Deconstructing Comics and Cartoons - Useful Terms

Comics and cartoons are a very popular part of the IB English curriculum. They allow
students to combine their discussion of image and text while analyzing a multimodal text.
Please note some aspects of film/photography analysis may also be applied to comic
frames when considering point of view, angle, and composition. Please refer to the film
terminology handout to see how the terms interact with each other.

KEY TERMS:

Panel: A distinct segment of the comic, containing a combination of image and text in
endless variety.

Panels offer a different experience than simply reading text:

● The spatial arrangement allows an immediate juxtaposition of the present
and the past.
● Unlike other visual media, transitions are instantaneous and direct but the
exact timing of the reader’s experience is determined by focus and reading
speed.

Frame: The lines and borders that contain the panels.

Gutter: This space between panels. Oftentimes, readers are forced to “read between the
lines” and speculate what happens in the gutter with respect to narrative structure.

Bleed: An image that extends to and/or beyond the edge of the page.

Foreground: The panel closest to the viewer.

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.
Placing an image off-center or near the top or bottom can be used to create visual tension
but using the midground permits the artist to create a more readily accepted image.

Background: Provides additional, subtextual information for the reader.

Graphic weight: 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.

● A pattern or repeated series of marks.

● Colors that are more brilliant or deeper than others on the page.

Negative space: The areas between and around objects. Areas that - if we notice them at
all - we tend to think of as empty.

Emanata: Lines and squiggles that emanate (originate) from a cartoon character or object
to indicate movement or any of a variety of states of being.

Punchline: Oftentimes the final line of the cartoon, this sentence or phrase is the lasting
joke or message that makes the reader smile/laugh. This line is often somewhat ironic and
cements the meaning of the cartoon.

Symbolism: An image or object that represents a larger and more abstract idea

Exaggeration: In cartoons, artists often stretch the truth, hyperbolize, and create
caricatures to emphasize key ideas or attributes with respect to the main claim.

Facial expressions: Faces can be portrayed in different ways. Some depict an actual
person, like a portrait; others are iconic, which means they are representative of an idea or
a group of people. Other points to observe about faces include: They can be dramatic
when placed against a detailed backdrop; a bright white face stands out. They can be
drawn without much expression or detail; this is called an “open blank” and it invites the
audience to imagine what the character is feeling without telling them.

Hands/Feet: The positioning of hands and feet can be used to express what is happening
in the story. For example, hands that are raised with palms out suggest surprise. The
wringing of hands suggests obsequiousness or discomfort. Hands over the mouth depict
fear, shame, or shyness. Turned in feet may denote embarrassment, while feet with motion
strokes can create the sense of panic, urgency, or speed.
Text Captions (caption boxes): These are boxes containing a variety of text elements,
including scenesetting, description, etc.

Speech bubble: These enclose dialogue and come from a specific speaker’s mouth; they
vary in size, shape, and layout and can alternate to depict a conversation. Types of speech
balloons include those holding:

● Internal dialogue or thought bubble: a thought enclosed by a balloon that has a

series of dots or bubbles going up to it.

● External dialogue, which is speech between characters.

Lettering: This is a method of drawing attention to text; it often highlights onomatopoeia

and reinforces the impact of words such as bang or wow.

Source: [Link]