not a comic(?)
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not a comic(?)
Hello. Here's my dilemma? I'm putting together a narrative series but my readers are having trouble categorizing it. The comic artists I show it to for the most part say it isn't a comic but an animation. The same problem goes for animators, they say it's a comic. It might be neither, standing on the border between the two without actually belonging to either. Or, it might be both. There appears to be a lot of intelligent postings on this forum, so maybe you have some input. The series can be found at http://www.spidercliff.com/. Please let me know what you think of it, aesthetically, conceptually, or otherwise. I'll answer any questions you may have about the process.
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Greg Stephens
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ShadowCaster
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I agree with William. And there's a strong SCUMM influence in it.
The main difference is the "choose your branch" interface that makes it more like a "choose your own adventure book" than a SCUMM game where parallel scenario lines can be advanced independently, giving a greater feeling of freedom to the player/reader.
On second thought, the fact that it's a game doesn't rule out the possibility that it's a comic at the same time.
Scott's "Mimi's last coffe" is nearly a "choose your branch" game while obviously a comic.
If you remove the interactive part, you have a still image/pannel (if you ignore character's wiggling) sequence, but with an animated video transition istead of a leap over the gutter.
I think that's what makes it not a comic : the reader doesn't have regular gaps to fill in, the pannels are glued in time with continuous animations instead of being juxtaposed.
A thing I've seen that's very near to your story in interface concept is "interactive movie" :
You see a movie but you have a remote in hand. Evry few minutes, the film pauses and a list of options for the character onscreen are displayed.
The viewers have 10s to vote for what will happen and the film goes on till the next vote pause.
It's both a movie and a game, especially since the the "pause" has a time not controlled by the viewers.
This time flow control issue is imo what make your story not completly an animation.
So ... A game.
The main difference is the "choose your branch" interface that makes it more like a "choose your own adventure book" than a SCUMM game where parallel scenario lines can be advanced independently, giving a greater feeling of freedom to the player/reader.
On second thought, the fact that it's a game doesn't rule out the possibility that it's a comic at the same time.
Scott's "Mimi's last coffe" is nearly a "choose your branch" game while obviously a comic.
If you remove the interactive part, you have a still image/pannel (if you ignore character's wiggling) sequence, but with an animated video transition istead of a leap over the gutter.
I think that's what makes it not a comic : the reader doesn't have regular gaps to fill in, the pannels are glued in time with continuous animations instead of being juxtaposed.
A thing I've seen that's very near to your story in interface concept is "interactive movie" :
You see a movie but you have a remote in hand. Evry few minutes, the film pauses and a list of options for the character onscreen are displayed.
The viewers have 10s to vote for what will happen and the film goes on till the next vote pause.
It's both a movie and a game, especially since the the "pause" has a time not controlled by the viewers.
This time flow control issue is imo what make your story not completly an animation.
So ... A game.