By the Numbers

Scott McCloud's The Right Number (1) (2) was greatly enhanced by its format. Although there are subtle things happening throughout each part, the action isn't nearly as emphasized as the narration and character development in each panel. Instead of allowing the sense of action to suffer in the back seat, McCloud provides the reader with a way to fill in the gap. If the reader were presented this in a printed comic book or graphic novel style, the eye would scan from one panel to the next with the occasional page flip in between, a slow and potentially boring pace given the highly textual nature of the piece. Because McCloud formatted the story to be told one panel at a time, and the reader needed to click to access each panel, the reader became the active, working balance to the protagonist's passive, thought-heavy storytelling.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jezpage/5057940107/

Not only does The Right Number allow the reader to progress the action through clicking, it actually gives up control of the sequence to the reader by offering individual panel number options at the bottom. Much like the protagonist of the story experimented with numbers to try and find his perfect woman, the reader is able to experiment with panel numbers to create the perfect story.

The Korean comic does the exact opposite. Most readers will follow the story at their own pace, comfortably scrolling along the page. At first the zombie character doesn't seem so terrifying. You can tell by the cliche setting that the creepy figure in the distance is, in fact, going to be creepy as anticipated. But then you lose control of the pace of the panels, and the creature turns unexpectedly quickly. The result is an instant shock to the system, a surprise that pulls the reader in to what might not have been such an enticing story otherwise.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slipstreamblue/2638690797/

Are these two stories following the rules for what a comic should be? According to Le Holy Grail de Wikipedia, and our course textbook, it is the deliberately sequential nature of the pictures that defines the medium. If that's the case, then The Right Number forfeits its credibility as a comic, as the reader can easily destroy the intended sequence of panels. What most people agree is that comics and animation are NOT the same, but does that mean the quick moving panels of the Korean comic also disqualify it from being a comic?

For me, comics are an interactive medium, much like a film that has been slowed down and over-edited in order for the reader to jump in and actively participate in the telling of the story. But then, what differentiates a graphic novel from any other novel that gives the reader some sense of inclusiveness?

I hope by the end of the semester,  I'll be able to define comics more clearly. Otherwise, anything visual could be a comic... or not.