Understanding Comics: Simplification and Imprinting

Understanding Comics was a very good read when it came to the basics of constructing a comic and its story. A lot of valid points were brought up, like how the simple design and stylization of a character can make a big difference on what it conveys to the reader. How words can virtually not be as important in comics as the sequential actions. Which relates well with our first book The Arrival. Many comparisons were made between animation and comics, and as a person who will apply into the comic book industry and used to animate before coming to college, the author is very correct in saying that they are not that different to a certain degree and very well go hand in hand. Another point the author made was how a simple drawing of what resembles a face can still recognized as what it is, a face.

One thing I thought was important was the author mentioning that in the situations of simplifying something, it makes it easier for the readers to imprint themselves on whatever is portrayed. To bring the subject into a modern observation, this is something I've noticed being practiced a lot recently in media such as gaming. An excellent example of this is in the game Undertale where the author, Toby Fox, created a character that didn't contain dialogue, you could create a name (your own if you wanted), and did not specify on a gender. While I will say that this is not new, something like this can make it easy for a person to see that character as themselves, which can either be good or bad. On one hand it makes the person more involved with their surroundings and the story, as well making it an entire personal experience; but on the other hand it can negatively promote narcissistic tendencies. However that is just my opinion, and nothing more.

The Arrival

When a story without words is told it makes it open to interoperation, of which mainly include dialogue, sounds in the environment, and the events taking place. This makes a graphic novel, like The Arrival unique in the aspect of what can be considered an uncommon form of telling a story in the modern age, using only visual communication. Through visual communication it makes it easy for almost all people to understand a story for the most part and what it is about and is as equally engaging as a comic with subtext or written dialogue. Most people would jump to an assumption that this isn’t possible, however, with sequential put into certain pages it makes it open for the reader to assume through the actions and movements that are taking place in the panels what is happening. 
Throughout history, before written text, stories were communicated by our ancestors, conveyed through verbally telling and passing on fables or through drawings. Later in the years, when writing became more common, it seemed like people almost forgot that a good story could definitely be delivered visually and can certainly do so on it’s own, as it did in The Arrival. Just like with writing a standard novel, creating a rich, active, and engaging environment can make a big impact on communicating a setting and the story. In the visual sense a lot of movement and the main point of focus is a valid part of trying to deliver a message and the actions taking place. These visual movements and main focuses can become open for the reader to interoperate. By telling a story visually and that alone, you need to be as detailed in the illustration being used to tell your story, and treat it how you would if it had written text or just been a novel.