1. Focus points on my comic
Narrative structure
My chosen comic will be laid out in a standard fashion for a comic, consisting of the
panels being read from left to right. The first panel will start at the top left of the page
and end at the bottom right of the page. By using this somewhat linear layout meaning
that the events portrayed in the comic happen in linear form, will help make the comic
easy to read and will prevent readers from becoming confused about the story being
told.
The comic will have an anti-realist look to it and therefore will not be designed to
portray realistic looking characters or environments. Instead I will be applying my own
style to it, consisting of a dark cartoonish style to it. My initial designs for the comic have
been inspired by artwork from artists such as Tim Burton, American McGee, George Grie
and Mark Ryden who all have a somewhat Macabre and dark look to their work despite
the non realistic approach to the design of their art.
Components
The opening is intended to follow on from the original Wizard of Oz, almost concluding
what happens after Dorothy returns from her last adventure. The conflicts that take
place in the comic are intended to make the reader almost pity the pain and suffering
that Dorothy the main character has had to experience, however it will be laid out so
that when she is in the real world the pain she experiences is mentally where as the pain
experienced in Oz will be physical. The main conflict that takes place in the comic is the
conflict between Dorothy and the main antagonist who is the Tin-man. At first he tries to
confront Dorothy by causing emotional pain to her before attempting to damage her
further by attacking her. The conflict though is ended with the apparent death of the
Tin-man as he fails to fulfill his original intentions. The main enigma of the comic is
Dorothy trying to find out the cause behind the corruption of Oz, which she does not
know of, and henceforth why she travels forth in search of the answer. The comic will be
laid out so that various clues are given throughout the comic before a final conclusion is
revealed, leaving it up to the reader to try and piece together the main idea behind what
is really happening behind the story.
Image construction
The comic will be laid out in two ways, one during the sequences where Dorothy is in Oz
and the other when Dorothy is in the real world. When Dorothy is in the real world the
comic will be laid out with simple panels but the panels will be shown in sepia and
grayscale tone. The reason I am doing this is because I want to try and show he dullness
of the environment that Dorothy now lives in. All sequences that take place in Kansas
will be done in ither Sepia or Grayscale.
However during the sequences in oz the panels will be full of colour in order to show the
once cheery environment that Oz used to consist of. I will though be laying out the
panels so that they represent shattered glass as this will help illustrate the madness and
insanity that Dorothy is experiencing when she enters Oz due to it being all a figment of
her imagination.
The font will be a standard black font, as I do not wish to make the text too complex for
the readers.