Storytelling Through Pictures - Less is More?

Abby: Yay! You're back since your last update! What is our conversation going to be about this time?

Me: Oh, you're still here? Umm...I guess we can talk about last night's readings. The one about comics and the other stuff in Persepolis. What did you think of them?

Abby: So far I like these "readings." They have lots of pictures in them, so it's like a children's book. They're easy to understand.

Me: I wouldn't really say that pictures are associated with "childish" reading. It's just another medium to convey a message. Like McCloud's reading said: comics are a balance (or imbalance) between words and images used to tell a story. So comics can be so much more than just a "picture book."

Abby: But they're so simple to read! I'm a dog and I can tell what's happening.

Me: That is true, however, simplicity does not equal less importance of a message. Sometimes lack of fancy visuals can emphasize the actual content. Even though it's not really a comic, think of The Muppets. Obviously, Kermit the Frog is a puppet. The creators don't put that much effort into trying to make Kermit look like a real frog. He is clearly made of felt. Once you get over the fact that Kermit is not supposed to look realistic, you focus more on the content and dialogue of what his character has to say. You forget that he's a frog or a puppet for that matter, which in turn makes The Muppets a very witty and well written show.

Abby: And that's what you think about comics?

Me: In a way, yes. Persepolis is drawn very simplistic: just black and white comic strips. But that can make a big impact. One image that stood out to me was when Marjane Satrapi visualizes how her friend's dad describes prison torture. He describes how one man was chopped to pieces. As a child, she visualizes the image like how one imagines chopping a fruit. The actual torture was much more bloody. The simple image tells us much more about the imagination of a child than a realistic/graphic gore-filled picture.

Abby: So showing less doesn't necessarily mean it's less important?

Me: Yes, in some cases. Wait, why am I talking to a dog at 12:23 at night?