The Secret Language of Comics

Author: Ainsley

Sunday Sketches~Sketch 11: Assemblies

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This is my diagram with added annotations.

For this final Sunday Sketch assignment, I really wanted to come up with a diagram that would showcase all I have accomplished in ENGRD 101 this semester. I decided to make my image that of a stuffed teddy bear, expanding a little bit on my Triptych from Sketch 5.

The process I use to create and complete a piece of work has drastically changed since the beginning of the semester. Similar to the “skeleton” of the bear (the flat, floppy husk of a bear you get at Build-A-Bear), my work at first was a LOT of words with no real substance to them. Throughout the semester, I added stuffing to my bear, providing context about the comics I analyzed and summaries relevant to my literacy narrative. This made my work fuller (like the stuffing inside the bear), and gave it a clearer structure.

Moving on to the more specific parts of the bear–these elements exemplify the specific elements of my learning and writing techniques that have allowed me to flourish as a writer this semester. As seen in the above annotations, the eyes and ears of the bear represent the seeing and hearing aspects of learning. Listening to advice from Professor Morgen was very helpful when writing my reflections and projects, especially the analysis of Stitches and Spinning. The eyes are also important to note specific places that need revisions. For example, while looking over my literacy narrative, Professor Morgen pointed out a few specific places that could be improved. I listened to his advice (going back to the ears), and ultimately ended up with a much stronger piece of work that I was excited to share with others.

Another one of the elements that was key in creating my final work(s) was my attention to detail, represented by the paws and fur of the bear. This was especially the case for my Literacy Narrative Comic. I wanted it to be understandable to the reader, so I made sure to make my drawings as detailed as possible (note that I am not an artistically inclined person!). However, the paws do not take up much space on the bear; it is just at the feet. This relates to my experience that too many details can be a bad thing, just as was the case with my first draft of my literacy narrative. Professor Morgen noted how I was talking about too many ideas and it was better to focus on a single one, which ultimately ended up working out in my favor (back to the ears once again!).

Lastly, I want to draw attention to the facial expression of the bear. The bear’s eyes are wide open and it is smiling; both of these characteristics are representative of my learning style as a student. I always do my best to come to class excited and ready to learn, along with any clarifying questions I may have. Asking questions has been one of, if not the most, useful tools as a student. Knowing what my mentors and peers expect of me challenges and pushes me to make the best final product I can make; going back to my diagram, this ‘final product’ is the bear as a whole.

This assignment definitely forced me to think critically about myself as a student and be able to represent it and explain it through a medium other than words (relating to the “Visual Thinking” Learning Outcome). It makes me incredibly happy and proud to see how far I’ve grown as a writer since the beginning of the semester, and I can’t wait to see further growth in the near future!

“Halfa Kucha” Reflection

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The process of creating an argument using the format of a Pecha Kucha required further use of consolidating all of my ideas into a single argument. I have used this process throughout the semester, the most prominent example being my Literacy Narrative and the accompanying comic.

One of the advantages of this format was the requirement to use pictures to go along with the argument. The pictures provided additional context to my argument while also allowing me to explain my own ideas, using the images as a guide rather than the central focus.

I also tried to use a linear path while forming my argument, specifically the “step-by-step” structure that Judith Lewis Herman uses in the provided excerpt.

The most difficult part about this presentation was learning how to pace myself in order to meet the 20 second time limit for each slide; this involved slowing down during slides where I didn’t have a lot to talk about (eliminating long, awkward pauses), or talking faster (while remaining understandable to the audience) on slides with more ideas I wanted to discuss.

Overall, I feel that this presentation challenged me in all the right ways, especially in my confidence with giving presentations in a clear and concise manner. I can definitely see myself using the presentation techniques I learned in the future, both in school and professionally.

*link to slideshow presentation here

Sunday Sketches~Sketch 10: Mix Tape

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For my mix tape, I wanted to create a playlist that I can listen to whenever I need more positive vibes/energy in my life. I tried to find songs that are uplifting and have messages of self-empowerment. This message can be seen through many elements of each song, including but not limited to the tempo/rhythm and lyrics/title.

