Understanding Comics (Ch. 6 Show and Tell)

I found Scott McCloud’s chapter, “Show and Tell,” very interesting. I like that he started out with the young boy trying to describe his toy with words and not being able to really say what it was or how it worked. I’ve never been into reading comics, but I can appreciate their art of storytelling. Before reading this chapter, I assumed writing comics was simple. I didn’t realize that there are so many ways that words and pictures can work together. McCloud breaks up the different ways in to categories, which I find very helpful. I also liked his description of words and pictures acting like partners in a dance. He says, “Each one takes turns leading…when both partners try to lead, the competition can subvert the overall goals.”

To explain each category, I tried to find examples, or pictures, that would help illustrate my words. It was a lot harder finding an example of each than I thought it would be. Click on the pictures to make them larger.

1. Word specific: pictures illustrate but don’t significantly add to a largely complete text

I chose this comic because if you just looked at the pictures, you could come up with a different meaning than what you get from the text. After you read the text, though, the picture makes more sense.

2. Picture specific: words do little more than add a soundtrack to a visually told sequence

This comic is all about the pictures. The words really are the "soundtrack" to the action taking place.

3. Duo-Specific: both words and pictures send essentially the same message

You could just look at the pictures and grasp the message (and vice versa).

4. Additive: words amplify or elaborate on an image or vice versa

In this comic, the words aren't even necessary. You can get the message by just looking at the picture. The words are extra.

5. Parallel: words and pictures seem to follow very different courses without intersecting

This was the hardest example for me to find. It may be a stretch. I chose it because the text and the pictures don't really make sense together. The text and the picture seem to be two different stories.

6. Montage: words are treated as integral parts of the picture

I couldn't find a comic example for this, but the picture works for the whole idea of words being used to make up the picture.

7. Interdependent: words and pictures go hand in hand to convey an idea that neither could convey alone

The text and the pictures work together nicely. In this case, the text says more than the picture, so the picture is allowed to be more free.