WEEK 1 - Dressed To Kill
What does your clothing say about you?
Lecture Notes
Blog Task - Analyse an item of my own clothing
• Printed on a black, 50% cotton, 50% polyester pullover hoodie
• Printed with soft hand gold shimmer ink
• Custom printed neck/size tag
• Shoulder to shoulder taping
• Double needle stitching throughout
This is my Technoblade "Good Game" hoodie. It's a simple, black hoodie with some printed designs on the front, back and sleeves. Technoblade was a popular Minecraft Youtuber who I adored and watched all of his videos and streams. He passed away from cancer last year and, since his death, his family has continued his legacy by donating a lot of the money made - and continues to make - from sales of his merchandise to SFA (the Sarcoma charity that helped him with his cancer treatment). This particular design comes from a collection that dropped just days after his death was announced as a way to "celebrate" his passing. Technoblade treated the serious subject of his terminal illness with his trademark dry, sarcastic humour and had a long-running gag about using his potential death "for clickbait". This hoodie represents Technoblade's good humour as well as being an ironic commentary of online content creation culture - everything being posted and shared online used for attention and clicks and monetisation; Techno being very aware of this and playing into it at the same time as criticising it. When I wear this hoodie out of the house, on multiple occasions people who recognise it have come up to me to chat about Technoblade and his legacy - it serves as a sign and code to other Technoblade fans.
In additon, Youtuber merch in the past was always seen as a quick way for YouTubers to make some money - easily and cheaply made clothing sold online for expensive prices to their young audience. In the past few years, particularly with the change in the Minecraft YouTube community since 2020 and the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown, with a new generation of Minecraft Youtubers - the very same kids who had grown up watching the originals and purchasing their merchandise and understanding firsthand the negatives of past youtuber merch and wanting to fix these mistakes and to make higher quality items with discreet and thoughtful designs that they would want to wear themselves. Hoodies themselves have always been a staple choice for "Gamers" - comfortable, simple clothing perfect for the type of people who are going to be sat still or focussed on something else for long periods of time and don't want something uncomfortable distracting them or getting in the way. Their versatility with design - from completely plain in neutral colours to elaborate bright designs mean they are perfect to express individual personality as well as (like denim jeans) serve as a secure way to be anonymous; everyone wears hoodies.
• Printed with soft hand gold shimmer ink
• Custom printed neck/size tag
• Shoulder to shoulder taping
• Double needle stitching throughout
This is my Technoblade "Good Game" hoodie. It's a simple, black hoodie with some printed designs on the front, back and sleeves. Technoblade was a popular Minecraft Youtuber who I adored and watched all of his videos and streams. He passed away from cancer last year and, since his death, his family has continued his legacy by donating a lot of the money made - and continues to make - from sales of his merchandise to SFA (the Sarcoma charity that helped him with his cancer treatment). This particular design comes from a collection that dropped just days after his death was announced as a way to "celebrate" his passing. Technoblade treated the serious subject of his terminal illness with his trademark dry, sarcastic humour and had a long-running gag about using his potential death "for clickbait". This hoodie represents Technoblade's good humour as well as being an ironic commentary of online content creation culture - everything being posted and shared online used for attention and clicks and monetisation; Techno being very aware of this and playing into it at the same time as criticising it. When I wear this hoodie out of the house, on multiple occasions people who recognise it have come up to me to chat about Technoblade and his legacy - it serves as a sign and code to other Technoblade fans.
In additon, Youtuber merch in the past was always seen as a quick way for YouTubers to make some money - easily and cheaply made clothing sold online for expensive prices to their young audience. In the past few years, particularly with the change in the Minecraft YouTube community since 2020 and the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown, with a new generation of Minecraft Youtubers - the very same kids who had grown up watching the originals and purchasing their merchandise and understanding firsthand the negatives of past youtuber merch and wanting to fix these mistakes and to make higher quality items with discreet and thoughtful designs that they would want to wear themselves. Hoodies themselves have always been a staple choice for "Gamers" - comfortable, simple clothing perfect for the type of people who are going to be sat still or focussed on something else for long periods of time and don't want something uncomfortable distracting them or getting in the way. Their versatility with design - from completely plain in neutral colours to elaborate bright designs mean they are perfect to express individual personality as well as (like denim jeans) serve as a secure way to be anonymous; everyone wears hoodies.