I tried to put some of the slower songs near the beginning before building up to more upbeat and energetic songs.

I also would like to note the inclusion of both pop songs and musical theatre songs. Both genres have had a profound impact on me, showing that music is a means of communication unlike any other. Music, specifically singing, has become one of my biggest passions, allowing me to take my mind off the stressors that come with being a college student. I feel that putting both genres in the mix tape reflect my musical interests and hobbies. I also think it is notable that the playlist can be shuffled so it switches between the two genres instead of listening to five straight songs of the same genre. The switch in genre between songs keeps my mind alert, allowing me to feel energized and ready to sing along with the next song!

In terms of the playlist cover, I decided to use a picture of a rainbow I took during a flight on my way to Hawaii. Looking at that picture reminds me to relax and think of the positive things in life that I would not experience if I didn’t take breaks or stop working even for five minutes. This image of a rainbow is a reminder that positivity is important in every aspect of life, allowing one to find happiness and contentedness.

Sunday Sketches~Sketch 9: Waterloo!

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The moment I saw this assignment, I knew exactly what scene to recreate and how I was going to recreate it. The high school musical during my senior year was Mamma Mia! where I was fortunate to play the role of Tanya. The costumers were incredibly generous and allowed me to keep the white jumpsuit I wore when we performed the show’s finale: “Waterloo”. I brought it to school with me thinking of it as nothing more than a Halloween costume, but I was excited to find potential other uses for it, including this assignment.

The only obstacle I faced through this assignment was what to use as my microphone in the recreation. I ultimately decided to use a bottle of dry shampoo, mainly because it was white and matched my costume. I then photoshopped the recreated image onto a sparkly silver background and put it side-by-side with the original scene.

This has definitely been one of my favorite assignments by far, and I loved being able to revisit one of my favorite movie musicals!

Literacy Narrative (part 3) Reflection

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Photo Caption: Revisiting this narrative allowed me to connect my work with others’ narratives, as well as with the audience. (Photo Credit: VectorStock)

Returning to my literacy narrative after completing the comic felt as if I was starting with a rough sketch of my final work. The comic provided me with the opportunity to take a linear, essay-like story and turn it into an actual story that portrayed all the accompanying emotions as well. I feel like this final literacy narrative is similar to that of my classmate Tim Yau, as both of us highlighted a single event in our lives, a “spark” that put us on the path towards where we are now. Both of us were struggling to find meaning in our writings, but they ultimately came together to form a piece we were proud of, using inspiration from our own ideas and, in my case, experiences. This connects to the “Critical Thinking and Reading Resulting in Writing” learning outcome, as I am using the ideas of my classmates to make connections and gain a deeper understanding of my work. It also allows me to see how I can make my narrative more relatable; if I see that there is a common theme among several different narratives, I can assume that using the theme in my own narrative will make it more relatable and interesting to the reader.

The entirety of this project connects greatly to the “Writing as a Process” learning outcome. Having the conference with Professor Morgen really opened my eyes to how extensive of a process writing can be. In the past, I have only written one or two drafts before submitting what I had and moving on, never coming back to the work again. However, because this project would be worked on and edited throughout the semester, I was forced to go back to my original draft(s) and reread them so I could find things that needed to be fixed and make it the best writing it could be. This also relates to the “Rhetorical Composition” learning outcome because of the change in writing style and organization I was forced to take over the course of this project. One of the biggest things I kept in mind throughout this project was my audience, and how I could create a story that I was proud of and that anyone reading my work would be interested in and connected to. As described in the learning outcome, I used a variety of different technologies during this process, including Grammarly to help with common mistakes I make, including passive versus active sentences. I also used a drawing platform to create my comic for part 2 of this project. The use of a variety of platforms has widened my horizons of what writing can look like–it is not limited to only words on a page.

I thoroughly enjoyed this project, and I can say that, without a doubt, it has allowed me to flourish as a writer, an artist, and a person.

