Comic Book Conventions (No, not that kind!)

[The Mutt]

I'm talking about certain comic book art conventions that we have just come to accept and understand, like thought balloons, and like Sue Richards being drawn as dotted lines, or multiple images of Flash when he runs, or masks that are just colored faces.

How did these things get started? Was Kirby the first to draw dotted line invisibility? Who invented speed lines? Does Mister Terrific glue his mask to the inside of his lips?

Who first drew Pow and Bam on a fight scene?

Which conventions do you like? Which do you not?

[foxley]

I'm pretty sure the dotted lines to represent invisible characters go back to at least Invisible Kid in the Legion of Super-Heroes and he debuted about a year before the Fantastic Four. I think may even go all the way back to the Invisible Hood who first appeared in Smash Comics #1 in 1939.

[The Mutt]

I'm pretty sure the dotted lines to represent invisible characters go back to at least Invisible Kid in the Legion of Super-Heroes and he debuted about a year before the Fantastic Four. I think may even go all the way back to the Invisible Hood who first appeared in Smash Comics #1 in 1939.

if he was invisible, why did he need a hood?

[foxley]

if he was invisible, why did he need a hood?

The hood was part of the costume that granted him his invisibility. If he hadn't been wearing it, his head would have been visible.

[dancj]

Does Mister Terrific glue his mask to the inside of his lips?
Does Mr Terrific have a mask? I thought it was face paint.

[Huh?]

I have always loved stink lines. Think about that for a second. It is pretty amazing that we can tell if something smells bad without reading that it does. For me, it is a great example of an effective comic convention.

[The Mutt]

I have always loved stink lines. Think about that for a second. It is pretty amazing that we can tell if something smells bad without reading that it does. For me, it is a great example of an effective comic convention.

When I read Stink Lines, I knew exactly what you meant. Add a tiny flying insect for extra stinky goodness.

[suedenim]

if he was invisible, why did he need a hood?

No, no, it's the hood that was invisible! Think how cool that would be, the ability to keep your head warm and dry at all times... and nobody has any idea how you're doing it, because your hood is invisible!

:)

But seriously, one of my favorites of all time is the Steve Ditko "half-mask and wavy lines" to show when Peter Parker's spider-sense is going off.

The other thing that fascinates me is how many of these conventions are widely-understood, but still culture-specific. The Japanese have a whole raft of 'em that seem utterly bizarre to Westerners (as, perhaps, some of ours like "stink lines" do to them?)

[yo go re]

Like the one giant drop of sweat that signifies embarrassment?


Does Mr Terrific have a mask? I thought it was face paint.
Nope, that's actually a mask he can peel off...

[suedenim]

Like the one giant drop of sweat that signifies embarrassment?


Yeah, exactly, though that one's not *too* far removed from Western conventions, as the "sweat = embarrassment" idea is not unknown, it's just not depicted quite so abstractly.

But stuff like the nose bleed = horniness(? I think that's it?) A Westerner wouldn't guess that in a million years without context or explanation.

Oh, yeah, one other convention unique to comics that I only recently realized *was* unique when I read someone pointing to it: the mystery-villain-in-shadows plotting in a secretive foreshadowing scene, who will only later be revealed as... the hero's friend, Mr./Ms. X!

You can't really do this in any other medium, at least not as freely, but in comics, you don't even need to reveal the gender of the mystery villain, as we can't actually hear his/her voice!

[zuludelta]

Oh, yeah, one other convention unique to comics that I only recently realized *was* unique when I read someone pointing to it: the mystery-villain-in-shadows plotting in a secretive foreshadowing scene, who will only later be revealed as... the hero's friend, Mr./Ms. X!

You can't really do this in any other medium, at least not as freely, but in comics, you don't even need to reveal the gender of the mystery villain, as we can't actually hear his/her voice!

I came upon the same realization when i was reading the Ultimates 2 TPBs: In that one scene where Hank Pym is talking to the unrevealed traitor, you couldn't even guess the gender of the traitor because he/she was mostly off-panel (the gender would've been a dead giveaway as to the traitor's identity), and I immediately thought, there's no way they could have done this exact same scene in film.

While I like that modern comics are borrowing more liberally from techniques in film and photography, I like it so much better when they do things that can only be done in the medium of comics.

[dancj]

But stuff like the nose bleed = horniness(? I think that's it?) A Westerner wouldn't guess that in a million years without context or explanation.
I could be wrong I thing that actually represents an orgasm. You're right about westerners never guessing that though

[Grazzt]

Oh, yeah, one other convention unique to comics that I only recently realized *was* unique when I read someone pointing to it: the mystery-villain-in-shadows plotting in a secretive foreshadowing scene, who will only later be revealed as... the hero's friend, Mr./Ms. X!

You can't really do this in any other medium, at least not as freely, but in comics, you don't even need to reveal the gender of the mystery villain, as we can't actually hear his/her voice!

My favourite example of this: in "Mad Love", Harley Quinn is confessing to her psychiatrist (said psychiatrist is off panel) that she's in love with the Joker. The psychiatrist (from off panel) gives an insightful explanation as to why she fell in love with the Joker. She tells the psychiatrist, "I knew you'd understand!" and then we get the reveal that the psychiatrist is the Joker (who says "Any time."). They tried to do that scene on the cartoon adaptation, but it didn't work as well because you knew who the psychiatrist was thanks to the voice.

[Omar Karindu]

How about what I like to call "Comic-Book Hypnosis," the idea that a) hypnotizing someone is quick and easy, aminly a matter of training and eye contact; b) hypnosis is mind control, unlike real life wherein it's a voluntary state in which the subject can't be forced into radically uncharacteristic or genuinely involuntary actions; and c) permits the implantation of complex, layered commands and trigger words to the point of sometimes allowing structured hallucinations that give the hypnotized person instructions!

I guess this one has gone beyond comics for decades now, but it still seems that comics are the place we see it most often.

[The Mutt]

How about what I like to call "Comic-Book Hypnosis," the idea that a) hypnotizing someone is quick and easy, aminly a matter of training and eye contact; b) hypnosis is mind control, unlike real life wherein it's a voluntary state in which the subject can't be forced into radically uncharacteristic or genuinely involuntary actions; and c) permits the implantation of complex, layered commands and trigger words to the point of sometimes allowing structured hallucinations that give the hypnotized person instructions!

I guess this one has gone beyond comics for decades now, but it still seems that comics are the place we see it most often.

Usually with hand gestures and wavy lines coming out of the fingers.

One of the series of Reacher novels (which I absolutely love) had hypnosis as a major plot point. I felt totally cheated. It was like a UFO had landed on an episode of The Sopranos.