WEEK 2 - Semiotics
The study of signs and sign systems within society.
Lecture Notes
Blog Task - Review Roland Barthes’ "The World of Wrestling" from "Mythologies"
| mythologies-b-15-25.pdf |
WEEK 3 - Reading Words and Images
Lecture Notes
WEEK 4 - Decoding Advertising
Lecture Notes
WEEK 5 - The Graphic Code of Comics
Lecture Notes
WEEK 6 - Subcultures
Lecture Notes
WEEK 7 - Gender, Identity and Representation
Lecture Notes
ESSAY
Critical Essay: 2000 words (Due: 4pm Friday 12th May 2023)
Essay Format;
- 2000 words - includes all quotations/citations in main body of essay - 10% leeway.
- include front sheet on essay with essay question/title, name & date and programme studied
- pages should be numbered
- 12pt text > justified on both sides > double spaced
- long quotations not incorporated into the main body of text must be single spaced and indented
- If appropriate include selected images/examples, either in the body of the essay or within the appendices.
- all sources, quotations, images need to be clearly and consistently referenced using the Harvard system of referencing.
- include a full bibliography
Essay Format;
- 2000 words - includes all quotations/citations in main body of essay - 10% leeway.
- include front sheet on essay with essay question/title, name & date and programme studied
- pages should be numbered
- 12pt text > justified on both sides > double spaced
- long quotations not incorporated into the main body of text must be single spaced and indented
- If appropriate include selected images/examples, either in the body of the essay or within the appendices.
- all sources, quotations, images need to be clearly and consistently referenced using the Harvard system of referencing.
- include a full bibliography
QUESTION
Sequential Illustration: Choose two graphic novels and conduct a close formal analysis and comparison of your chosen texts.
Focus your analysis on select examples of single pages or double page spreads and address the following points:
i) the architecture of the page (structure, layout and reader orientation),
ii) use of media (drawn elements, style),
iii) balance between type and image (anchorage) in the conveyance of the story and
iv) sequencing of panels and the passage of time. Key differences in approach? How effective is the mobilisation of page design and structure to convey the story and impact on reader engagement?
Make appropriate reference to academic material to support your arguments.
Focus your analysis on select examples of single pages or double page spreads and address the following points:
i) the architecture of the page (structure, layout and reader orientation),
ii) use of media (drawn elements, style),
iii) balance between type and image (anchorage) in the conveyance of the story and
iv) sequencing of panels and the passage of time. Key differences in approach? How effective is the mobilisation of page design and structure to convey the story and impact on reader engagement?
Make appropriate reference to academic material to support your arguments.
SOURCES
- Dave Gibbons and Tim Pilcher - How Comics Work
- Scott McCloud - Making Comics
| mccloud_closure_and_transition_table.pdf |
- Damien MacDonald - Anatomy of Comics
- Paul Gravett - Comic Art
| paul_gravett_comics_art_pp_22-33.pdf |
- Nick Dodds - Spatial Poetics
| dodds_aoi_varoomlab_journal_pgs_42_-_50_.pdf |
Analysis of Paper Girls
i) the architecture of the page (structure, layout and reader orientation)
- six panels, all different sizes
- first panel full bleed into top of page to represent that it happens instantly, attached to the previous page
- third panel is incredibly long and thin because it shows a creature quickly taking flight so it represents the quick action of it flying directly upwards, escaping
ii) use of media (drawn elements, style)
- story is set in the 80s, so choices made in the visual style to reflect that. line weight and quality, colours, printed quality
- drawn, inked coloured, type all done be different people?
- coloured digitally
iii) balance between type and image (anchorage) in the conveyance of the story
- type used for sound effects
- type used for speech
- different typeface used for different sounds, explosion uses big thick sans serif but the creature noise uses a thinner, sharper serif
- uses intersecting word-picture combinations, would be able to understand what was going on in the scene without the words/images but the combination works best together
iv) sequencing of panels and the passage of time.
