Below is a practice exam with some model answers, this will help you when you are undertaking the practice exams. (Click on the images to see full size versions)
5. Choose one of comic strips. Explain why the strip appeals to its target audience?Layout........
I have decided to concentrate on the Dennis the menace comic strip. The target audience for the comic would be young children and the strip is set out in a traditional comic format, which keeps children interested, they know the format, they don't have to read too much and there is plenty of colour.
Comic language.....
The codes and conventions which we expect to see in comics of this genre are apparent in this strip. The strip is set up using frames within panels and the characters speak within speech bubbles. We can see that thought bubbles are also used, if we look at the second panel and the last frame, we see Dennis thinking 'Huh' as he is scheming, a common technique used for characters such as Dennis, which helps the reader enter the mind of the character. The technique of using a text box in the corner of a frame to express time, (2nd panel 1st frame) 'soon' keeps the pace of the story up, ensuring the story is attention grabbing for a younger audience.
The use of movement lines is also important in comics as it explains to the reader how quick or slow a character or an object may be moving. We can see in the first frame, that Dennis is rushing up to his Mum, rudely asking for more and when his neighbour slams his window the image is again detailed with movement lines to highlight the slam. The word slam is also used in this panel, bright orange in colour to stand out, this an example of using a sound word, or an onomatopoeic word and it helps anchor the genre.
PLODCAMEDLEG
The people in the comic strip are typical of characters you would expect to find in the life of a young boy. Dennis himself is a stereotypical naughty young boy and therefore would to other young boys who show off and carry out pranks, or would like to anyway. Dennis also has a pet, gnasher (the only one that understands him) who could be seen as the helper, helping Dennis, who is the villain, as labelled in Propp's theory. As the story develops, the neighbour becomes the Damsel-in-distress.
The Locations are again stereotypical locations you would expect to find in a young boy's life. A kitchen, where he gets his food and his street where he causes havoc.
Quite often we see objects that are used to carry out practical jokes and in this strip, we see Dennis uses some drinking straws, this is a typical convention of the genre, using everyday objects to carry out practical jokes.
The dress of the characters is also very important and helps creates a high level of generic verisimilitude. The mother is wearing an apron, the nerdy neighbour is wearing glasses and the main antagonist, Dennis is bright and bold, juxtaposed against the softer dreary background. Dennis is always dressed in black and red which becomes a symbolic code and helps create a visual trigger for the character. The colours black and red are important signifiers, red commonly connoting danger and black, connoting death or evil, it could be said that they represent the colours of the devil, with Dennis being, 'a little devil'.
The panels are mostly made up of long shots or medium shots of the characters, again this is typical of the genre as there is normally plenty of action happening within each frame.
The writing in the strip is all in capital letters and the sentences are simple and short, helping inject pace into the narrative and ensuring it is easy to read.
Narrative...
The narrative is simple and single-strand which is suitable for younger children. The strip starts with a disruption as we see Dennis upsetting the equilibrium by being rude to his Mum. Dennis then responds by upsetting his neighbour, this in Dennis' mind is a resolution because he was hungry and he got to eat and he got to upset someone else.
6. Create a new comic, aimed at young children, by completing the following tasks.
2.
4. My comic will appeal to a young audience in a variety of ways including using codes and conventions that are appropriate to comics and the genre of the comic.
Layout...
The target audience for the comic would be young children and the strip is set out in a traditional comic format of frames within panels, which keeps children interested, they know the format, they don't have to read too much and there is plenty of colour.
Comic Language
The codes and conventions which we expect to see in comics of this genre are apparent in this strip. The strip is set up using frames within panels and the characters speak within speech bubbles. We can see that thought bubbles are also used, when Dumbdog is thinking. The technique of using a text box in the corner of a frame also helps explains the change of place and time, or in this case highlights that something is happening at the same time.
I will also use movement lines which are important in comics as it explains to the reader how quick or slow a character or an object may be moving. I will also sound words, or onomatopoeic words which help grab the attention of younger readers and anchor the genre.
