Krista's Blog Post 5: Time, Motion, and Emotion

*Image extracted from: http://comics.com/Peanuts/2009-10-15 (refer to this in case the comic is not completely legible)

Time, motion, and emotion are all very important aspects in comics and can play off of one another. They are all linked and help relay a comic's message in a powerful way. Each of them play a specific role within this particular Schulz masterpiece. The light-hearted, quick-witted, and fast-paced manner in which he uses to create his comics is shown clearly in this example. Here, Charlie Brown "calls out" (if you will) Lucy for being a "crab" all the time and claims that she has forgotten how to smile. When she tries to show him that she has not forgotten and attempts to smile, she unknowingly makes a frown instead. She was embarrassed because it had seemed that Charlie Brown was right all along - she did forget how to smile!

Time:

The amount of time it would take to read this comic is about the same time it would take for the actual event to occur. Like most of his comics, this specific Schulz piece is very fast-paced. I think he understood the excitement and interest that people have in reading things quickly and in the present.

Motion:

Of course we all know that there is no motion happening in a comic strip, but when reading this particular work it is easy to sort of "see" it unfold onto paper. Their facial expressions, hand gestures, and where Charlie and Lucy are standing in reference to each other all tell a great deal about what is happening in this comic. Even without dialogue the character's "motion", so to speak, could be easily seen and interpreted. With all of the confrontation occurring I find it interesting that the only motion lines that are really used can be seen on the sides of Charlie and Lucy's eyes. Although they may seem minimal, they do a great deal at expressing their emotion, which seems to link very closely with the idea of emotion in comics...

Emotion:

It's no wonder that 'motion' and 'emotion' are so similar because they are so closely linked. Through their "motion," Charlie and Lucy's emotion(s) are viewed with more ease and understanding. There is a great deal of intense emotion going on, such as Charlie's annoyance and anger toward Lucy for her forgetfulness on how to smile. In addition, Lucy portrays great annoyance and anger as well at her counter point, and is eventually embarrassed at the end upon her realization that she did forget how to smile. Although these emotions are negative, they offer comedic relief, nonetheless. Emotion is shown through their illustrastions, "motion," and of course, their dialogue.

It is quite amazing how much life, character, and personality can be created onto a simple sheet of paper using concepts such as time, motion, and emotion...