Pantomime comics
Pantomime comics or a silent comic are comics which are delivered in mime. They make use of little to no dialogue, speech balloons or captions written underneath the images. Instead the stories or gags are told entirely through pictures.[1]
Definition
Pantomime comics have the advantage of being easily understandable to people - like children - who are slow readers. The genre is also universally popular since translation is not required, lacking the usual language barriers. Sergio Aragonés, a famous artist in the field, once said in a 1991 interview with Comics Journal: "What happens is like a supersimplification. “Something you can say with words, you have to eliminate all the words until it can be told in a little story without words. You just think a little longer. But it becomes rewarding in the end because everybody can understand your cartoons no matter what your nationality. And that, to me, has been always a big thing—to do cartoons that everybody can understand, every age, every nationality. It is different. It’s like in the theater. You have regular theater, and you have pantomime, like Marcel Marceau or Alejandro Jodorowsky. And I apply that to cartooning and it works.".[2] Pantomime comics tend to be popular in the gag-a-day comics genre, where they typically only exist of just three or four images per episode. But some graphic novels with longer narratives also make use of pantomime. This allows for a more visual experience, where the actual meaning of the events is left to the readers' own interpretation. Some famous pantomime comics artists are Sergio Aragonés,[3] Guy Bara,[4] Chaval,[5] Henning Dahl Mikkelsen,[6] Adolf Oberländer,[7] Wil Raymakers,[8] Otto Soglow [9], Gluyas Williams [10] and Jim Woodring.[11]
List of well known pantomime comics
Argentina
Belgium
- 25 Images de la Passion d'un Homme (25 Images of a Man's Passion) by Frans Masereel. [14]
- Balthazar by Bob de Moor.[15]
- Cet Aimable M. Mops (The Loveable M. Mops) by Hergé. [16]
- Fireplug kung fu by Eco.[17]
- Histoire Sans Paroles (Story Without Words) by Frans Masereel. [18]
- The Idea (The Idea) by Frans Masereel. [19]
- Klopstock by Sinap (pseudonym of Armand Panis). [20]
- Love Story by Eco.[21]
- Het Manneke by Marc Payot [22] and Paul Ausloos.[23]
- Max L'Explorateur (Max the Explorer) by Guy Bara.[24]
- Mon Livre D'Heures (My Book of Hours) by Frans Masereel. [25]
- De Perfesser by Punt. [26]
- Plunk by Luc Cromheecke and Laurent Letzer.[27]
- Pollopof by Marc Sleen.[28]
- Prosper by Ploeg.[29]
- Poussy by Peyo. [30]
- De Slag om Turnhout by Conz.[31]
- Le Soleil (The Sun) by Frans Masereel. [32]
- La Ville (The City) by Frans Masereel. [33]
Canada
- The Life and Times of Conrad Black by George Walker.
- The Mysterious Death of Tom Thomson by George Walker.
- Pour un Dîner de Noël by Raoul Barré. [34]
- Southern Cross by Laurence Hyde.
- Tales From The Vase by Billy Mavreas.[35]
China
- Mr. Chu and Aunt Eight by Mak Man-chung [36] (occasionally makes use of pantomime).
- Old Master Q by Alfonso Wong (occasionally makes use of pantomime). [37]
- Sanmao by Zhang Leping. [38]
Denmark
- Alfredo by Cosper and Jørgen Mogensen. [39]
- Ferd'nand by Henning Dahl Mikkelsen.[40]
- Rasmus by Jørgen Clevin. [41]
Finland
France
- Arzach by Moebius.[43]
- L'Enclos by Blexoblex.[44]
- Mistouflet by Aldé.[45]
- Monsieur Mouche by Rab.[46]
- La Mouche by Lewis Trondheim.[47]
- Le Pantin by Michel Alzéal.[48]
- Passages by Thibault Poursin.[49]
- Petit Père Noël by Thierry Robin and Lewis Trondheim. [50]
- Pervers Pépère by Marcel Gotlib.[51]
- Professeur Nimbus by André Daix.[52]
- Les Souris by Pierre Clément. [53]
Germany
- Die Abenteur des kleinen Ako by Klaus Vonderwerth. [54]
- Albert by Klaus Vonderwerth. [55]
- Der Löwe Adolar by Becker-Kasch. [56]
- Männer ohner Worte by Frank Floethmann. [57]
- Pascha Bumsti by Ferdinand Barlog.[58]
- Schicksal (Destiny) by Otto Nückel.
