Brian Feis: Words and Images in Comics

(Image from Planetmarkus.com)

Words and Images seem like different forms of communication, when in fact the most successful communication combines both of these aspects. This type of communication is used in everything from advertisement and signage, to the wonderful world of comic books. On Tuesday November 2^nd, design one had the privilege of hearing graphic novelist Brian Fies talk about his creative process, as well as underlying principles of comic book design. Throughout the lecture, Fies referenced interaction between words and images by showing examples from his book; “Mom's Cancer” .

“Mom's Cancer” depicts the family ordeal Fies's mother's battle with incurable lung cancer. The material began as a web comic and a way for Fies to cope with the situation, but soon ballooned to such popularity that Fies received an offer to publish the comic as a full book. Throughout the book Fies uses words and images to explain the experience of his mother undergoing cancer treatment, and the experience dealing with the traumatic situation. Fies stated that his process starts with words. Not only does he develop the script, but also decides on the location of the words to guide the position of the images. He then illustrates the the script he has created. By creating the words first, Feis can create images that solidify his message and bring better understanding to the reader. The images work to enhance the story already being told by the words.

(From http://markc1.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/cancer_comic.jpg)

One of the most interesting aspects of Fies's book, as well as the comic medium in general, is the ability of different types of images to convey different levels of reality and emotion. This relates back to the idea of gestalt psychology in comics, and as Fies said “Distilling something to it's essence”. Feis could have designed each character (especially his mother) with great detail, implying a greater sense of reality, but instead chose a simpler character design that allows the viewer to see the characters as more universal. This allows readers to place themselves in the situation, allowing them to deal with a similar situation as to what Feis and his family dealt with. While the words remain the same, the choice of images to depict those words  can greatly alter the mood and overall effect of a comic.