Comics and the Web: Similarities and Differences

Reading and Writing About Comics ala McCloud (2)

In Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud describes what makes a comic a comic. He provides a definition (juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer) and then shows us the different tools comics use when making a comic. He also explains the balance between words and art in comics.

The comic I looked at, evil diva (http://www.evildivacomics.com/p6.html), meets the definition. The main character is Diva. She is a girl with evil parents who encourage her to be evil. Her problem is that she doesnt want to be evil. She does nice things and gets frustrated with her parent's dissapproval of her goodness.

One of the things I like most about this book is McCloud's explanation of what happens between the panels and how you are supposed to "assume" what happens between the panels. He calls this closure. In Evil Diva a lot happens between panels. Most of the action occurs between panels. When Diva is walking down the hall at school, it isnt drawn. You only see when she pauses, or there is interaction. As a reader, you get to assume what happens between panels, so in many ways it is personalized by you. I think this is why some people connect with comics. They feel creatively responsible for the comic.

Picturing Texts on The Web (1)

chanel.com is the website that the fashion brand chanel uses to showcase their collections for the year. The first page you get to shows symetrical balance and asymmetrical balance. The large image near the middle is the chanel logo, two C's intertwined, one backward. This image or graphic is perfectly balanced and symetrical. The image, however, is positioned slightly to the left. because of this the menu options are slightly to the right. Proportionally, the chanel logo is much larger than the other text on the website. In most of the pictures of the clothes and bags and shoes, there is symmetry of some sort and the chanel logo is centered. There is also an interesting balance of black and white. There is a lot of black on white and vice versa on this site. The chanel logo appears on a contrasting background with every page change.

peer review 2.0

I preferred the first peer review. Probably because we were assigned certain ones to review, so there was pressure to actually do it. I found that the comments I gave, and received, were more thought out because of this.

I also preferred using google docs. The website was easier to navigate and use. From the beginning I didn't understand the site. It was too complicated and there were too many steps. Also, every time I went to make comments I had to keep changing my font color back to blue. I had problems logging in and accessing the reviewed versions of people's essays. The one positive was the thread feature, when people actually used it.

comparing

http://troyallenharris.blogspot.com/

10. Use orthodox spelling.
I think that text messaging has an enormous influence on these two particular elements. First, number ten, orthodox spelling. Acronyms and shorthand is all the rage these days. We’ve discussed in class that High School teachers are actually accepting work with different variations of this text message lingo just to get them to turn in their work. As I mentioned earlier, depending on who or what you are writing for, such unorthodox spelling may be appropriate and could even give some effect.

To begin, I would like to state that this assignment is the first I have honestly enjoyed. The requirement to read my peers blogs served as a very useful tool (though I wish it had occurred to me earlier to use the other blogs as a reference).

I like Troy's approach to the assigned topic. This post in particular is relevant and interesting, in that Troy's application of this rule is current. The students in our country's public school system are in a different world than I was, even though I graduated high school only three years ago. Students are not learning grammar and language in the same ways I was so few years ago. More and more emphasis is put on math and sciences. The results are poor reading and writing skills. The only written communication they know is that available on their cell phones and on the internet. Kids are turning in papers that are more like text messages and emails, in that there are acronyms and short hand.

Having read Strunk and White, I believe I will incorporate this book into my lessons as a secondary ed teacher. I believe the students will be more welcoming of it because of the format of the book. Given, I wouldn't be able to teach the entire book, I think select passages would be extremely useful. The students having access to this book would also hold them personally responsible for learning some of it on their own. It could be a way to help each student with their individual needs. For example, if I noticed a student was having problems with the possessive, I could tell them, "Go read page one and then we can talk about it". That way the kid will read and then discuss what they personally learned. It will teach them to verbalize their thoughts and to communicate more openly, similar to what they will be facing in college.

comparing

While Williams discussed some of what was in Strunk and White, in style and format, but what I read in Williams was not in my blog post about Strunk and White. Probably because of how different these two books are. It is difficult to compare Strunk and White with Williams. The main reason is because of the extreme differences in the formats of the books. Both books provided a great deal of information on how to be a better writer. Strunk and White was more like a manual. Williams was more about the how and why of sentences and their structure. Strunk and White covered the basics, like grammar, punctuation and the common problems writers think about. Williams delved into the deeper problems writers have, in style and sentence/paragraph layout and style.

I believe Strunk and White was more effective and useful. The format of the book made it useful, and the amount I retained made it more effective. I hardly remember anything I read in Williams, and I feel I usually retain quite a bit of what I read. The examples given in Strunk and White were also more effective and useful than those in Williams. Strunk and White did in a simple sentence or passage what Williams did in a confusing paragraph.

One of the few sections I gained from was “Emphasis” and that is because I got to discuss it with others and get their opinions. It was like I read it, and then the other people in my group reworded it, and then it made sense and I could contribute. When reading it i didnt realize you were supposed to shift th important to the left.

I also enjoyed the section on concision, because I believe in being concise. Short and sweet is the way to go. Also, the “why” portion was easier to follow than all the other chapters. This is probably because of the topic of the chapter.

revising with Williams

Bad Example:

General education is the core of an undergraduate education. It is general in that it provides students with a comprehensive educational experience and prepares them for study within their major. General education teaches students to think critically and communicate effectively; it provides an introduction to the methodologies and practices of the academic disciplines; it promotes intellectual curiosity and a love of learning.

Fixed:

In undergraduate education, general education is the core. General, comprehensive, educational experience; as well as major related study are provided for the student. Critical thinking, effective communication, methodologies, intellectual curiosity, academic discipline and a love of learning are taught to students.


The original passage was very confusing to read. I reread it several times before what I was looking at started to sink in. It seemed like all of the sentences were backward. It ruined the flow of the passage.

My goal was to make it more readable, so I attempted to shift the emphasis in order to make each sentence match the one before it. By putting the emphasis of each sentence to the left, the less important goes to the right, and the sentences are more clean. The shift of information also provides a rhythm that helps you retain the information within.

Elementary Style

While reading The Elements of Style I found several elements informative. I was either highly intrigued or irritated by the elements. The first useful element I found was element number eight, use a dash to set off an abrupt break or interruption and to announce a long appositive or summary. Before reading this I had no idea how to use a hyphen. I would like to show you my hyphen skills, now that I know how to properly use them.

“Her first instinct- though they were usually wrong- was to jump off the bridge.”

The second element I found helpful was element number fourteen, use the active voice. I once wrote a short story for a creative writing class and the teacher kept insisting I use the active voice. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I kept using the passive voice. I eventually got so frustrated that I refused to resubmit the story anymore. According to Strunk and White, this style of writing is more direct and vigorous. I am a direct and vigorous person, so I decided to try to understand it. What I learned is that the active voice leaves less room for misinterpretation. The active voice also creates a more powerful statement.

I didn’t agree with most of the rules involving commas, or I already knew them. I don’t think there should be rules for commas. To me, they should be used as a tool for expression.