What Are Comics? Building A Workable Definition

A Power Point based on the first part of my lecture from the first day of my summer class on comic books.

1. What Are Comics?
Building a Workable Definition
June 15, 2010

2. "Comics are a way of creating a universe and
populating it with characters using a secret code
that works in the simplest and most direct way
possible to enter the 'reader's' brain... series of
little pictures and groups of words arranged in a
rhythmic pattern to create and activate a world
inside us."
- James Kochalka, The Horrible Truth About Comics

3. Comics are
a medium,
not a genre.

4.   medium n. a mode of artistic
expression or communication
  genre n. a category of artistic,
musical, or literary composition
characterized by a particular
style, form, or content

5. Comics are a form of
storytelling, like song,
film, or short story, not a
type of story to be told.
(In other words, there's more to
comics than superheroes.)

6. Comics are an integration of images and words,
visual art and storytelling.

7. "The medium we call comics is based on a simple
idea: the idea of placing one picture after another
to show the passage of time... Comics is a
language. Its vocabulary is the full range of visual
symbols."
- Scott McCloud, Reinventing Comics

8. Note: Mr.McCloud
has since altered
his remarks to
include one panel
comics as well.

9. Comics:
A static image or series of static
images, most commonly drawn,
and often incorporating text, depicting
the passage of time for a narrative
or other informational purpose.

10. Let's break it down...
A static image or
series of
static images...
One or more non-
moving images...

11. ...most commonly drawn, and often incorporating text...
...while comics can be done in a number of visual media, the majority are
illustrated; also, while most comics rely on some for of text in order to
present part of its information, some are purely visual...

12. ...depicting the passage of time...

13. ...for a narrative or other informational purpose.
... in order to tell a story or provide another form of information.

14. But most importantly...

15. Comics are a
form of
storytelling, like
song,
film, or short
story, not a
type of story to
be told.
(In other words, there's more to
comics than superheroes.)
INTENT!

16. Just because an image falls under the
previously prescribed criteria does not make
it a comic. The intent of creation is as vital in
comic work as in any other form of art.
Not a Comic: Comic:

17. Now that we know 
what comics are,
let's get started on
making our own!