HYPE: Format experiment in Rogues of Clwyd-Rhan

reinder · Post by **reinder** » Thu Dec 06, 2001 12:47 pm

Starting on Friday, Rogues of Clwyd-Rhan will adopt a new, but old, format for the duration of the next story, "The Corby Tribe". Instead of running traditional comic-book pages, Rogues of Clwyd-Rhan will look like an old-fashioned European newspaper comic - instead of word balloons, the strip will have prose captions and dialogue separated from the art.

Why this change toward a format so rarely used today that some would not even recognise it as comics? And why make such a retrograde move in a webcomic?

First of all, while I do believe that this is a perfectly valid format for a comic, I don't care to argue that issue. If it isn't a comic, then it's something else - feel free to invent a name for it. Some people won't recognise anything that's on the Web as comics.

And I have believed for a while that this is in fact a great format for web comics. Text, after all, is what the Web thrives on. It's scalable, searchable, indexable and machine-readable. Lettering in comics tends to be too small, and the higher the pixel width of the user's monitor, the smaller it will be. Separating text from art could increase the comic's accessibility and appeal - at least in theory.

Also, the format has its inherent appeal. In the hands of a master of the form, like the Dutch genius Marten Toonder who now is a good candidate for the title of the world's greatest living cartoonist (as well as being one of the wealthiest), text and art can complement each other in ways that are impossible to achieve with balloon comics. Toonder's work showed excellence in the individual elements of art and writing, but the writing also served as an ironic commentary on the art, while the art added slapstick-oriented visial comedy, Gothic gloom and romantic elegance to the writing. I have a long way to go before I can compare with that, but the only way to learn is to try.

With a months's worth of work in this form in the can, I can say that not having to deal with the visual clutter provided by word balloons is a relief and has allowed me to draw better than I used to. As for the prose writing... I have a long way to go but with daily updates and the input of my readers, I will be able to travel it. See for yourself, starting on Friday, December 7, at http://www.rocr.net/ !

Bjorn · Post by **Bjorn** » Fri Dec 07, 2001 8:08 pm

Interesting... I wanna see how you plan on doing actual speech before saying anything more

But I like it so far

Tailsteak · Post by **Tailsteak** » Sat Dec 08, 2001 1:28 pm

I like it... in real life, words and thoughts do not obscure our vision, so this is certainly a more realistic way of presenting things...

buzzard · Post by **buzzard** » Sun Dec 09, 2001 1:34 am

Most of the new <a href="http://www.leisuretown.com">Leisuretown</a> material is also being written in this format.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: buzzard on 2001-12-09 00:34 ]</font>

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 6:52 am

I just checked out only one of the "pages", but I thought it was pretty cool. Already there is a warmth that only words can give, but it is right in there in the comic format with all the fun that looking at pictures can give too.

I recall reading a work by Jim Woodring (of "Frank" fame) where he busted out with wording in a similar style.

I would like to try experimenting with this sort of technique too... Kind of backed up at the moment coloring in a lot of the stuff I already inked, but maybe after that I might give it a whirl. Looks like a lot of fun!

Can't wait to see more of your stuff. It looked pretty sincere and inviting.

vince

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 7:08 am

by the way, I wanted to comment on what I meant when I said "warmth". I am a hard core comics enjoyer/creator (though not published yet), and love comics to death.

However, there is a certain warmth that words only entertainment has that comics just doesn't have.

Comics have a lot to offer, though. I just don't feel that they have to be compared with books, though. Everyone is all into this idea of "comics as literature", which is really great, but also tends to take a shot at the identity of comics. They don't need to compete with books. It's ok to let books have their warmth, and comics can have other things, like visual intensity, a sort of magic between the static images, colors that suggest emotional states, the list goes on and on.

This does not relate to your site or your string at all, but I just wanted to sort of explain what I meant so that it didn't sound like I was dissing comics.

Anyhow, I read some more of your work on your page, and I look forward to visiting again....

vince

reinder · Post by **reinder** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 11:13 am

Actually, I agree that comics are a separate form from literature and that comparisons between the two are like comparing apples and glue.

However, Marten Toonder owes much of his continuing success in the Netherlands to the fact that his strips <i>are</i> considered literature and reprinted in novel-shaped volumes. It is possible to create work that functions as both. I'm not pretending that I'm doing that, though. I'm just experimenting with a neat form.

ashess · Post by **ashess** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 6:25 pm

Why this change toward a format so rarely used today that some would not even recognise it as comics? And why make such a retrograde move in a webcomic?

I was gonna scream at you for calling the comics I grew up on old.
But then you saved yourself with martin Toonder. lol. since about 3 years back 'tom poes' was still in the newspaper. and nuffing too great has replaced it yet. *sigh*
guess I'll just have to do it myself or something. lol.

(*Dutchy*)