Day 13: McCLOUD CHAP. 3 AND 4

In chapters three and four of Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, the ideas, and methods behind the working of time in the context of comics are deeply examined. From the historical evolution of how time and movement have been represented in graphic art, to the symbolic meaning and uses of borders, McCloud takes what, at first seems to be a simple topic, and unveils the complexities, leaving the reader with a more comprehensive, and almost more confusing, understanding of time, space, and motion in comics. The fact that all of the information presented in these chapters seems to lead to a slight level of confusion, or rather, cloudiness of understanding, may stem from the fact that the readers, or viewers, naturally take in what they see, without necessarily needing training to enjoy the works. When the mechanisms behind their understanding are revealed, it is almost hard to imagine that the subtle changes in style, layout, etc, can have such a profound impact on the meaning that they naturally procure. From closure to the reading of what is not written (or drawn), the reader is shown to hold a large part in the smoothness, and coherence of the comic, while at the same time, the artist’s task is made more difficult, with the weight of determining which methods of portrayal fit with their individual styles resting on their shoulders.