American Born Chinese that utilizes Scott McClouds Understanding Comics as a Supporting Resource - Term Paper Example

American Born Chinese that utilizes Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics as a Supporting Resource Introduction In the entertainment industry, there are different ways through which an individual can get the entertainment that they want. Comics are a form of entertainment and through the years, many more people have become attached to comics. Comics can be defined as a cast that is meant to cause laughter. They are humorous, amusing and hilarious. They are visuals that are used to express ideas through the use of images. These images are usually combined with text and other textural devices that include speech balloons. Also included are sound effects, narration, dialogue and captions. In comics, the most famous forms of visuals are cartoons and other similar forms. Though comics are cartoons, many people do not understand the whole concept behind the comics and graphic books. Throughout history, there has been the existence of comics and they come in different languages. Comic strips are usually short comics that in the obvious sense appear in newspapers. Comic strips are different from comic books. Comic books are much more detailed and the entire context of the books is usually the cartoon animations. Comics have become popular with people of all ages because once an individual understand the way comics operate, they are able to relate to them. In this essay, attention will be focused on the comic book; American Born Chinese that utilizes Scott McCloud’s; understanding comics as a supporting resource (MacCloud, 193). The American Born Chinese comic book is a book that has utilized different qualities such as closure, humor, time and also various graphic design elements. Topic chosen Textural type graphic design element The American Born Chinese is a graphic novel that is written by Gene Luen Yang. It was released in the year 2006 and it has worn a number of awards. The book has been used by many people and in particular it has been used in schools in order to help the students become motivated to learn and also to relate to their lives and other people’s lives. The graphics of the book has been able to make the readers understand the facts and relate to the text. The writer uses different themes and writing styles to ensure that the book is understandable to the reader. The book’s major themes include the racial struggles and stereotypes and also transformation and understanding identity (Yang and Lark, 136). Though comics are meant to induce laughter and be hilarious, the American Born Chinese is a book that brings about more than laughter and amusement. It brings out the teachings and the lives of the everyday people. The book focused on the lives of the people and how they encounter everyday challenges. It is about knowing oneself and learning to love oneself fully. It is about learning how to cope with the struggle that people undergo throughout their lifetime. American Born Chinese is a graphic novel that is used in education to equip the learners with life skills. The book used different graphic design elements such as the art illustration to convey the message. There is also the texture, the font sizes, the alignment, color, spacing and also the lines and shapes. Using these, the author points to the reader the places that are of much interest than the other. He points out the rich context of the graphic novel (Yang and Lark, 201) Visual elements of the text are very important when it comes to graphic novels. In the book, the author is able to manipulate the words that they may convey deeper meaning and pass on the message. Using the Scott McCloud’s book; understanding comics, it is possible to see why the author places much emphasis on manipulating the words the graphic novel (MacCloud, 193). In order for an individual to understand the whole concept and message behind graphic novels, they should first be able to understand and follow the texts (Yang and Lark, 156). In the American Born Chinese, the author is able to manipulate the words so that he can ensure that the readers understand. An example is seen when he uses the word ‘coolie’, placing them in brackets and italics so that it can capture the reader’s attention. He does this by making sure that the words which are translated from Chinese are enclosed in arrows. This, as Scott points out, indicates that the author of the novel wants the reader to dwell more on understanding the novel rather than dwell on the graphic design of the book. This is seen when he uses his textural richness to show how the stereotype, Chin-Kee changes his L’s for R’s when making a speech about racism. Yang here is able to show this by making the L’s and R’s bold and italic. This is a way to capture the attention of the reader. Scott defines comics as a form of art and that understanding comics are about understanding literature and the artistic medium that comes with it (MacCloud, 53). The type that is used to write a graphic novel is very important. In graphic design, Scott indicates that the goal of the writing is not only to place text on a page for the reader to read; but placing the text in the novel so that the reader can understand and use it to communicate effectively. Choice of fonts matters, the sizes, color, alignment and also the spacing (MacCloud, 185). This is seen when the Monkey Kind is told that he cannot attend a celestial party dinner because he is a monkey. The monkey wants to attend the party so that he may be able to look like a human being. He is told that he cannot attend the party because he does not have shoes. This is when the Monkey King becomes angry and beats up all the people in the party. The author is able to indicate this by being able to build up the words that Monkey King says. The words pop off the pages and this indicate the anger that he has. The words that are used in textual format are written in such a way that they bring out the level of discriminatory remarks of the statement (MacCloud, 118). Looking through the graphic novel, it is easy to spot that the Yang has incorporated these features. The texts that he uses can be seen to have an effect on the creation of images and shapes throughout the novel. By enclosing the translated Chinese words in arrows, Yang is able to ensure that the reader understand the whole message behind the writing of the novel. Scott indicates that the notion that comics are cartoon stories that dwell on the bad art and guys in tights should be left in the past. His notion is that comics are limitless and exciting and in order for a reader to discover all these facts about comics, then they have to be led by the author of the novel. This means that the author needs to consider all the things that the reader is looking for while reading the book. By looking at Yang’s book, he manages to do