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Understanding

Comics

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Compare/Contrast Written

and Visual EssayWRITTEN ESSAYS

Pictures

Short

Emotion expressed

through facial

expressions/lines

around faces

More likely to be

entertainingCan see setting and

characters

Frames

Dialogue bubble

Words

Paper 

Pen/

Pencil

Expressauthor’s

point-of-

view

No pictures-only word

pictures

Emotion expressed

through words alone

Less likely to be

entertaining

Details about setting

and characters written,not drawn

Explained in sentence

and paragraph form

More likely to be more

serious than a comic

VISUAL ESSAYS

BOTH

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Humanities Connection:

Comic Art

Physical characteristics-what do they

look like

Personality characteristics-are they

kind, evil, funny, silly, etc.

Typical behavior characteristics-whatis their trademark move, what do they

usually do

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Standard Vs. Non-standard

English

When writing, you can write either formally or informally

Most of the time, in school, you will be writing

formally

The type of words you choose depend on your 

 AUDIENCE

The words you choose when writing a letter to a

friend SHOULD BE different from the words youchoose when writing an essay for class even if you

are writing about the same topic

Practice with both kinds of language on p. 170 wkst.

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Using Visuals as Key to

Meaning Pictures that add humor-pictures are intended

to make you laugh

Pictures that add details-pictures that take lessroom to actually show in a picture than it would

take to write it out

Pictures that signal flashback or fantasy-character is flashing back to an earlier point in

his life or dreaming about something he wants

to happen

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Literary Analysis-Visual Essay

How are the characteristics of a persuasive essay

accomplished in “Understanding Comics”? 

-Logical/emotional appeals: makes sense or tells a story that

is sweet or sad or evokes an emotion

-Opinions supported by reasons/evidence: author gives anopinion and then backs it up with proof 

-Facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes: author gives

percentages, numbers, definitions

-Expert opinions: author has support for an opinion by tellingwhat the expert comic artists say about the subject

-Identifies opposing positions: what would someone say that

didn’t like comics? 

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Now, you try! Using what you have learned about the differences

between written and visual essays, create a visualessay about what you want to do when yougraduate high school.

Minimum 6 colored frames

Be sure to show emotion through facialexpressions, lines around faces, etc.

Use dialogue bubbles

You may use nonstandard English (but keep it G-Rated, of course!)

Be sure you are adding appropriate details to your drawings so that it makes up the parts of the essaythat would normally have to be written out andexplained in words