Relevant Content Standard - Students will read and comprehend stories that modern writers have adapted into comic strips.
According to Wikipedia.org, a comic strip is defined as a sequence of cartoons arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor and/or to form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. This description gives us just about all of the characteristics that distinguish comic strips from other literary forms of entertainment. These characteristics and others will be discussed in this post. They include the following:
• A literary narrative with elements such as characters, setting, point of view, conflict/problem, theme, and mood,
• A sequence of cartoons as a storyline arranged in interrelated panels,
• Dialogue in the storyline between characters,
• Text in balloons/bubbles,
• Simple artwork and colorful appearance,
• A humorous narrative,
• Text in captions.
1. Narrative or Storyline
Comic strips include narratives and storylines. They are a type of medium for stories which include related events or experiences displayed visually with artwork as cartoons in panels. The narratives of comic strips appeal to a wide variety of readers. The cartoons, characters, and humor appeal to readers of all ages and to those with a wide variety of interests. Comic strips focus on everyday life, politics and social issues, business and office culture, and many focus on what can be considered the mundane absurdities in life. We know from middle school English and Language Arts classes that good stories or narratives usually include certain elements such as characters, settings, a narrator who oftentimes conveys a point of view, conflicts or problems, themes, and moods. Comic strips can be classified as a type of literature, so good comic strips include these elements of literature.
There are many fictional literary characters who were originally created as comic strip characters. One example is Popeye the Sailor Man. Popeye first appeared on January 17, 1929. The character was created by Elzie Crisler Segar in a Thimble Theater comic strip. However, the comic strip had been running in King Features Syndicate since December 19, 1919. This means that the comic strip was being published for 10 years when Popeye made his debut, but the one-eyed sailor quickly became the lead character in the strip. Thimble Theatre became one of King Features' most popular properties during the 1930s with other characters such as Olive Oyl, Popeye’s adopted son Swee'Pea, his friend J. Wellington Wimpy, and Bluto as the antagonist.
2. Dialogue between characters
Narratives that include dialogue between characters in comic strips is often shown through the use of text balloons and bubbles. It is also shown through the use of captions. Dialogue refers to the words spoken by the characters in a story. It helps us understand what's happening in the story. It also helps us to get to know the characters, to learn about how they are related or connected to each other, and about their unique personalities. The Boondocks comic strip, originally created and drawn by Aaron McGruder, features Huey and Riley Freeman, two brothers who have moved from the west side of Chicago to the fictional suburb of Woodcrest in Maryland. They live with their grandfather, who is a firm disciplinarian, World War II veteran, and former civil rights activist. Through their dialogue we learn that Huey is a politically perceptive devotee of racially Black radical ideas of the past. His younger brother Riley, on the other hand, is enamored of gangsta rap culture and the "thug"/bling-bling lifestyle. A popular and notably controversial strip, The Boondocks was rejected by six syndicates before it was finally picked up. Many of the syndicates felt that it was "too edgy."
3. Panels – single and multi-panel comic strips
A panel in a comic strip is defined as an individual frame or drawing that makes up a comic strip, comic book or graphic novel. They serve as snapshots of the story and can capture action, dialogue, and expression. The arrangement of panels affects how readers interpret the flow of time and the narrative. Panels can be square, rectangular, or any shape, and may or may not have borders. A single panel comic strip is a comic strip with only one panel whereas a multi-panel comic strip has more than one panel. Examples of single panel comic strips are Grin and Bear It, The Family Circus, and Dennis the Menace. Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written, and illustrated by Hank Ketcham. The comic strip usually runs for a single panel on weekdays and a full strip on Sundays.
Most comic strips are considered multi-panel strips. An example of a multi-panel strip is the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz, which features Charlie Brown as the main character.
4. Text balloons and bubbles
One of the most recognizable characteristics of comic strips are the text balloons and bubbles that are used for the dialogue between characters. Speech balloons and bubbles or text/comment balloons are graphic conventions used most commonly in comic strips, comic books, and cartoons to allow words, thoughts and even pictures to be understood as representing a character's speech or thoughts. Usually a speech balloon looks different from a thought balloon so that the reader understands that the text in the balloon was either spoken out loud by a character or simply thought about in his/her mind. In the following picture, the woman is shown with a speech balloon, and we understand that she speaks the words in the balloon out loud.
However, the man in the following picture is shown with a thought bubble. We understand that the words in the thought bubble are what he is thinking in his mind. It graphically shows that he did not speak those words out loud.
The design of text balloons and bubbles can also be drawn to show emotion as int the following picture. The man speaks the words in the text balloon out loud with great emotion, which is indicated by the appearance of the balloon. The words and the exclamation point are also consistent with how the text balloon looks.
However, the text balloon in the following picture conveys calmer, less emotional comment by the character.
Text balloons and bubbles can be drawn in many different shapes and sizes. The following picture shows an example of a text balloon in a rectangular shape.
Text balloons and bubbles are also used in comic strips to convey visual and sound effects. The superhero comics include examples of these kinds of balloons and bubbles that commonly include the words Pow!, Kapow!, Boom!, and Splat! You can think of these kinds of balloons as visual images of extreme sound effects.