- Une semaine de bonté by Max Ernst.
- Vater und Sohn by E.O. Plauen, aka Erich Ohser. [59]
Hungary
- A Francia Bonne Álma (The French Nurses Dream or The French Nanny's Dream), a 1911 gag comic by Bit, which took the interest of famous psychologists Sándor Ferenczi and Sigmund Freud. [60]
Japan
- Gon by Masashi Tanaka. [61]
- Kuri-chan by Susumu Nemoto [62]
Mexico
- Pedrito by William de la Torre. [63]
The Netherlands
- Annemoon by Patty Klein and Piet Wijn. [64]
- Bertje Branie by Ger Sligte. [65]
- Boes by Wil Raymakers and Thys Wilms.[66]
- Flossie by Gerard Wiegel.[67]
- Gutsman by Erik Kriek. [68]
- Het Leven in Karikatuur by Leendert Jordaan. [69]
- Loeki de Leeuw by Wil Raymakers.[70]
- Mieke Meijer by Ger Sligte. [71]
- Paradiso by Len Munnik.[72]
- Pieterje Stastok by Steiner. [73]
- Professor Pi by Bob Van den Born. [74]
- Simpelman by Wim van Wieringen. [75]
The Philippines
- Beelzebub by Malang Santos. [76]
- Chain Gang Charlie by Malang Santos. [77]
- Kosmé the Cop [Retired] by Malang Santos. [78]
- Malangs Menagerie by Malang Santos. [79]
- Pocholo by Malang Santos. [80]
Poland
- Sans Titre by Jerzy Skarzynski.[81]
Spain
Sweden
- Adamson (known as Silent Sam in the USA) by Oscar Jacobsson.[84]
- Ba-Ba by Sten Rinaldo.[85]
- Gorillan Gusten by Jan Romare. [86]
- Götlund by Birger Malmborg. [87]
- Gus by Gunnar Persson.[88]
- Mannen Som Gör Vad Som Faller Honom In (The Man Who Does Whatever Comes To His Mind) by Oskar Andersson. [89]
- Mullvaden Malte by Jan Romare. [90]
- Pyton by Jan Romare. [91]
- Ugglan Urban by Jan Romare. [92]
- Ur Igelkotten Huberts Dagbok by Jan Romare. [93]
United Kingdom
- Brenda Breeze by Rolfe.[94]
- Caesar by Tim.[95]
- Chicko by Norman Thelwell. [96]
- Come on, Steve! by Roland Davies.[97]
- Les Aventures des Deux Barbus (The Adventures of the Bearded Duo) by Harold Mack for the Marten Toonder studios. [98]
- Little Dead-Eye Dick by Charles Holt.[99]
- Louie by Harry Hanan. [100]
- Perkins by John Miles. [101]
- The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. [102]
- Sporting Sam by Reg Wootton.[103]
- THHRP! by Leo Baxendale. [104]
- Uncle Charlie by Peter Laing. [105]
United States
- Age of Reptiles by Ricardo Delgado.
- The Ambassador by Otto Soglow.[106]
- Doctor Bill by Jack Tippit. [107]
- Fox Bunny Funny by Andy Hartzell. [108]
- Frank by Jim Woodring.[109]
- Gods' Man by Lynd Ward. [110]
- Grindstone George by Clifton Meek. [111]
- Hannah by Courtney Dunkel [112]
- Hawks & Doves by Al Jaffee.[113]
- He Done Her Wrong by Milt Gross. [114]
- Henry by Carl Thomas Anderson.[115]
- Johnny Mouse by Clifton Meek. [116]
- Korgi by Christian Slade.
