Cartoon Terminology

Negative space

Empty space around an object or a person, the unfilled background on the page. Any time you analyze a piece of visual art, it is important to comment both on what is included AND what is left out. Negative or blank space always has a purpose.

Speech bubble

In comics, readers read characters' dialogue through their speech bubbles.

Thought bubbles

Often depictated as cloud-like bubbles, can let the reader know what a character is thinking

Voice-over

The voice of an unseen narrator. A term often used in film, but it can also be used in comics. The narrator's words appear above or below the panel. Keep in mind that writers does not have much space for long prose in comics.

Panel

A distinct segment of the comic, containing a combination of image and text in endless variety. At first glance you will notice that comics are divided into multiple frames and/or panels. These panels help build a sense of time and space. Some panels do not even have a frame.

Gutter

What happens between the panels? In comics, readers actively have to "fill in the gap" and make assumptions about what happens between frame pictures or panels. Gutters are the space in between the panels. Following the design principle of "what is left out is as important as what is included", the gutter plays a key role in constructing meaning.

Symbol

Anything that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. Comics (political or cartoon ones) have to convey a message succinctly. Symbols are useful in communicating abstract ideas effectively.

Emanata

Dots, lines, exclamation points, tear drops, motion lines or other similar drawings that can depict emotion, motion or sound. The text or icons that represent (not say) what is going on in a character's head.

Camera angle

The angle at which the "camera" is pointed at the subject, where we see the character from. It may seem strange to think of a camera angle when analyzing a drawing, but cartoonists use angles consciously all the time to give their readers a perspective on their characters.

Punchline

The climax of a joke, the last part of a story or a joke that explains the meaning of what has happened previously or makes it funny. This feature is typical in comic strips as they tend to build up to a single phrase or word which makes one want to laugh.

Comics

A genre (like novels); a story told in pictures

Comic strip

A complete sequence of drawings that tell a story

Cartoonist

The person/people who create a cartoon through writing and drawing. It can sometimes be a collaboration between a writer and a visual artist.

Panel/frame

One single drawing that contains a segment of action. Typically surrounded by a border/outline/gutter that can be used to indicate a feeling or situation such as a flashback or emotion and tension. Panels are organized sequentially, but not necessarily linearly.

Tier

A single row of panels (typically: one of a series of rows or levels)

Closure

When we are not shown everything, but assume the rest is there. When we only see a part of something, but perceive the whole. We infer from what we see.
For example: We only see a woman's torso, but assumes she has legs.

Gutters (part 2)

The space between panels. Each panel is a moment in time and not every moment can be shown, so our minds fill the intervening moments, creating the illusion of time and motion. The spaces between the panels is subject to interference and interpretation. Panel transitions can be varied: they can be moment-to-moment, action-to-action, scene-to-scene, non-sequitur.

Splash page

A panel that takes up the whole (double) page of a comic. Large, full-page illustration used to capture the reader's attention. Often used at the beginning of a novel to introduce it with the title.

Spread

An image or panel that takes up more than one page

Speech balloon

Contains the characters' dialogue

Thought balloon

Contains a character's unvoiced thoughts that creates depth for the reader. They are usually shaped as a cloud with bubbles leading up to it as a pointer. Other shapes can be purposefully used to express emotion. E.g. sharp balloons can indicate shouting and/oranger and dripping ones sarcasm.

Caption/text

The words that appear in a box seperated from the rest of the panel, either above, below or to the side. It is often used to give voice to the narrator, but can also be used for characters' thoughts or dialogue, a title, explanation for a picture, etc.

Emanata, Sound effects (or onomatopoeia)

Words that mimic sounds. Non-vocal sound images.

Varying degrees of abstraction

A scale of how abstract and realistic drawings can be. Representational are realistic drawings that look just like reality (the extreme). Iconic are very simple structures such as smilies (the other extreme).

Caricature

an exaggeration of certain characteristics to create a comic or grotesque effect

Heading

a title at the head of a page or section of a book.

Symmatry

Same on both sides; effect is beauty?

Memoir

A historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources

Satire

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

Uniformity

Sameness, unvarying, homogenous, alike

Point of view

the perspective from which a story is told

Juxtaposition

Two things put together for contrasting effect