The Patterns of Comics: Visual Languages of Comics from Asia, Europe, and North America

The Patterns of Comics examines the cross-cultural variation in symbology, layout, and storytelling between various visual languages, revealing how comics have changed over 80 years. It compares American comics and Japanese manga, analyzes Bill Wattersons Calvin and Hobbes, and shows how these regularities connect to the organizing principles of all languages.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 28 December 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Comics, a captivating global phenomenon, exhibit a remarkable diversity of visual styles that transcend geographical boundaries. However, it is intriguing to note that while the visual aesthetics of comics from Asia, Europe, and the United States may differ, there exists a subtlety in the underlying structures of these visual narratives. Could it be that these comics are actually drawn in distinct visual languages, each with its unique structural characteristics that vary across cultures? To delve into these questions, The Patterns of Comics undertakes a comprehensive analysis of an annotated corpus comprising over 36,000 panels from over 350 comics originating from Asia, Europe, and the United States. This data-driven approach unveils the profound cross-cultural variations in symbology, layout, and storytelling among various visual languages. It explores how comics have evolved over the past 80 years, comparing, for instance, the subtypes within American comics and Japanese manga, and examining the formal properties of Bill Wattersons iconic Calvin and Hobbes series throughout its entire 10-year run. Throughout this exploration, The Patterns of Comics not only uncovers the intricate patterns within and across comic panels but also demonstrates how these regularities in the visual languages of comics connect to the fundamental organizing principles of all languages.

Weight: 478g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350381643