Sunday Sketches~Sketch 8: Daily viz from Everyday Life

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For this Sunday Sketch assignment, I decided to track two sets of contrasting categories: sleepiness vs. energy and stress vs. contentedness. Sleepiness and stress are the most prominent emotions I feel throughout any school week, so I was curious to see how they fluctuated on a daily basis.

As seen in my graph, I decided to use a line graph that would show the change from day to day over the course of the three-week frame where I took data every morning (I felt this was the best way to measure my sleepiness and pre-class stress levels). I noticed that the category that fluctuated the most was, unsurprisingly, my levels of stress. I noticed that it increases at the start of the week, where professors are assigning weekly assignments, and then decreases the closer I got to the weekend, showing how I was completing assignments and necessary assessments/projects. I noticed my stress levels were particularly higher on Fridays, which I believe to be connected to the number of assessments I have each Friday, which is at least two, one of them being my Computer Science course.

I found this to be a valuable tool for analyzing myself, and if I were to continue this process, I would likely gather my data using the same process that I have been using, it allows me to look at myself at the start of each day and encourages me to be the best version of myself so tomorrow’s numbers are healthier. I hope to be more aware of my levels of stress and sleepiness so I can take the necessary course(s) of action and be a more energetic and content person.

Tracing Pages Reflection

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Photo Caption:

This photo is used in a rather literal sense, but I feel it describes the journey I took over the course of this project, which ultimately was me searching for additional context using the images and other elements of comics.

(Photo Credit: Sitka Sound Science Center)

My essay’s thesis discusses the idea of the monumental moments in each story and the emotions portrayed in each one; this then highlights a new concept that suggests these moments and emotions serve as a deeper connection between the reader and the characters in the story. These connections give Stitches and Spinning a human element to them, giving the reader the incentive to keep reading and apply the authors’ actions to their own lives.

Tracing the pages differed from any other literary analysis I’ve ever done. The aspect of this process that was most beneficial to me was removing the words found on the page I was tracing. The lack of words forced me to be more attentive to the images on the page and the message the author was trying to convey to the reader (thus, the “secret language of comics”). Languages are not always verbal or said aloud using words; the variety of images and frames conveyed a message about the story that words alone would have been unable to do. Comics connect words and pictures, benefitting each other and creating a unique form of literature that provides the context necessary to the story’s plot. 

Because I had to use the ABT thesis structure for this essay (which was very unfamiliar to me), I had to focus on providing context immediately while broadening my ideas down, rather than finding context as I write the essay, a method I am much more familiar with. However, writing using this structure allowed me to find my ideas much quicker and use them to find new ideas that I never would’ve found had I continued to use my writing methods from high school.

This project has furthered my understanding of Stitches and Spinning, and I have made connections to the works in ways that my essay’s thesis describes. I look forward to discovering more connections in comics I read in the future! 

*link to Tracing Pages Analysis

**link to assignment prompt

Literacy Comic Reflection

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Photo Caption:

This photo is used in a literal sense, but it best illustrates the process of cutting unnecessary elements out of the original narrative to turn it into a comic. (Photo Credit: Freepik)

My initial literacy narrative felt more like an essay than a story/narrative. That’s why when it came time to turn it into a comic, I had trouble figuring out which elements to keep and which to cut. I decided to focus on my CommonApp essay, where I wrote about my personal growth through the play I participated in during my junior year of high school. Choosing what to include in the comic relates to the “rhetorical composition” learning outcome, specifically the concepts of organizing and developing my thoughts in a way that provides me with a clear idea of what the final product will look like.

The hardest part of this assignment was drawing the comic itself. I am not artistic, so I was nervous about drawing a 3-4 page comic. However, drawing out the storyboard was a helpful tool for gathering my ideas and figuring out how to use them best. I could then take the storyboard and trace over it using a thicker pen tool before adding color to make the comic more pleasant to look at. I enjoyed the coloring process because it allowed the page to come to life as if I relived the memory. This process relates to the “visual thinking” learning outcome because I used the means of drawing and art to communicate my ideas to an audience. I took many creative liberties that I certainly wouldn’t have taken in different circumstances. The combination of various mediums has always interested me, and I was excited to expose myself to a new medium that involved drawing. As a result of completing this comic, I have a newfound confidence in drawing that I hope to apply to my other classes, specifically my freshman seminar, where our final project will be designing a video game. I am excited to use what I have learned in this class throughout my college career!

