Where to Put Speech Balloons in Comic Panels
Meaning of Speech Bubbles in Comics
August 15, 2019
Last Updated on: 27th February 2021, 03:53 am
The visual tool used to represent the speech, dialogue, or conversation of the characters in the comics is called "bubble". The meaning of speech bubbles in comics will be addressed, with emphasis on their proper use and comics grammar.
One of the most important parts of comics is character dialogue. It is one of thefeatures of comics and it is as valuable as the images themselves. They are a great support in the narrative within the comics.
As part of the visual language of comics, bubbles are small expressions in themselves, with their own meaning. They can communicate a situation or context. Therefore, it is important the meaning of speech bubbles in comics to know how to express emotions in a dialogue, nature, the source of the speech, and sounds, for instance.
Certainly, the speech bubbles are usually added after the editing and photography of the images. However, at this point inthe process of making a comic, you must have the text to be included inside the bubbles. The extension of the text has to be set during the scriptwriting, as well as, the type of bubble to be used. Therefore, knowing the meaning of speech bubbles in comics ensures a better choice of each one to correctly communicate the message you want to convey.
Normal Speech
Thoughts
To express a thought, an idea, or that one is daydreaming, the bubble with a cloud shape is the right one. Besides, the shape can also be oval like the basic one. But its tail is formed by a group of circles or ellipses; for example, there are 2 or 3 circles.
Besides, this bubble serves to communicate what animals, plants or things cannot say, as they "do not talk". A cat's meow or a dog's bark, for example, can be represented by onomatopoeias. However, to express their internal dialogue, you can use the cloud bubble.
Scream
Multi-edged bubbles usually represent screaming or a message out loud but the screams may have a positive or negative connotation. For example, the character is urging his team to try harder. However, the same bubble can be used to insult or express abuse.
Depending on the connotation of the message, either negative or positive, the text in its content may have variations in style: bold, larger, or different color, for instance.
On the other hand, this bubble can also vary the shape, depending on the intensity of the emotion to be expressed and the style of the comics.
Electronic Devices
This is used to represent words or sounds coming from an electronic device such as television, telephone, radio, or microphone. The tail of the bubble points towards the device and it looks like lightning. In addition, it can be used for robot and hologram dialogs.
Whispers
Whispers are presented with a dashed-lined bubble. However, it also represents when saying a secret or speaking in a very low voice. Certainly, the shapes can also vary for greater flexibility.
Weakness
The wavy bubble indicates that the speaker is suffering from physical weakness. Likewise, it indicates that a character is exhausted, semi-unconscious, or about to faint. So, its wavy shape reflects the weakness of the character's voice.
Some Insights
Comics are not just a piece of entertainment for children and teenagers. This massive medium is appreciated and understood by adults as well. Marketing agencies and advertising companies have understood this and have started to use it to attract potential customers.
In conclusion, the narrative power of comics can be exploited in graphic design to communicate ideas in an interesting and different way. Learning the meaning of speech bubbles in comics is one of the first steps. If graphic designers want to take advantage of the full potential of comics, it is necessary to understand the concepts and features of comics and their different genres. It is also necessary to follow the process of creating a comic in order to develop a story through this format.
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Bibliography
- Acevedo Fernández, Juan. Para hacer historietas. Instituto de Estudios Peruanos. 2019.
- Labarre, Nicolas. Understanding Genres in Comics (Palgrave Studies in Comics and Graphic Novels). Editorial Palgrave Pivot. 2020. ISBN-10: 3030435539.
- McCloud, Scott. Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels. Editorial William Morrow Paperbacks. 2006. ISBN-10: 0060780940.
- Stevenson, Joseph. How to Draw Manga (Includes Anime, Manga, and Chibi) Part 2 Drawing Manga Figures. Editorial Golden Valley Press. 2020. ISBN-10: 1947215272.
Where to Put Speech Balloons in Comic Panels
Source: https://ilkaperea.com/2019/08/15/meaning-of-speech-bubbles-in-comics/
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