Comm 203: Graphic Novels, and You!

GageSkidmore

With any media there is always that great potential. The great potential to fully create something of value and teach others a simple idea or something much more grand. The Graphic Novel has the ability to do many things while keeping a simplistic sort of set up if you decide to go with the conventional layout. As noted with many it also has the ability to expand and make use of new ideas and ways of thinking, but for now we can stick to the "classic" set up to keep it simple.

For the most part any sort of project or task can be conveyed in a Graphic Novel, but the much more abstract ideas take a bit of work. The interpretation and presentation are usually key.

The video above is not a graphic novel, but it shows how media can be skewed depending on the presentation. Same can be said with graphic novels. Few things to consider:

• People derive the greatest understanding with figures, thus why many warning signs are shown in cartoon figures in the form of comic strips to fully flush out any and all messages that need to be shown.
• Actions shown can always be much more informative or entertaining IE: "Oh, it was much funnier, you would have to have been there." Well with comics you essentially can be there without being there.

Ideas are terrible to waste, even more so for others to not understand the full message to the audience. As those working in media it is up to us to get the facts straight and educate people on a broader scale than most could. In the end we just have to make sure we impact things in a positive manner.