- Lancelittle by Paul Sellers. [117]
- Little Farmer by Kern Pederson.[118]
- Liō by Mark Tatulli.[119][120]
- The Little King by Otto Soglow.[121][122]
- A Mad Look At... and Marginals by Sergio Aragones.[123]
- Madman's Drum by Lynd Ward. [124]
- Owly by Andy Runton.
- Prelude to a Million Years by Lynd Ward. [125]
- Sad Sack by George Baker started out as a pantomime comic, but later became a speech balloon comic.[126]
- Sentinel Louie by Otto Soglow.[127]
- Song Without Words by Lynd Ward. [128]
- Splinters by William Steinigans (started out as pantomime comic, but after some episodes it began using dialogue). [129]
- Sticks and Stones by Peter Kuper. [130]
- Sticky by Dale Lazarov and Steve MacIsaac.
- The Strange World of Mr. Mum by Irving Phillips.[131]
- The System by Peter Kuper. [132]
- Tall Tales by Al Jaffee.[133]
- Travelin' Gus by Otto Soglow.[134]
- Vertigo by Lynd Ward. [135]
- Wild Pilgrimage by Lynd Ward. [136]
Yugoslavia
- Ljuba Truba by Milorad Dobrić. [137]
Sources
- ↑ http://kickstartart.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/KSALesson_Comic-Strip.pdf
- ↑ http://www.tcj.com/sergio-aragones-and-the-art-of-pantomime-cartooning/
- ↑ http://www.tcj.com/sergio-aragones-and-the-art-of-pantomime-cartooning/
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/bara.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/chaval.htm
- ↑ http://toonopedia.com/ferdnand.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/o/oberlander_adolf.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/r/raymakers_w.htm
- ↑ http://www.tcj.com/otto-soglow-and-the-little-king-the-silent-runs-deep/
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/williams_gluyas.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/woodring.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/corne.htm
- ↑ Sunday Comics Debt, blog entry posted August 9, 2010.
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/masereel_frans.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/d/de-moor_bob.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/h/herge.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/e/eco.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/masereel_frans.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/masereel_frans.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/sinap.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/e/eco.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/payot_mark.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/ausloos_paul.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/bara.htm
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- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/aa_jan_van_der.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/cromheecke.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/sleen.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/ploeg.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/peyo.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/conz.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/masereel_frans.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/masereel_frans.htm
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- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/trondheim.htm
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- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/bit.htm
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- ↑ http://weekly.kingfeatures.com/?team=comics
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- ↑ http://www.vincenzina.net/museo/1LittleFarmer.asp
- ↑ http://kickstartart.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/KSALesson_Comic-Strip.pdf
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/tatulli_mark.htm
- ↑ https://books.google.be/books?id=oG-6Wex5CqQC&pg=PT99&lpg=PT99&dq=pantomime+strip&source=bl&ots=znZBUnP0Q-&sig=2xIPL4OQitywok4OpXOkIOdlaCk&hl=nl&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9-Jbm_YnRAhXONVAKHdmnC-sQ6AEIXDAJ#v=onepage&q=pantomime%20strip&f=false
- ↑ http://www.tcj.com/otto-soglow-and-the-little-king-the-silent-runs-deep/
- ↑ http://www.tcj.com/sergio-aragones-and-the-art-of-pantomime-cartooning/
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/ward_lynd.htm
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- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/baker_g.htm
- ↑ http://www.tcj.com/otto-soglow-and-the-little-king-the-silent-runs-deep/
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/ward_lynd.htm
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- ↑ http://www.tcj.com/otto-soglow-and-the-little-king-the-silent-runs-deep/
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/ward_lynd.htm
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