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mattfractionblog:

bendiswordsforpictures:

The visual linguistics of a comic book page

Inside Science recently wrote about the study by UCSD’s Neil Cohn, Navigating Comics, which looks at the underlying structure of the comics language:

People who read the English written word scan text from left to right. Once our eyes hit the end of the page, we stop. Then ding!, like an old-time typewriter, our eyes shift downward and snap back to the left to start reading the next line. This is known as a “Z-path,” as our eyes whip about like the end of Zorro’s sword.

But that linear track gets derailed in comics with complex layouts and Cohn wanted to know if experienced readers had strategies to follow along.

Cohn rustled up 145 participants at the 2004 Comic-Con International, a comic book convention held in San Diego. Participants had varying experience with reading comics, ranging from “never” to “often.”

Each participant was given a booklet containing 12 pages of blank panels. Each page was independent of the rest and used different design techniques.

Read More →

I met Neil Cohn outside of the old Comic Relief; Rory Root introduced us. Neil had literally just come from getting his monograph EARLY WRITINGS ON VISUAL LANGUAGE back from the printer. He gave Rory and I a copy each — we spoke on the street for a few minutes and I walked away with a head full of stars. That book, along with Ben Saunders’, Charles Hatfield’s Kirby book, and a few others I’m sure I could think up if I paused to stop typing long enough, are must have, must read, must learns if you’re a comics-obsessed, form-and-function-obsessed, process-obsessed maniac like me. That he’s continued to explore the way we read comics — and writes about it on his blog — delights me to no end. He has no reason to remember the meeting, but it was one of those chance street encounters that changed my life.

Thanks, Neil. And, once again — thanks, Rory.

(EDIT: the essay referred to in the link above is here)

(via themedusacascade)

Newtown Cafes

I finally convinced Andrew that Newtown was a happening place, and we went there for dinner.…

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gamerisms:

pyroflasher:

boycameron:

indieintellectual:

concerningmishas:

I’M SORRY BUT THIS REALLY PISSED ME OFF AND I NEEDED TO VENT.

So I liked this page last year for the shits and gigs, as you do. I found it funny, and let slide the few sexist posts.

Only recently- and after I got a tumblr- did I really start to notice the abundance of rape, sexist and racist jokes appearing on my news feed. And it pissed me off.

I said nothing, however, because what could I do? Send in a message to the page and get labelled a whore and a slut by the Admins as I’ve seen so many people do? 

Then this motherfucking gem popped up.

I usually don’t get involved in these sorts of things; if I do my comment gets lost more often than not and goes unnoticed. But I had to comment, I really had to.

I thought my argument was valid and whole, and I was actually rather happy when he admin directly replied to my comment. 

I narrowed down my five favourite games ever and posted them.

Of course, I got beaten and labeled down once again. 

When I asked for a rational clarification of his definitions of “casual” and “core” he did not reply. It was only when I directly insinuated the bias of his claim did I get a response. 

“A feminist I see.  No arguments need to be made. Good luck with getting them eggs fertilized”

Note the use of “feminist” as an insult.

I have had my fair share of gender specific hate regarding gaming. I get told I am a fake and a bitch if I get a high score; I get told to “suck a dick because you are better at that, bitch” if I get a low score; I get told to “get back in the kitchen, slut” without any prompt at all, simply because I have a vagina. 

I am beyond sick of this. I hate the fact that if a male who hypothetically plays a few hours of CoD can be easily called a gamer by the wider community but I if were to say that I was a level 34 on Skyrim I would immediately be called a fake geek girl, a casual gamer and a liar.

I hate the fact that, even though 45% of gaming consumers are female, developers and publishers still believe that there is not a large enough demographic for female protagonists.

I hate the fact that most women in video games are no more than sexulised objects in skimpy clothing.

I hate the fact that I cannot enjoy a game without being labeled and branded because of the fact that I posses a vagina and not a penis.

~sorry about the long post clogging up your dash. I needed to vent~

Off-topic somewhat, but important.

why this

and i must scream

Seriously, this woman literally said that her favorite games including GEARS OF WAR and SKYRIM and the dude can take that and immediately refute it as casual! Why? She could have said that she’s level 47 on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer, has played every Silent Hill game, can tell you the entire back stories of the war between assassins and templars in Assassin’s Creed, and she would still get dismissed because she’s a woman and therefore ineligible for the categorization of hardcore gamer. There are men who live to play games like Animal Crossing, Nintendogs, and Little Big Planet, and women who thrive on Bioshock, Uncharted, and Resident Evil, but the former would never be questioned as being a “true gamer,” while the latter will always have to face guys like the one in the Facebook conversation who question their gaming prowess.

It just goes to show that matter what, if you are a woman and you say that you play video games, there will always be some male douchebag heckling at you, saying that you are not a true gamer and will pull arguments out of their asses to make them feel like they have a right to bully you.

(via ohialyssathisisbeths)

Lighten Up :)

I’m mildly infatuated with the amount of light my living room receives.

Apparently photographers…

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abelrunner:

consulting-hylian:

biggest plot twist of the entire series

Good boy, Hannibal.

Good boy.

(via ohialyssathisisbeths)