Technologic

So, last class we talked about comics and the timing and frames built into them. It really made me think about my obsession when I was younger over the Betty and Veronica and the Archie comic books. I love how they took the “good girl” who was humble and innocent, Betty, and paired her with the “bad girl” a rich, self centered Veronica. Often, Archie was caught in the middle; it is perfectly depicted here :

This classic image incorporates the main characters and their personality traits.

In class the idea of timing  and framing was a center for discussion. The Betty and Veronica Comics used a variety of expression and action symbols to better portray the timing of the scene. In the scene below,the top frame, much like the frame about the family on page 713, portrays more than just a single moment in time. As the reader moves from left to right across the strip, the timing of the actions is parallel to that of the reader’s pace. In the second frame, the position of the girls around Veronica and her expression explosion give the reader a sense of quickness, as if the girls from the fifties back-lashed at Veronica almost instantaneously. Then, in the next frame, the square behind the fifties girl represents her change in position towards Betty, as if to suggest she has whipped around to insult her as well, which the text backs accurately. Then the dashes above the heads of the girls in the last frame suggest instantaneous, hysterical laughter.

This series of comics fits perfectly into McCloud’s timing scheme explanation. I love how my childhood is related to class!