Comments on: The Formal Legacy of Webcomics http://www.geekstudies.org/2007/09/the-formal-legacy-of-webcomics Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:46:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jason Tocci http://www.geekstudies.org/2007/09/the-formal-legacy-of-webcomics/comment-page-1#comment-231 Jason Tocci Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:16:04 +0000 http://www.geekstudies.org/2007/09/the-formal-legacy-of-webcomics#comment-231 Neat—thanks for the clarification, Jennifer. Actually, reading about the exhibit and writing this post finally inspired me to revise a paper I wrote awhile back about formal experimentation in comics, which I'll soon be submitting to a journal. When I first wrote that paper, I was pretty convinced that the infinite canvas was going to be the next major formal innovation in comics, based on some of those successful examples. (Jason Lex's <a href="http://opi8.com/sequence/asf/18/index.html" rel="nofollow">"The Strangler"</a> was a favorite of mine.) Now I'm especially interested to see how this is presented in the MoCCA exhibit. (Anybody who feels like meeting up in/making a trip to NYC together, let me know!) Neat—thanks for the clarification, Jennifer. Actually, reading about the exhibit and writing this post finally inspired me to revise a paper I wrote awhile back about formal experimentation in comics, which I’ll soon be submitting to a journal. When I first wrote that paper, I was pretty convinced that the infinite canvas was going to be the next major formal innovation in comics, based on some of those successful examples. (Jason Lex’s “The Strangler” was a favorite of mine.) Now I’m especially interested to see how this is presented in the MoCCA exhibit. (Anybody who feels like meeting up in/making a trip to NYC together, let me know!)

]]> By: Jennifer Babcock http://www.geekstudies.org/2007/09/the-formal-legacy-of-webcomics/comment-page-1#comment-230 Jennifer Babcock Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:59:21 +0000 http://www.geekstudies.org/2007/09/the-formal-legacy-of-webcomics#comment-230 The exhibit talks about how and why many webcomics don't use the "infinite canvas" format but also has examples (on an LCD screen) of some successful examples. Another point that the show stresses is that webcomics aren't constrained to a standardized format like many printed comics are (think weekly comic books, newspaper strips) The exhibit talks about how and why many webcomics don’t use the “infinite canvas” format but also has examples (on an LCD screen) of some successful examples.

Another point that the show stresses is that webcomics aren’t constrained to a standardized format like many printed comics are (think weekly comic books, newspaper strips)

]]> By: Dan http://www.geekstudies.org/2007/09/the-formal-legacy-of-webcomics/comment-page-1#comment-213 Dan Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:29:25 +0000 http://www.geekstudies.org/2007/09/the-formal-legacy-of-webcomics#comment-213 It seems to me that calling the canvas on the web "infinite" is kind of a misnomer. As you point out, it certainly does allow more—or at least <i>different</i>—flexibility than the page, but don't you think we've just swapped the constraints of the page for the constraints of the screen? Instead of being limited by what you can fit on a page, you're limited by the readability of an image on a screen. Sure, you can scroll, but I can definitely understand why some comic creators choose to stick with a more traditional format in that regard: scrolling can be distracting, especially when you're trying to follow a flow. Not to mention that, unlike books, monitors vary widely in their resolution, ability to display different colors, etc. Less so than perhaps around ten years ago, but the lowest common denominator is probably still an issue for some creators. I think in many ways, we've just substituted one set of practicalities for another. And I agree that perhaps the interesting part is what the new medium allows for in terms of production and distribution rather than "art." But then again, maybe I just haven't seen a good example of the "infinite canvas" on the web. It seems to me that calling the canvas on the web “infinite” is kind of a misnomer. As you point out, it certainly does allow more—or at least different—flexibility than the page, but don’t you think we’ve just swapped the constraints of the page for the constraints of the screen? Instead of being limited by what you can fit on a page, you’re limited by the readability of an image on a screen. Sure, you can scroll, but I can definitely understand why some comic creators choose to stick with a more traditional format in that regard: scrolling can be distracting, especially when you’re trying to follow a flow.

Not to mention that, unlike books, monitors vary widely in their resolution, ability to display different colors, etc. Less so than perhaps around ten years ago, but the lowest common denominator is probably still an issue for some creators.

I think in many ways, we’ve just substituted one set of practicalities for another. And I agree that perhaps the interesting part is what the new medium allows for in terms of production and distribution rather than “art.” But then again, maybe I just haven’t seen a good example of the “infinite canvas” on the web.

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