Mykx pointed over to this comic by Joseph Lambert. Of particular interest to me are two pages where Lambert forces the reader to follow a right to left path through the page/panels. This can be a tricky endeavor for readers trained to go left-right, left-right, left-right down a page. Lambert uses an reverse-L shaped panel to get the read from the end of one strip down to the next strip and moving left.
In this example from page 2, he uses word balloons which cross over the horizontal boundary from one strip to the next. This leads the reader from top to bottom and then the man’s figure starts the reader moving to the left. This is an interesting layout, but it also seems unmotivated. Why force the reader to read in an opposite direction for this sequence?
In a similar lay-out in page 5, he uses blue wind lines to move the reader down and across the page, aided by the placement of the figures. This one is even more effective because the contrary movement fits with the content. The character’s are being blown back to their starting point.
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6 Responses to “Right to Left”
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I remember some really effective use of that “reverse-L” composition in Swamp Thing, (vol. 2, I think just a couple of issues before Alan Moore took over)–and I think I can recall something similar in Man-Thing. I don’t know why I’m thinking specifically of 70s/80s swamp monster comics, but that’s what came to mind. Unless I’m confusing them, and both examples I remember come from Swamp Thing.
these are similar to Brian Chippendale’s work (I know you’ve talked about Ninja here before); except (to me) these read much more easily than his stuff, since there are more cues for the reversal. I really like Ninja, but the only way you realize that you’re reading the panels in the wrong directions is when it makes absolutely no sense, as opposed to when you’re reading in the right direction and you can just piece together the sense that is there… with Brian’s work I think that changing your reading direction and habits is part of stepping into his way of viewing the world.
(derik I got your email & am writing back; I just got done with a huge amount of work & a deadline yesterday, so now I have some space to breathe, relax, send long-overdue replies etc.!)
[...] sequence from the comic, ©2008 Joseph Lambert. Link via Derik Badman, who comments on some of the story’s formalist [...]
Andre: I don’t have either of the Things comics. I’d love to see a good example (or a reference to one that I can track down).
Jean: I love your description of reading Ninja and knowing if you are going the right way.
The thing about Chippendale’s stuff is he has to tell you to read the comic in that snaking manner, there are generally no visual clues to get/force the reader to right backwards.
One thing this has taught me is that I need to sort out my aliases.
I really love that second example that you posted. It´s also interesting that he has at times items overlap throughout the panels, but not all the items in those panels. Like the moon and the cloud in the lower half of page four.
I just used the alias attached to my source of information. Personal brand management is important though.