The online comic I analyzed for this blog is called “Pup” and it is posted at: http://www.drewweing.com/pup/04pup.html. This comic is about a philosophical dog and his two naïve cat friends. Another good example of the comic is at: http://www.drewweing.com/pup/01pup.html. The comic I am analyzing is called “Deep Thoughts.” In the comic one of the cats sees pup walking by and wonders what he is thinking about. He assumes pup is thinking deep thoughts, but when we get to the end of the comic we see that pup is just thinking about eating a hamburger. I liked this comic because it is humorous but it illuminates some deep and interesting ideas. I think this has been an important function of comics and cartoons, which is a concept that McCloud doesn’t talk about very much in the book.
This cartoon uses bubble symbols that the reader recognizes as indicators of thoughts, not communication or actions. We see the cat, Kitzel, thinking about what pup is thinking about. This is a concept that would be somewhat difficult to describe with words alone, and it is much easier shown through images. It provides for an interesting visual. Pup has a masking effect in it, where some of the colors within the panel are more vibrant than others. In this particular Pup comic the most vibrant colors are applied to the images within thought bubbles. This seems to put emphasis on the thoughts as being more important than the reality outside of them. The ideas are given more weight than reality.
The characters are simplified, but still more detailed than many cartoons. I don’t think the simplification of the characters, in this case, leads the reader to relate more greatly to the characters. Even if they were more detailed we could relate. This is probably because they are animals. It is interesting that through personification the reader can relate to the animals though.
We could get the main point of the comic just by looking at two panels; the third panel and the fifth, but the words in the other panels help to set the scene and make it easier for the reader to understand the main point of the comic. The panels are a mix of moment-to-moment and action-to-action. This is because the action involved is thought and the thoughts are relayed moment-to-moment. The final two panels are arranged as aspect-to-aspect. This is where we leave the aspect of Kitzel’s thoughts and enter the aspect of Pup’s thoughts. Between the fourth and fifth panels the reader is required to participate in the action and make the connection that we have stopped looking into the thoughts of Kitzel and have entered the thoughts of Pup. We must deduct, visually, that this is not Kitzel thinking about Pup, but Pup thinking his own thoughts. There are visual indicators, such as the thought bubble coming from Pup’s head, and the fact that Kitzel is not depicted in the panel. We still assume, through closure within the sequence of images, that Kitzel is still at the scene, across the street. We also assume that Pup’s thoughts are taking place within the same time frame as Kitzel’s thoughts about his thoughts. Words and images work together to illustrate the ideas of the characters, and the most important thoughts are shown using pictures.
Even though there isn’t a violent act, or even a very exciting action in reality, the reader is a participant in viewing the thoughts of the characters. As readers we are given psychic powers to read into the thoughts of others. Kitzel never learns what pup is actually thinking, but we do. Like McCloud wrote on p.68, “Every act committed to paper by the comics artist is aided and abetted by a silent accomplice.” Even if that act is only omniscience.
Overall this comic plays on what McCloud explains on p.39, “All the things we experience in life can be separated into two realms, the realm of the concept and the realm of the senses.” In this case, the senses can be illustrated in the concept of thought and the thoughts are presented at least as sensually as the reality of the scene outside the characters’ thoughts.
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