My responses to the provided comic "Nature Boy" by Daniel Clowes:
Does the nine-panel grid create a rhythm and structure to the story?
The nine-panel grid does its job very well by creating a predictable framing and pace and otherwise getting out of the way. This allows the reader to concentrate on what is going on in the story. This is important given the surreal nature of the content which requires more cognitive processing from the reader.
Could any of the sequences be described as from a ‘point of view’ perspective?
Yes, given that we are pointed to focus on the boy from the start, it's logical to assume that panels 4,8-10, and 15 are from his perspective. There are others that are close to it, but you notice little things like the boy's arm in panel 20 or the direction of gaze from the two sitting figures in panel 24.
How does the silent nature of most of the story affect its reading?
The comic is asking you to make up your own mind about what is going on, letting you draw on your own assumptions. This is used as a device by the author to slowly draw you in - only on the page turn do we start to question how realistic his reality is when we see the squirrel with the cotton buds.
Would captions or thought balloons change the feel of the narrative?
I think adding in too much exposition through thought bubbles or captions would detract from the piece at the start. This is as much a compliment to the artists as anything, as that means they solely have to rely on their drawing to convey so much information. The fact that I can see the nuanced levels of apprehension, anxiety and confusion on the boy's face is really impressive.
On the second page, I think I would prefer to see some captions or thought bubbles. This is because, in that position I might start to question the world more in a dream. At the same time, though, I can empathise with having bizarre dreams that you just accept as-is, even though you know they are wrong. I also think that more exposition in the second page might detract from the fatalism we see expressed in page three.
What is the visual style of the story – modern or old-fashioned? Simple or detailed?
The style has an almost woodcut feel to it. The lines are bold and contrast heavy. I liked how the artist left almost an aura of white around the trees to separate them from each other, allowing the artist to create a sense of depth without it being busy. Some of his hatching work feels like a cross between at woodcut and engraving, and his use of black, white and grey also leans towards a hand-printed feel. Whilst the techniques themselves have a vintage feel, the ultimate result is a comic that seems very modern.
Somehow surprisingly for something seemingly woodcut, there are a lot of fine lines and detail in the outdoor scenes. By comparison, the indoor scenes show fewer lines. This is a clever mirroring of the bloated figures on the couch - like how lines on a baloon will move further apart the more you blow it up. A clever use of nagative space.
What, if anything, do you think is the point or moral to the story?
I get a sense of detachment and anxiety from this story. It feels like it's exploring the author's fears of being tethered to a life (a family) that he doesn't fit into. It seems to be talking about a struggle: One side is feeling apart from a place, from people, from the entropy of a home town or family. The other side is the fatalism that you feel that you wont escape this entropic gravity - at the same time accepting but not embracing the assumption that this is your destiny. The figures on the couch are a metaphor for familial passive agressiveness. The words they say seem to say "Go, you can escape. We expect you to ecape. Why haven't you escaped?" Then immediately they make the chance of success impossible - so they can use that against you. And finally they make their conceit visible - that they say they want you to escape, but what they really want is for you to be stuck here with them, so that it makes them feel better. It justifies their choices if you are forced to make the same ones.
The whole story seems like a giant metaphor for emotional blackmail.
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