Comics: Yes or No?

Photo Provided by: Jon Delorey

    Our assignment was to read two online examples and to determine if they have the elements involved to consider them actual comics, or graphic novels.  The first selection that I read was Scott McCloud's  "The Right Number", parts one and two. The main aspect that I think makes this piece a comic is that it has a story. Comics always tell some genre of story."The Right Number" is a romantic drama about a single man struggling with relationships and with  trying finding the right woman. Another aspect of this piece that makes it a comic is that it yields pictures, narration boxes, and text bubbles. I think that these features certainly compare to the elements of a traditional comic. The feature that made this web comic very unique was the method that one would read it. Instead of reading from left to right and from frame to frame, the reader clicks on the existing frame and the next frame comes into focus. I liked this aspect at first, until my head started hurting from the combination of reading one movement right after one another. This is definitely not a traditional comic, but an interesting type of comic, especially since Scott McCloud created it. I personally am not a huge fan of this style, but I did enjoy the story.
     The other online piece that I read is on a website that anyone can join. Additionally, they can upload comics that they have created themselves. This website  offers many different types of genres of comics that could appeal to young and old, and it is a site to show off talent and creativity in the realm of  producing comics. For example, I read a comic in the fantasy genre, called "Athra".  It is a continuing comic that features new parts of the story every Thursday. This comic I believe, is much more like a traditional comic in that it has proper frames that lead the reader onto the next page. It contains all of the traditional parts included in a paper graphic novel, except that it is online.
     I think that these comics are like traditional comics, but they are an updated species, or more modern spin off, of actual comics. I like how Scott McCloud and others who make comics for the web are exploring new ways to make comics fun to read!