Shadows exist everywhere in our day to day lives, whether on a sunny day or sometime during the evening. However, with that being said, people don’t often notice these shadows that they pass by. Nevertheless, we see shadows integrated into movies, story books or graphic novels as a way of intensifying a certain scene or adding a bit of suspense. In the graphic novel Red by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, shadows play an important role as evidenced by the significant amount of times they are present in the panels. The use of shadows in Red emphasizes the feelings that the panels are trying to convey.
There are quite a few frames in Red that play the role of adding suspense to the story. Near the beginning, Paul Moses is seen having a flashback of murdering a man and a woman (Appendix A). The transitions from the first frame to the second and the third frame to the fourth create a feeling of suspense because of the way the images are produced: so direct and sudden. It demonstrates the concept of a cause and effect where the action that is about to occur is shown first and then the aftermath follows. In the first sequential frames, the man is seen pleading for his life while Moses aims a gun at his head; the following frame shows blood spurting out of the victim’s head: the after-effect of being shot (Appendix A). Undoubtedly, the suspense rises between the two frames as what is expected to occur happens, in an abrupt manner. The sudden shift into shadows that occurs in the second frame also helps elevate the suspense by hiding the victim’s emotions through the use of shadows which emphasizes the action alone. The use of black is more effective than using many colours because it makes a particular figure stand out. Scott McCloud poin...
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...rtant to analyze each frame specifically so that the little details help identify what parts of the shadow brings the effect. In brief, without the use of shadows in graphic novels, the characters and the setting would not be accentuated in their portrayals as being dominant, mysterious or suspenseful.
Works Cited
Ellis, Warren, and Cully Hamner. Red. La Jolia, CA: WildStorm Productions, 2003. Print.
McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: the invisible art. New York: HarperPerennial, 1993. Print.
Mitchell, W.J.T. "Showing Seeing: A Critique of Visual Culture." The Visual Culture Reader. Ed. Nicholas Mirzoeff. London: Routledge, 2002. 95. Print.
Victor Fuke, et al. "Adolescents and "Autographics": Reading and Writing Coming-of-Age Graphic Novels." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 54.8 (2011): 601-612. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 14 July 2011.
What gothic features help develop the dark and mysterious nature of the film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? There are a number of gothic aspects of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen that help to develop the dark and mysterious nature of the film. Examples of this can be found in the characters and how the dramatic contrasts between good and bad are displayed through gothic personality traits, their physical appearances and mysterious pasts. This type of gothic can also be found in many locations in the text that portray an essence of the unknown, and also possess a dark emptiness that creates fear and therefore building gothic potential. Finally, the vast appearance of metonymy displayed within the text adds to the dark and mysterious nature of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Schirato, T. and Webb, J. (2004). Reading the visual. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
In society we are surrounded by images, immersed in a visual world with symbols and meaning created through traditional literary devices, but augmented with the influence of graphics, words, positioning and colour. The images of Peter Goldsworthy’s novel, Maestro (1989) move within these diameters and in many ways the visions of Ivan Sen’s film Beneath Clouds (2002) linger in the same way. Both these texts explore themes of appearance versus reality and influence of setting, by evoking emotion in the responder through their distinctively visual elements.
Having such an image before our eyes, often we fail to recognize the message it is trying to display from a certain point of view. Through Clark’s statement, it is evident that a photograph holds a graphic message, which mirrors the representation of our way of thinking with the world sights, which therefore engages other
The graphic essay “Show and Tell” by Scott McCloud is written in the form of a comic book as he explains the importance of words and images, and how to effectively use the two components when creating a comic. “Show and Tell” explains to the reader how creating a successful comic does not occur easily, as numerous components must be used in the right way and amount in order to create a product that is worthwhile to its readers. This insightful graphic essay portrays to the reader how in a comic, words and images can successfully be used in numerous ways if they are kept in balance with one another. Society traditionally believes that in a piece of literature words and images should be kept apart, whereas McCloud opposes this
I chose to read and comment on Barbara Kiefer’s “Envisioning Experience: The Potential of Picture Books.” Kiefer’s main point in writing this essay was to get the message across that children enjoy picture books that allow them to identify and make connections with the characters or the plots, and that while reading and analyzing the pictures, they gain a better sense of aesthetics and how to interpret them.
