Comments on: Story Minus Character: Dresden Codak http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2008/09/14/story-minus-character-dresden-codak/ Flashlights and Explosions Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:43:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: saalon http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2008/09/14/story-minus-character-dresden-codak/comment-page-1/#comment-1356 saalon Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:52:34 +0000 http://www.saalonmuyo.com/?p=205#comment-1356 Very good points about comics that work without continuity in its stable of characters, but I disagree that he was talking about not having a permanent cast, if only because Dresden Codak has one, and this quote references his intent in the Hob storyline as well as the overall strip. While I agree that a comic can work without consistent characterization, I don't think a coherent storyline can. My critique is leveled primarily at the Hob storyline, which had some a fair amount of intended continuity. I brought up the quote to suggest that the author aversion to people returning to the strip primarily for the cast was the reason Hob came off disjointed and disconnected. That a stronger attention to characterization would have made the Hob story both easier to follow and more satisfying, even if the intention for the strip as a whole was not to be a character driven one. Thanks for your perspective on this. It's very appreciated. Very good points about comics that work without continuity in its stable of characters, but I disagree that he was talking about not having a permanent cast, if only because Dresden Codak has one, and this quote references his intent in the Hob storyline as well as the overall strip.

While I agree that a comic can work without consistent characterization, I don’t think a coherent storyline can. My critique is leveled primarily at the Hob storyline, which had some a fair amount of intended continuity.

I brought up the quote to suggest that the author aversion to people returning to the strip primarily for the cast was the reason Hob came off disjointed and disconnected. That a stronger attention to characterization would have made the Hob story both easier to follow and more satisfying, even if the intention for the strip as a whole was not to be a character driven one.

Thanks for your perspective on this. It’s very appreciated.

]]> By: opuli populi http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2008/09/14/story-minus-character-dresden-codak/comment-page-1/#comment-1355 opuli populi Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:40:36 +0000 http://www.saalonmuyo.com/?p=205#comment-1355 I think you are misunderstanding the quote. He's just explaining why he doesn't want a permanent cast of characters. Strong character writing does not require a recurring cast. The web comic Partially Clips is a good example. Also, a recurring cast can get in the way. Think of Calvin and Hobbes, where in order to wrestle with some big ideas we get all these strips of them sledding off a cliff while they have a discussion. Those sledding strips barely count as comics because once you have seen a couple the visual aspect and what happens to the characters is totally predictable and could be left out. I think you are misunderstanding the quote. He’s just explaining why he doesn’t want a permanent cast of characters. Strong character writing does not require a recurring cast. The web comic Partially Clips is a good example. Also, a recurring cast can get in the way. Think of Calvin and Hobbes, where in order to wrestle with some big ideas we get all these strips of them sledding off a cliff while they have a discussion. Those sledding strips barely count as comics because once you have seen a couple the visual aspect and what happens to the characters is totally predictable and could be left out.

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