Facial expressions in comics: an empirical consideration of McCloud’s proposal

Abstract

In Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels (2006), Scott McCloud proposes that the use of specific drawing techniques will enable viewers to reliably deduce different degrees of intensity of the six basic emotions from facial expressions in comics. Furthermore, he suggests that an accomplished comics artist can combine the components of facial expressions conveying the basic emotions to produce complex expressions, many of which are supposedly distinct and recognizable enough to be named. This article presents an empirical investigation and assessment of the validity of these claims, based on the results obtained from three questionnaires. Each of the questionnaires deals with one of the aspects of McCloud’s proposal: face expression intensity, labelling and compositionality. The data show that the tasks at hand were much more difficult than would have been expected on the basis of McCloud’s proposal, with the intensity matching task being the most successful of the three.

Meaning above (and in) the head: Combinatorial visual morphology from comics and emoji

“…a Depicts conventional upfixes frequently found in visual media (comics, cartoons, emoji), while b depicts unconventional upfixes which are novel, produced for this study "agree" with the upfix: A storm cloud upfix should appear awkward above a happy face, while a lightbulb should seem awkward above a confused face (Cohn, 2013). This combination allows upfixes and faces to work together in creating a singular construal, clarifying facial emotions that may be ambiguous on their own (Stamenković et al, 2018). Because upfixes are argued to involve a productive lexical schema, novel forms floating above characters' heads could "fill the slots" of the schema that remain interpretable as some form of cognitive or emotional state.…”

Centring animal experience through comics-based research: The case of Pavlov’s dogs

“…If we accept that identifying and empathising is more complex than McCloud acknowledges, the benefits of a particular style for empathising with nonhuman others can be advanced cautiously at best, and ideally on the basis of reader-response research (e.g. Stamenković, Tasić and Forceville 2018). All that said, in terms of this specific affordance, by focusing on the dog's expressions, movements and interactions in a consistent and distinctive style, the illustrator is crafting a series of identifiable nonhuman characters, providing opportunities for connection.…”

The Depiction of Family and Self in Children's Picture Books

“…As Kress and Van Leeuwen suggest, these looks may invite a variety of responses from viewers. They can communicate self-confidence (in DBB, JIaM, TKtMH, ATMT), sadness and despair (in KK, TSD, KaK [Figure 12.5]), confusion (LMBS, TSD), fear (MMaM), narcissist self-centeredness (both the dragon and prince Ronald in TPBP), and happiness (MaMAGM), inviting engagement by the reader (Dreamers, GG, OCF, WWWA, BoBB, TFS, ATMT [Figure 12.8], DR, KaK) -although admittedly it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between emotions, while they moreover may be combined (see Stamenković et al 2018). In LSoMS, Hurricane, OS, TFS, it is pets that show a demand look.…”