The following multi-panel Peanuts comic strip shows the difference in speech balloons and thought balloons. In the strip, Snoopy is shown laughing at something that he looked at on the paper. Charlie Brown makes a comment about it out loud, and then Snoopy thinks of a responding comment in his mind. Since Snoopy is a non-talking Beagle dog character, only his thoughts are conveyed to the reader with a thought cloud.
5. Simple artwork and colorful appearance
The artwork and drawings in comic strips varies from simple line drawings and stick figures to high quality works of art that can be featured in art galleries and museums. The style and quality of the drawings and paintings in comic strip panels are unique to the artist and in many cases, are minimalist images to convey the messages and the humor of the text. Dilbert is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Scott Adams, first published on April 16, 1989. It is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micro-managed office with engineer Dilbert as the title character. Adamas has commented on the simple artwork he has used to make the drawings for the strip.
Comic strips are also drawn and painted with unique color combinations and make use of color to help convey the message, theme and mood of the strip. Some comic strips are drawn with mostly white or bright backgrounds to convey happiness, joy, and humor, and when there is a focus on activity that happens during the day. Others are drawn with gray or dark backgrounds to allude to nighttime activity and dark themes and moods. Garfield is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis. Originally published locally as Jon in 1976 (later changed to Garfield in 1977), it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, Odie the dog, and their owner Jon Arbuckle. Garfield is an obese orange tabby cat who is lazy, sarcastic, and loves to eat lasagna. Jon's other pet is Odie, a dim-witted yellow dog. Most strips center around interactions among the three characters' conflicting personalities. The colorful backgrounds of the Garfield strips convey the humor and simplicity of life at home with Garfield and his “family.”
6. Humor
Comic strips are also known as “the funnies” because they are mostly written to make people laugh. They are purposely written to entertain in a comedic and humorous way. They may contain satire in which cultural norms and the common flaws of individuals are humorously mocked and ridiculed, adult humor which can include foul language and sexual innuendos, and dark humor, which refers to humor that is humor that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo or serious such as death, violence, and suffering. Comic strips are like cartoons in this way as they may also include gags which are defined as comedic ideas intended to provoke laughter. A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. An example of a well-known running gag is when Charlie Brown trusts Lucy to hold the football for hm while he tries to kick it. He then misses kicking the football because Lucy takes it away at the last minute.
7. Text in captions
Comic strip writers sometimes use captions to narrate the story and to let the readers know what is happening in the drawing or the picture. The caption can explain what is happening in the drawing, it can show what the characters say to one another, and/or it can show what they are thinking. Captions are usually used for single-panel comic strips and the text is most often written in a rectangular box below and separate from the rest of the panel. The Family Circus is a single-panel comic strip that uses captions. Most of the Dennis the Menace comic strips are also single-panel comic strips that use captions. The Family Circus is a syndicated comic strip created by cartoonist Bil Keane and, since Keane's death in 2011, written, inked and rendered (colored) by his son Jeff Keane. The strip generally uses a single captioned panel with a round border, hence the original name of the series. The series debuted February 29, 1960, and has been in continuous production ever since. According to publisher King Features Syndicate, it is the most widely syndicated cartoon panel in the world.
Other Types of Comic Strips
There are many different types of comic strips. Ther are superhero comic strips such as Batman and Robin, The Flash, and Wonder Woman. There are lots of comic strips that feature adults as characters (not just children), and have adult themes such as Hagar the Horrible. There are comic strips that focus on politics and social issues such as Doonesbury and The Boondocks. There are also soap opera comic strips such as Mary Worth. Examples of these are shown below.
Comic strips with adult characters
Hägar the Horrible is the title and main character of an American comic strip created by cartoonist Dik Browne and syndicated by King Features Syndicate. It first appeared on February 4, 1973. The strip is set in the Middle Ages in an unnamed coastal village somewhere in Norway. Hagar (pronounced HAY-gar) is a shaggy, scruffy, overweight, red-bearded Viking of Norwegian lineage who regularly raids England, and sometimes France. The strip is a caricature commenting on modern-day life in the United States through a loose interpretation of Viking Age Scandinavian life.
Comic strips that focus on politics and social issues
Soap opera style comic strips
A soap opera style comic strip is a dramatic strip that follows a set of characters through various emotional and personal storylines. These strips are often characterized by their sentimental and often melodramatic elements. They are a form of entertainment that combines storytelling with visual appeal, making them a popular choice for readers who enjoy dramatic narratives.
Apartment 3-G is an American newspaper soap opera comic strip about a trio of career women who share an apartment in Manhattan. Created by Nicholas P. Dallis with art by Alex Kotzky, the strip began May 8, 1961, initially distributed by the Publishers Syndicate, which later merged with King Features Syndicate in 1988. The strip ended on November 22, 2015.
Mary Worth is an American newspaper comic strip created by writer Allen Saunders and artist Dale Connor in 1938 and distributed by King Features Syndicate. The soap opera-style strip is loosely based on one originally created by Martha Orr in 1934. It features an older woman who offers wisdom and advice to others.