Blog #2

The chapter I selected was chapter 8, "A Word About Color." The first key concept I focused on from this chapter was commerce. You need money to create comics with color, and they are more expensive than the standard black and white comics. Although comics do not have to have color included, it was found that readers preferred to read with color included. " Color comics hit the newspaper industry like an atomic bomb" (p. 187). The problem was that even though color was boosting sales overall, it was also boosting costs, so it "has historically been in the hands of larger, more conservative publishers" (p. 191). Another key aspect I focused on was the use and meaning color can portray within a comic. Color became an iconic power "because costume colors remained the exact same, panel after panel, they came to symbolize characters in the mind of the reader" (p. 188). Not only could color symbolize a character, but it could also give a character an identity. Certain colors were used to portray heroes, whereas other colors were used to portray super villains. Color also did much more than that, but also could convey an overall feeling or emotion or even put the setting in motion for the reader. By using certain colors, it can elicit the reader to experience a certain emotion. For example, if you use dark colors in a panel, you could convey the emotion of fear, but if you use lighter, softer colors, you could convey happiness or serenity.























This is an illustration from a "Little Red Riding Hood" book, and I chose this illustration solely for the little use of color within the image. Although we know this image was more expensive than a standard, black and white image, it was still cheaper than applying color to the entire image itself. I found this images use of color to be amazing. The use of color in Little Red Riding Hood elicited a strong response from the reader. It told us that she was in danger or something bad was going to happen within the story itself. Another place they used color, which was the same color used for Little Red Riding Hood's jacket, was in the words, which said, "she met the wolf." Because the colors match one another and the rest of the image, including the wolf, is either black or white, it tells us that there is something alarming going on in the story, and it makes the reader feel a sense of fear or urgency for Little Red Riding Hood.

I think McCloud's theories of color complicate my reading of images because I now know that not all comic book creators have the luxury of using color. Referring to the image above, if it would have been done in all black and white, I don't think it would have elicited the same response from the reader. It wouldn't have portrayed this sense of urgency as the colored image does here. It further complicates it because I think comics should be created with the use of color because it allows for the reader to have a deeper connection with the text, whereas McCloud thinks that although color has its perks, that black and white comics can and should have the same response. I just think that if a comic doesn't have color, it makes it harder for the reader to understand what is important in the panel, which makes me think that a black and white comic may need to add more dialogue to make sure the reader fully understands what is going on within the storyline.

Blog #1

Hello! I am Victoria Ballantine. I am a senior and will be graduating this may. My interests are painting, playing with my two rescued dogs, and reading books. My major is Psychology, and I don't have a minor. Psychology has made me specifically interested in children. I think it is extremely fascinating what children can be subjected to throughout life in unfortunate circumstances, and how it affects each one of them differently. The most interesting are the children of resiliency.

My current skill level with reading comics is moderate. I have read a graphic novel in high school for a project, and I have also read a graphic novel in my free time, and it was about the Holocaust. My observations are that it takes getting used to reading novels formatted this way, because at first, it may seem or feel a little confusing. Another observation I had was that the graphics can add much more meaning and feeling to the context of the novel.

I do not watch anime, and I am not familiar with visual novels. Quite honestly, I am not entirely sure what a "visual novel" means. I do play video games occasionally. I play Arcade Hockey, Call of Duty (Nazi Zombies), and all of the Mario games. The Mario games are my favorite because they are so simple and simply classic.

I don't have any preexisting attitudes or beliefs about readers who read graphic novels. I understand that there is a stereotype though, in which says that those who read comics are nerds or geeks with little to no social life. I don't believe this though, since I am none of those things and have read graphic novels before and found them to be interesting. They are an acquired taste that not everyone can understand. I don't consider myself a reader of these texts because I prefer to read long, non-fiction novels. They seem to grasp my attention much more easily than other novels have in the past.

I haven't read a graphic novel in a very long time, but are there barely any words in the book? If so, wouldn't we be able to read the graphic novel very quickly then? Also, for someone who hasn't read many graphic novels, what would you recommend for me to do to get used to the style and formatting? I am curious to learn a new reading style and explore different aspects of literature. I am also hoping to learn more about graphic novels in general, such as terms or the particular way they should be read. I anticipate that I will take away skills that will allow me to read graphic novels and capture the meaning behind the graphics and texts. I also will walk away with more general knowledge of the topic, since I have little to no knowledge about graphic novels at this point in my life.