Creating a comic from my literary narrative also allowed me to show my understanding of Scott McCloud’s “Clarity” diagram. As I began the storyboard, I became aware of the five categories in the diagram. As I explained in the first paragraph, I had to find the moments that mattered most and cut the ones that didn’t matter as much, which relates to the “choice of the moment” section of the diagram. Another diagram section that stood out to me was the “choice of flow” section. Flow is crucial to me when reading any literary work–otherwise, I lose interest and give up reading the book. That’s why the moments I chose to use were so important–they needed to fit together cohesively and flow to keep the audience’s attention.

This process allowed me to revisit my literary narrative in a new light. My narrative is a narrative now instead of an essay that only serves as the answer to a given prompt. The limited drawing space forced me to jump straight into the narrative’s central idea(s) instead of “tip-toeing” around them, which was one of the main critiques about the first part of my narrative. My narrative now feels like a coherent story that shows growth in myself and the quality of my writing (as seen on the third page).

View my literacy comic here

Sunday Sketches~Sketch 7: Quadriptych–“It Ain’t Easy Being Green’ry”

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Personally, I enjoyed creating the Quadriptych more than I did the Triptych. I think the biggest reason for this was because I had more space, therefore providing me with more freedom to craft a full story.

I found my inspiration for this comic while I was eating lunch in the DCT. I noticed that the majority of students were eating one of two things: salad and pizza. I love both of these foods for different reasons, and I thought it would be funny to showcase a “pick me” war between a salad and a pizza (my guess is the pizza would win, as I feel like it is generally a more popular food option).

Because the Quadriptych was a panel longer, I had the opportunity to use a technique I’ve seen throughout Stitches: reader expectation. Of course, this comic doesn’t have a page turn, but the audience is still forced to wait with the salad for the end result of the comic, which unfortunately doesn’t turn out in the salad’s favor. I think it’s amusing for the reader to be in suspense alongside a literal bowl of salad over a situation that is quite silly when you think about the story as a whole. I guess you could call this comic a “food fight”? (I’m sorry, I had to put another pun in there!)

This assignment allowed me to show more creative freedom in both my drawing/artistic skills and my methods of storytelling/creative writing.

Sunday Sketches~Sketch 6: Ainsley’s Academic Accessories

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  • Folders
    • I have enough papers already, I’ll try and organize them in here.
  • iPad
    • Used for homework, games, doodling, etc.
  • Headphones
    • For the times when I feel like shutting the rest of the world out.
  • Books
    • I put the books for this class at the top…for obvious reasons!
  • Daily Planner
    • My mom made me take this with me…should I tell her I’m actually using it?
  • Self-Care Items
    • As a student, it is important that I maintain a balance between studying and self-care; this includes protecting myself from the sun rays of Georgia.
  • Charger
    • For instances when one of my (many) devices is low on battery.
  • Pencil Case
    • I have too many school supplies…I might as well keep them in the same place.

I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment. It serves as a great way to learn about my classmates through their posts and share some things about myself in the process. I tend to be a very organized person, so setting up the materials wasn’t super hard for me. I decided to omit the backpack from the image because like the rug I took the picture on, the backpack is also gray, and I didn’t want that to become confusing to the viewer(s).

This image is representative of me as a person because it shows the balance between my academic life (as seen by all the school supplies) and my personal/social life (represented by the self-care items). I hope people are able to recognize from this image how both of these aspects are important to me and allow me to live my life to the fullest.

To answer the final question in this prompt, I do believe that representing myself through the things in my bag is a type of writing. While unconventional, it still communicates an idea to the reader/viewer and encourages them to think about what they have just seen in order to gain a deeper understanding of the work itself and/or the person behind the work. I had a lot of fun with this assignment, and I hope people have learned more about me through this assignment!

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