Elements and analysis of the Visual Sequential Text
CARTOON / COMICS / GRAPHIC NOVEL
SIMILARITIES
All three have similar formal elements
 All three forms of visual sequential art with a
narrative thread or a theme – That appeal to
both the realms of our identity and awareness
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 The
Sensual (Our senses) – Physical world
 The Conceptual (The world within): Example:
Inanimate objects may possess separate identitiesif a car speaks or a stuffed toy speaks it would not be
out of place
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Identify both realms in the analysis to discuss
them.
FORMAL ELEMENTS
Frame (the lines and borders that contain the panels)
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Written codes - upper case, lower case, Font, Speech
bubbles
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Special effects lettering
Emotions through lettering
Technical codes - layout, sequencing, framing, angle, lines,
shape
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Color - affects the reader’s experience.
Graphic weight – contrast in an icon/panel.
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Degree or intensity of colour and its effect
Camera angles
Symbolic codes [Emanata] - colours, objects, body
language, clothing, setting
PANEL AND ICON

Normal panel – Borderless panel – Splashes
and Bleeds
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Icon :

Effects of panels
 Normal
panel - One single idea
 Splash – Two or more panels clubbed – run on
ideas
 Bleed –
The panel goes beyond the page Emphasis on a Single idea
THE PASSAGE OF TIME – TRANSITION
THE PROCESS OF CLOSURE
 Moment
to Moment transition – Linear
order
 Action
to action – Single subject in a
distinct action to action progression
THE PASSAGE OF TIME – TRANSITION
THE PROCESS OF CLOSURE
 Subject to subject – Idea to idea – Extended
reader involvement

Scene to scene – Deductive reasoning is
involved - transitions in place and time
THE PASSAGE OF TIME – TRANSITION
THE PROCESS OF CLOSURE
 Aspect
to aspect – Wandering eye effect
– different aspects of a place , idea or
mood
 Non
sequitor – NO logical relationship
between panels
whatsoever
POSITIONING OF THE ICONS

Foreground - If the subject seems closer to
the reader, in the front of the scene
depicted, it stands in the ‘foreground’.
POSITIONING OF THE ICONS

Midground - If the subject stands in the middle
of the scene that is depicted, then it is in the
midground. Allows centering of image by
using natural resting place for vision. The
artist deliberately decides to place the image
where a viewer would be most likely to look
first.
POSITIONING OF THE ICONS

Off centre : Not in the positions stated
above. Placing a subject off-centre can also
be used to create visual tension.
POSITIONING OF THE ICONS
Background - The objects in the background
(not usually the subject) help add contextual
/subtextual information for the reader
GRAPHIC WEIGHT

Graphic weight–contrast in an icon/panel.
Degree or intensity of colour and its effect : A term
that describes the way some images draw the eye
more than others,
 creating a definite focus using color and shading in
various ways including:

The use of light and dark shades; dark-toned
images or high-contrast images draw the eye
more than light or low-contrast images do
 A pattern or repeated series of marks
 Colors that are more brilliant or deeper than
others on the page

THE DIFFERENCE - WHAT IS A CARTOON?
 Single
panelled, simplified line drawing
encasing a comprehensive idea – either
critical, satirical or simply humorous
Sequential visual art
 Simple line drawings – Iconic characters
– Simple style - objective - universal
appeal –
 The reader identifies himself with the
cartoon
COMICS
Comic Strip : A series of sequential visual
art with multiple panels that tells a story –
humorous, with content that appeals to a
younger audience [ Garfield, Archie ]
 Comics : Serialized, episodic collection of
comic strips with the themes of adventure,
fantasy, mythology , Romance etc. - that
appeal to the younger audience – Ex. Marvel
comics

GRAPHIC NOVEL
Mature, complex content - deliberately try to
dissociate themselves with comics that have a
juvenile content.
 One single story neither serialised nor episodic
 Audience : Adults (mostly who are enamoured
by the comic form)
 Themes : serious themes which have a deeper
impact on a community – call for a change or
illustration of an issue
 Example : Persepolis – Issues of marginalised
women, Growing up during Islamic revolution
 Maus : Holocaust experiences

PERSEPOLIS
PERSEPOLIS
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Use of Graphic weight with contrasting white and blackeffect- related to the themes- juxtaposition of innocent
confused children and devout fanatic Muslims
Depiction of figures- icons
Use of emanata
Voice over, Direct speech and indirect narration
Use of white background and the shots in the
foreground
Loud speakers abnormally large
Transitions- subject to subject, non-sequitor
CARTOON CONVENTIONS:
- Panel (refers to the framed image)
- Splash (a kind of panel that spans the width of the page)
- Voice over (refers to the hard line where the narrator can speak to the reader)
- Speech bubble
- Emanata (refers to the teardrops, sweat drops, question marks, or motion lines)
- Gutter (refers to the space between panels)
- Irony
- Exaggeration
- Minor details
- Imagery
- Analogy
- Shape of text (bubbles)
- Symbolism
- Labelling
- Main focus
- Stereotypes
- Use of words
- Target audience
- Bias
- Tone
- Perspective
- Context