1->2 action to action
2->3 subject to subject
3->4 subject to subject
4->5 subject to subject/action to action?
5->6 moment to moment
- six panels, all different sizes
- first panel full bleed into top of page to represent that it happens instantly, attached to the previous page
- third panel is incredibly long and thin because it shows a creature quickly taking flight so it represents the quick action of it flying directly upwards, escaping
ii) use of media (drawn elements, style)
- story is set in the 80s, so choices made in the visual style to reflect that. line weight and quality, colours, printed quality
- drawn, inked coloured, type all done be different people?
- coloured digitally
iii) balance between type and image (anchorage) in the conveyance of the story
- type used for sound effects
- type used for speech
- different typeface used for different sounds, explosion uses big thick sans serif but the creature noise uses a thinner, sharper serif
- uses intersecting word-picture combinations, would be able to understand what was going on in the scene without the words/images but the combination works best together
iv) sequencing of panels and the passage of time.
1->2 action to action
2->3 subject to subject
3->4 subject to subject
4->5 subject to subject/action to action?
5->6 moment to moment
Analysis of Star Wars: The Destiny Path
i) the architecture of the page (structure, layout and reader orientation)
- five panels
- first and last panel are full bleed
- middle three panels overlap the first and last, communicates that this moment happens very fast, first and last panel is one moment to the next. middle three is details/happening simultaneously
ii) use of media (drawn elements, style)
- drawn by
- inked
- digitised and coloured digitally
iii) balance between type and image (anchorage) in the conveyance of the story
- type used for sound effects
- type used for speech
- different typeface used for different noises, R2-D2's sounds are blue and binary to represent a droid, mechanical and uniform but the explosion sound effect is huge and shaky and ununiform. the noise the booby trap panel makes is mechanical too but a lot quieter so the text is smaller
- anchorage (convergent/interdependent) (making comics page 130) because we would not be able to hear the sound R2 makes because he does not have an expression. his personality and emotions are conveyed through noises and the way they are represented in text
- we would not be able to know what luke is thinking, he is talking aloud to himself, the text allows the viewer more context that could not be shown in just the images. amplified
iv) sequencing of panels and the passage of time.
1->2 moment to moment
2->3 aspect to aspect (action?)
3->4 aspect to aspect?
4->5 subject to action
The whole thing is pretty much moment to moment?
in the first panel anchorage is used to convey that luke is nervous, text is able to tell the viewer he is nervous while he seems brave by walking into the cave. nerves could also be portrayed by the moment to moment panel, draws out the scene and gives a sense that he has paused/is being cautious, is reluctant to step forward
- five panels
- first and last panel are full bleed
- middle three panels overlap the first and last, communicates that this moment happens very fast, first and last panel is one moment to the next. middle three is details/happening simultaneously
ii) use of media (drawn elements, style)
- drawn by
- inked
- digitised and coloured digitally
iii) balance between type and image (anchorage) in the conveyance of the story
- type used for sound effects
- type used for speech
- different typeface used for different noises, R2-D2's sounds are blue and binary to represent a droid, mechanical and uniform but the explosion sound effect is huge and shaky and ununiform. the noise the booby trap panel makes is mechanical too but a lot quieter so the text is smaller
- anchorage (convergent/interdependent) (making comics page 130) because we would not be able to hear the sound R2 makes because he does not have an expression. his personality and emotions are conveyed through noises and the way they are represented in text
- we would not be able to know what luke is thinking, he is talking aloud to himself, the text allows the viewer more context that could not be shown in just the images. amplified
iv) sequencing of panels and the passage of time.
1->2 moment to moment
2->3 aspect to aspect (action?)
3->4 aspect to aspect?
4->5 subject to action
The whole thing is pretty much moment to moment?
in the first panel anchorage is used to convey that luke is nervous, text is able to tell the viewer he is nervous while he seems brave by walking into the cave. nerves could also be portrayed by the moment to moment panel, draws out the scene and gives a sense that he has paused/is being cautious, is reluctant to step forward