A Semi-Brief History of the Visual Narrative

As language is intuitive, I have not given much thought on the science of language in a way that linguistics does. Once I began to reevaluate what thought I knew compared to what I actually knew, only then did I become so fascinated by the intricacies of human communication. Each of the readings deepened and challenged my understanding of human language. There were two aspects of language that particularly stood out to me in the readings – creativity and complexity and how the two applied in a social context.

“Comic is a magazine or book that contains a set of stories told in pictures with a small amount of writing” (Cambridge Dictionaries, n.d.). Once as the entertainment for the lower class, comic books are now widely considered to be capable of expressing complex and profound information by using both literary and visual art forms. In the book “Seduction of the Innocent,” Dr. Frederic Wertham warned the parents to keep their children away from the comic books so their minds will not be wrapped with the fantasy of the stories as they grow up; yet, nowadays, many commentators are studying the myth and exploring the world of comics, such as Spiderman, Captain America, and Uncle Scrooge. Comic shows the psychological impact of gestures, visual styles,

Whether an artist sits at a work desk or steps up to an easel, they all have a common goal; to create a message. Some express their message through visual mediums and others through text. Each type has its pros and cons but certain messages are more accurately represented by a specific medium.

The creation of "superhero comic books presents an effective way to convey and implant positive messages into the minds of the readers. It also helps that the issues of the comic books are relatable and is often the current issue of the time," says Sharon Lamb, a highly distinguished psychologist. "Comic book issues often revolve around the topic of drugs, bullying, racism and corruption, as they were the issues faced by the society at that time," explained theartifice.com Each 'episode' became a way to exclaim the wrongness of the problems and its urgency to be ceased.

For over a century comic books have been around changing the way generations look at each other using satire and other forms of humor to express ideas through art and story . For as long as these small stories have existed, people have been inspired by and changed by them. Moreover, ideas have been expressed, either being controversial or agreed on by a large majority. The influence they have had over different generations has changed the perspectives of people on topics such as war, propaganda and activism. Comic books can leave a legacy that can continue over time, either talking about how going to is heroic or it is something that is unjust depending on a writers point of view. Certain books and ideas such as superheroes have inspired

The superhero archetype is traditionally a staple of the comic book medium. The Golden Age of comics, a period of comic publishing between the 1930s and early 1950s, was rife with larger-than-life super-human figures, who often served as an escape from the anxieties produced by war and everyday life. Superheroes like Superman, Batman, and Captain America function as cultural representations of idealism and the American Dream. However, representations of heroism in comic books has shifted significantly since the bright-eyed idealism and Romanticism of the Golden Age. In the Modern Age of comic publishing, contemporary comics tend to appropriate, adapt, and deconstruct tropes from the Golden and Silver Age of comics. Ultimately,

Visual language is a lens through which we categorise and interpret visual information in order to understand the world, society and the human condition. The process of reading the visual world relies on the assumption that the images and symbols in art can have inherent meaning. Visual literacy is based on an accumulation of knowledge that develops a repertoire of symbolic representations. Historical and cultural references and images can be viewed as a library of visual information that is continually added to as society and its communications evolve and change. Some past artistic symbols retain their currency whilst others lose their potency or relevance and fade from use over time. Through artistic symbolic

In his book, Seduction of the Innocent, Dr. Frederic Wertham maintained that comics were leading to an increase in juvenile crime rates in the 1950s, which was widely accepted as truth by the public although the “evidence” was unfounded (Class Notes 1/28/2016). Wertham’s

We see them everywhere: on billboards, in magazines, at bus stops, in the mail, on television, and even in stadiums. ‘Images’ are everywhere and they are so compelling that we cannot not watch them. They are very seductive that in fact they have revolutionized human social communication forever. Oral and written communication are in decline because a new form of communication has emerged which is communication by image. For example, a flag works as an image because it suggests a long history of stories that are buried inside us that will evoke emotions and memories deep within us. However, today’s images have taken on new meanings in the modern American culture and illustrate the power of today’s

The first thing that can be heard when you start a conversation with someone about comics is about how he read them as a child. Usually, people think - "I just read it as a child, comics are only for children." However, this is not just a stereotype, but the fact, if we talk about comics first half of XX century. Comics were born not only as entertainment, but also influenced by Comics Code

Comic book art is the Pez dispenser of modernism. The aesthetics of this accessible medium walk side by side with pop culture. No other art form can reach so many people due to its incredible volume. Each Wednesday of every week brings new issues of titles that have been in circulation for decades. Despite the vast numbers that arrive at retailers each month and the respect they sometimes receive (like Art Speigelman's

“We live in an image filled world. Whether they are encountered in galleries, the internet or elsewhere, images challenge us. They cause us to reflect and to question our assumptions about ourselves and others. Diversity lies in the fact that we

Centuries ago, long before the thoughts of man were transcribed into words, drawings were used to convey the thoughts and ideas, each telling a story like no other, with an even greater discord between the accurate meanings of the story and meaning which the reader garnered from the tale. Fast forward a few centuries to a time where stories were ultimately being shared by word of mouth, altering a bit from the original thoughts and ideas of the author who formerly spoke the tale. Traveling yet a few more centuries now to a time where stories are now written and transcribed, not only by hand but also, finally, by printing press. This illustrious invention paved the way for those who wished to share their

The language is the main communication channel for the human species. As humans are social beings, thorough understanding of the language is essential for coherent and correct communication that can lead to good, clear transmission of ideas, meanings and subtle nuances the way people intend to. In former times, humans relied on symbols and drawings to make their messages known, their system of communication being quite rudimentary compared to what we have today, when the language has seen an accelerated development and has grown into such broad directions that people cannot even possibly know the entire array of meanings and significations. In the following, the paper will go through a list of words, trying to explain what they mean and give examples of their uses.

Language and Art share many similar tendencies. In language, as with earlier forms of Art, representation plays a large role. Language acts as a representation of some elaborate envisioned concept(s), Writing as a representation of a sounded phonic language, and Art as a representation of some subject(s). Within these mediums exist elements that make Art and Language and, by extension, Writing successful. ese are the signifiers. e signifiers are built imperfectly, they summon up signs other than those intended based on frequency of usage, misusage and place contextually. ey are influenced by a multitude of extra-textual forces. It is from these axioms, that Structuralism and thence, Deconstructivism take form.