Calling All Superheroes TAG Seminar Dr. Gingrich

Digital Comics Analysis Activity

1. Go to one of the following sites

http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/novels/novels_library.shtml?novel=9

http://www.marvel.com/digitalcomics/free/

2. Read two comics on-line ( you can do one from each site or two from the same site)

• If you select marvel click on comic you want to read

It will let your read two or three pages then it will prompt you to register which you can do for free. Provide an email create a user name and a password (wait until you have four orange lines at the bottom right hand side of he page before you begin). If you do not want to register you can just look at the first 3 or 4 pages of 4 different comics. You may only view the free comics of which there are 250 different ones.

Navigate between pages—go slow pages take several minutes to download because we do not have very fast internet access at school (wait until you have 10 or so orange lines at the bottom of the page before you begin). By using the navigation bars or the right and left arrows on the keyboard you can move between pages.

At the upper right hand corner you can decide whether you want –two page panel which allows you to see the entire scene at once—one page panels which are easier to read—or smart panels which allow you to interact with the pages.

You can also select the type of transition you want to make.

Explain how the following are used in your comic—write out an explanation for you and your partner. I will collect this. You should write assignment 2 at the top. Describe and discuss how each of the components adds to the narrative and your enjoyment/interest of the comic. You should do this for two different comics. II. Parts of the panel Dialogue —characters talking to one another Narrative —characters, illustrator, or a narrator talking directly to the audience Characters —how are they drawn, how do they appear Background setting —what is it like, what mood does it create Actions —what happens—how is this action portrayed Colors —what are the colors in the panels? Why did they select these particular colors? How do they add to the mood of the setting and character? Perspective —what tends to be the central object in the frame? From whose view do we see events?

II. Transitions—how they move from frame to frame Moment to moment—second by second based on chronology exactly as it would occur Action to action---i.e first frame Spiderman crouches in a shooting position second frame Spiderman shoots a web bullet Subject to subject i.e. first frame Batman talking second frame the Joker talking Scene to scene ---first frame Spiderman's uncle is murdered second frame the funeral Analyze the transitions that the comic uses. •  Does the comic use all of these types? •  Which ones are used more often? •  How does each type of transition add to the impact of the story in the comic?