...Plessis, Eric H. du. “Deliberate Chaos: Poe’s Use of Colors in ‘The Masque of the Red Death’.” Poe Studies/Dark Romanticism 34.1-2 (June-December 2001): p40-42. Literature Resource Center. Web. 8 April 2012.
Baxandall, Michael. "Exhibiting intention: Some preconditions of the visual display of culturally purposeful objects." Exhibiting cultures: The poetics and politics of museum display (1991): 33-41.
Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie. "Chapter 15: Beholding." Staring: How We Look. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. 199-208. Print.
Red this color can symbolize blood, passion or danger. Irony is another technique used in the story to give it a better understanding. Irony is said in a sarcasm way, twisting the actual meaning. It is the opposite of what is intended. Saying the same thing but with a different idea/meaning behind it. For example it’s very funny when people go to McDonalds and order Big Mac, extra large fires, and a diet coke. Another example is when someone states “ oh great!” now you broke your arm, there is nothing great in breaking an arm.
Although colors are usually represented and used for the recollection of joyful experiences, Death uses the colors of the spectrum to enhance the experience of the Book Thief and as well as him own life too. In Death’s narration, his use of the colors illustrate the great ordeal of suffering and pain throughout the book’s setting. As an example Death says “The day was grey, the color of Europe. For me, the sky was the color of Jews” (Zusak, 349). This quote effectively describes Death’s use of the colors by relating it to the events taking place. The colors give perspective to the agony and painful hardships going on in the life of WWII. In a regular setting, colors are used to describe happy memories and any basic descriptions of a setting. Death says “Whatever the hour or color…” (Zusak, 5). By saying this quote, Death establishes the colors a...
Children are automatically drawn to what they feel relates to them the best. From clothes to games, and even literature, children are attracted to certain elements that separate what’s “girly” and what’s “boyish”. Most children literature is designed in a manner that attracts a specific crowd. The authors and illustrators of children literature take into consideration whether they want their book to be intended for girls or for boys. However, in the story Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary, deception as to which crowd the book was intended is shown throughout the story. The books unique style has the ability to capture both young boys and young girls. By containing general phrases and avoiding specific representations of boys and girls, the structure of the book allows children to view the book not in a sense of gender but rather in a sense of fun, educational and exciting. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 lends to its children readers authorship in that the story allows children to decide whether this book is a boy book or a girl book. Cleary manages to make the story interchangeable. The shape, design, and title name of Ramona Quimby, Age 8 are all characteristics that awaken the senses of children when they are searching for a book that serves their greater interest. In this book Cleary shows how easily it is to manipulate the minds of children through the use of language within the text, and images. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 allows children to make there own decision as to what the gender of the book is. Whether boy or girl, the story is made in a way that takes children on an interesting learning experience as they delve deep within the text. Made possible for both girls and boys Beverly Clearly avoids focusing on a specific gender and we...
Rose, G (2001) Visual Methodologies, An introduction to the Interpretation of Visual Materials London: Sage Publications
Most people believe that graphic novels are just an art book with minimal text. They believe it is just for entertainment for kids or young adults. They think that graphic novels are just like comics. But to get to the point, graphic novels are just like all the other novels. They are a piece of literature that tells a story and pulls out the reader’s imagination, so that they feel that they are a part of the story or can even relate to the story. Graphic novels have changed and developed into such remarkable pieces of literature and should be accepted by all scholars to be placed in that category. According to John Ridley, “There are still some people out there who believe comic books are nothing more than, well, comic books. But the true cognoscenti know graphic novels are-at their best-an amazing blend of art, literature and the theater of the mind”.
Pink, S. (2006). Engaging the Visual: An Introduction. In, Pink, S., The Future of Visual Anthropology: Engaging the Senses. Routledge: New York, pp. 3-20.