just that. The way he places his texts; ensuring that there are different font sizes in different sections in order to capture and draw the attention of the reader. He also ensures that the alignment is different, together with the spacing of the texts. According to Scott, the author of a graphic novel needs to think beyond what the reader can see. The author needs to create a part of the novel that will fascinate the author. In Yang’s book, the author is able to incorporate this fact. He is able to change the sounds and incorporate them into texts. By changing the sounds into texts, the author is able to create a rich atmosphere through which the reader can relate to the story and the author (Yang and Lark, 111). Another example is when the writer uses the Latin words written in italic; Memento mori and memento bestie, to show how the words are used and also invoke response from the reader. He is able to show and communicate the different emotions depicted in the novel through the richness of his texts types. Yang’s graphic novel is a novel that basically tells the story of how people are racially discriminated and how they are mistreated because of their skin color and thus they do not belong. The author uses the different types of typeface to show and depict these emotions. This can be seen when the angry gods complain to the Monkey King when he beats them up in order to show who is king. They are angered by the Monkey King’s actions for beating up the people at the party. After the Monkey king beat up the people, he angered the gods and this made them complain. The texts used to phrase their words are bold, and they pop out to indicate anger. He is able to use the roman, italic, bold, light, extended and also combined styles to show how these emotions come out. The book contains different emotions such as anger, happiness, love and also hate. Showing these affections through the texts is a way of making sure that the reader is able to understand the context of the book. Through the writing, the author is able to display a variety of emotions that in the general sense need to be shown in such a novel that has a basis story such as discrimination (Yang and Lark, 30-31). The use of such are intended to produce a sort of emotion from the reader. Scott indicates that a reader should be able to relate to the information that is displayed on the graphic novel. They are able to show that they perceive the entire message being revealed by the writer. Yang uses factors such as the different sizes, different fonts and the different levels of letter thickness to show the textual format of the novel. These forms of texts change throughout the novel. This can be seen when, after reaching his new school, the teacher introduces a Jin Wang’s name wrong and it is written in an italic way to indicate the wrongness of the word. Jin Wang is transferred to another school so that he may be able to start again. The teacher does not pronounce the name well and it is seen in the speech brackets as the author is able to make the words italic. They change in ways that make the reader become more drawn to them because they seem to attract the reader’s attention. They make the key words pop off from the page and thus, this makes it hard for the reader to miss the key words. Scott indicates that the only way that the comic industry will grow and become a popular form of entertainment will be achieved if the authors of comic books and graphic novels are able to portray art as a form of livelihood for people (MacCloud, 138). Both the words in the texts and the pictures of the novel function together both in an independent and dependent way. They are able to relate to one another and one without the other would make the meaning of the novel become totally different. Scott indicates that the color of the letters in the text, the panel layout, the perspective and the lettering styles all have to be considered in order for them reader to be able to read and interpret the graphic novel. Using this summary, it is easy to see why there are a lot of different forms of texts in the novel. Yang is able to show the importance of texts on every page of the book. When it comes to displaying anger, he is able to use the bold letters in the texts. He is also able to relate to the reader by ensuring that words are translated to as to allow the reader to understand without a problem. Another factor is that he is able to depict calm emotion through the texts by using texts that are of normal size. Some of the texts in the bold format are large enough to be observed from a distance. This goes to show that the author incorporates the various styles of writing that every comic writer should. The author uses different textural styles to show communication between the Monkey King and the guard when he is not allowed into the party (Yang and Lark, 222-223). There is also the use of change of color of the texts and this is also used to portray the different emotions and themes of the novel. Color, as Scott puts it, indicates the different physical and emotional effects that people are bound to have once they have read the novel (MacCloud, 63). It is a visual medium that brings about an understanding of the situation. Through the words, it is evident that the words are the ones that guide how the pictures are going to be interpreted. The texts, in order to show the different levels and types of literary texts, are placed in thought balloons, and speech bubbles. The different forms of texts used indicate the situation that the graphic novel depicts. For example, when placing the texts in the speech bubble, there are different fonts and styles used. When placing the texts in a thought balloon, the author is able to place them in such a way that they indicate a moment to themselves. Conclusion The novel is written in the traditional sense which means that the author pays a lot of attention to keen detail and in ensuring the reader is able to appreciate the traditional way of novel writing. Through the use of the different text writing styles, the author is able to create a connection with the reader; a connection that prompts the reader to relate to the author and the story in question. The language and the form of the novel indicate that the author has been able to incorporate the different writing styles that are supported and told by Scott in his book; Understanding comics. Comic books should not only be about bad art, little guys in tights and stories that are considered stupid, but they should be about themes that relate to the day to day lives of people and should have a style different from other forms of writing yet portray the same message (MacCloud, 23). Works Cited Yang, Gene L, and Lark Pien. American Born Chinese. New York: First Second, 2007. Print. MacCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: [the Invisible Art]. New York: Harper Collins, 2006. Print. Read More