to individually explain (sincerest apologies, but do read this comic if ever you get the chance), used in comics to allow a continuous flow of the story.

We are actively participating in the narrative as the visual stimuli allow us to make assumptions of what is not shown inside the panels, and this is due to the power of ‘the gutter’, the name given to the space between each panel. The comic then discusses the differences between western and eastern culture comics, particularly American and Japanese comics, respectively. In the most simplest way to describe the difference between the two is that comics produced in western culture are more about getting to the destination, whereas those produced in eastern culture are more about being present in the destination. Hence, the latter is usually lengthier than the former.

As a side/concluding note, this comic about comics was a very engaging way to explain the significance of looking through the gaps, or better yet reading between the lines. Just be cautious when you choose to read between the lines in real life, i.e. ask before you assume.