The Digitalization of Comic Books

Podcast of this blog entry 

            With the digitalization of books and novels, and the newest in portable electronic devices, it is not surprising that comics have been trying their hand at it as well.  The advantages of digital comics outweigh the traditional paper format as far as durability and longevity, but does it take away from the traditional reading experience?  Some purists think so.  But there is more than one way to read a comic book.  A digitized format just needs to cater to the uniqueness of that experience.  In respects to this, the movement of comics from paper to a digital screen has changed the way comics are to be read.

            At first, comics put in digital format were no more complex than a scanned page.  This seemed the way to go, as enthusiasts still looked to the paper format as their original, while the digitized version would be a sort of archive.  However, if one wanted to read the comic on their computer, the limitations of this format were apparent.  The mise-en-page hardly mattered as much because of all the challenges the digital format posed.  The readability of a scanned page tended to be too small when seen in full-page view, and the clarity deteriorated the more the reader zoomed it in.  There was also too much scrolling around with the zoomed images.  This distracted the reader from the actual comic book reading experience and could have stopped the reading of comics on a screen in its tracks.

            However, techies who were comic book inclined realized the success of the comic book format not only lay in the hands of the creator, but of how it is read as well.  An author not only wants the reader to read a story, they want the reader to be engaged.  There are now specific programs, called readers, which enhance a digitized comic book reading experience.  It is meant to bring even more focus to the action and story that the author is telling.  As a screen is a different viewing format than a comic book page, these readers are typically automated programs that control the panel-to-panel transition speeds.  This helps to convey the sense of emotion in the story.  Other features include action animations and even special effects that would make your reader vibrate when there's an explosion or gunfire. 

            With this innovative way of reading digitized comic books, creators will no doubt find ways to take full advantage of this new reading experience.  This is a positive, as it brings the creators closer to their audience, and spawns more creativity from both sides.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and the Superheroes in the Early 1960s (Part 2)

Podcast of this blog entry 

          Lee's literary contributions were revolutionary to the superhero world.  His superheroes spoke like the general public, with slang and even some attitude.  They also had very detailed back-stories, citing how they came to exist and how they managed to get into their present situation.  What's more is that the storylines and plotlines for the characters were realistic and relatable to the general public.  He knew how to captivate and touch his readers.

            Kirby already had experience in creating superheroes for Marvel.  He was fundamental in the creation of Captain America back in the '40s.  When he decided to help out Lee, and Marvel, his creativity was unstoppable.  Kirby's drawing style drew in the reader's gaze towards the action.  His ability to best illustrate Lee's stories was instinctual.  His dynamic drawing style eventually became known as Marvel's "house style" of drawing, and illustrators still used his technique as their guide, even after Kirby left the company.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and the Superheroes in the Early 1960s (part 1)

My Podcast

I used Podomatic.com to make an account on which I will be recording podcasts. Here is my public profile.


This is my "test" podcast. I used Audacity to record it. Here is the link:

http://merboo.podomatic.com/entry/2011-06-13T14_34_02-07_00

I have a bit of a sore throat so forgive the sound of my voice!

Three of my Favourite Videos

For this post, I used Blogger's "Insert a Video" feature that is found in the toolbar directly above the text box. I like this better than embedding a video link from Youtube because Blogger will format it to the right dimensions for my page. Also, this feature permits you to browse Youtube if you don't know the exact video you want to post.

I really love music and dance so my three favourite videos are of people dancing to great songs. These are just a few of many :)

Philip Chbeeb, Andrew Baterina and Jordan Kolar performing to "Sleepy Head" by Passion Pit

 

Dominic Sandoval and Sabra Johnson perform to "Make it Work" by Ne-yo

Ray Charles performing "Twist It" in "The Blues Brothers" movie

Interesting and Informative Youtube videos about Computer Hardware

For this post, I used the "embed" feature that Youtube offers when you want to share a link, hence the ill-fitting videos.

This first video is about a site that aims to teach you how to be your own information technologist. It's really interesting and a good intro if you would like to learn more about a computer's hardware and what they mean.


This second video shows you how to install RAM into your desktop computer. The man giving the instruction also brings awareness to electrostatic shock and what to do to before you start work on your PC to avoid damaging your computer.


This third video is about installing a graphics card. I like how the man showing the task emphasizes that you must be careful and gentle when installing hardware. I find not enough people are aware of how delicate the hardware is.


This last video is just for fun. Somebody managed to make all sorts of peripherals make noise in the tune of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. It's impressive.

Personal Profile

I am Marion Buan and I am currently enrolled at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. I am finishing a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Studies. I am hoping to take this degree further by enrolling in SFU's Education Program next year. I would like to become a French Immersion Elementary school teacher. I am taking a full course load this summer, with classes in Economics and Marketing. All of them are introductory classes, as I need credits towards my degree. I attended UVic back in 1995 to major in Applied Linguistics. In 2000, I ended up getting a job in a French Immersion elementary school in Vancouver and I had been working as a Teacher's Aid and a Special Education Assistant since. I will be going back into teaching elementary, hopefully in a French Immersion School.
Other than attending classes, my hobbies are dancing (mostly Filipino folk dancing), and dragon boating (I am the drummer, not a paddler). I also am very interested in photography and blogging. I am always keeping my eyes open for new useful applications for my iPhone because now it acts as my main tool for photography and mobile blogging.