PLODCAMEDLEG
The people in my comic are very important and as already explained they follow Propp's theory of including a hero, villain, helper and damsel-in-distress. I will try and subvert stereotypes by making the geek the hero and the villain having a good heart.
The locations I will use will help my target audience identify with the stories. I will use locations such as schools, bedrooms, sports pitches, cinemas etc...
I will use objects that anchor the fantasy sci-fi genre, such as a wand for magic molly and a tardis for dumbdog's kennel.
My characters will be dressed in bright colours and fashionable clothes to connote excitement and appeal to a young audience. Devilish Dave and his helpers will wear more outlandish costumes, this will signify that they are form another world, which will anchor the sci-fi genre.
I will use long shots and medium shots for the majority of the time as the comic will be fast moving and each frame will incorporate a lot of action. I will use close up shots to show facial expressions which will help build tension.
I will make sure that the font is bold and that I use brighter colours when using sound words. I will also use punctuation lavishly to highlight a certain point, a statement of shock !!!!! or a rhetorical question??!!!???
Narrative....
I will ensure that the narrative is single-strand so my target audience can understand it and I will try and use an equilibrium, disruption and resolution in each story. Sometimes I may leave a story on a cliff-hanger but not often, as people read comics because they have fast paces short narratives.
Uses and Gratification Theory....
My target audience will use my comic as a form of diversion form real life, as the stories will be fictional and the characters unrealistic in some respects.
I hope that my readers will be able to personally identify with some of the characters as they are based on stereotypical young people and animals, until of course they access their special powers.
I hope that my target audience will create a personal relationships as a result of reading my comic. I will set up a website with fan clubs for specific characters and a chat room where young people can share their thoughts on the comic and suggest future narratives.
7. Explain why you think comics are popular and why people buy them.
People buy comics because they are cheap and children in particular cannot afford expensive forms of entertainment. Comics are also portable and can be read anywhere at any time.
Comics have been around for many years now and as a result certain issues have become collectable. Collectors like to have full sets of their favourite comics.
Comics appeal to people of all ages and and can be purchased on the internet, in specialist shops, newsagents, supermarkets and comic fayres.
Genre...
There are many different genres of comics and this level of variety helps comics remain popular and attract a large and varied readerships. Comics appeal to all age ranges and with comics aimed at young children, to erotic comics aimed at adults only.
Layout...
Comics are structured in a way which makes them easy to read and accessible to readers of all abilities and ages. Often they are set out in frames and panels and include incredibly detailed images which add to the atmosphere of the comic and anchor the genre.
Comic Language...
Characters speak within speech bubbles and think in thought bubbles, they also use movement lines and sound words. This style of writing, is fast paced and means you have two ways of understanding the text, through words and pictures.
PLODCAMEDLEG....
The people or characters in comics become really important to the readers. Often a singular hero and villain are created and then other characters beef out the narrative. The charcters are developed and become famous, often these characters move across into the world of film and television.
Locations also become famous in comics and readers fell like they know the locations where the action is taking place, we all know Gotham City and The Daily Planet.
Comics rely heavily on their visual art and specific artists become famous for designing specific comics. The characters and the costumes they wear, the weapons and objects they use and the places in which they live and work or play are very important to the reader.
Narrative...
The narratives are normally quite short and are resolved by the end of each strip. Sometimes storylines are left on a cliff hanger, encouraging the reader to buy the next edition to find out what happens.
Uses and Gratification Theory......
Comics are a great form of diversion for their readers, with super-hero characters and troublesome young antagonists.
People often personally identify with characters in comics, often readers want to be like their favourite character and they wish they could do in real life, what they see in the comics.
People form personal relationships through being associated with specific comics, the majority of this communication and in turn relationship building is now done via the internet, through chat rooms and fanclubs.
Lastly comics are portable and you can carry them and read them anywhere. Comics are also a physical commodity and people like to own them and collect them.
How have comics managed to survive the digital age?
Beacause of TV and Film
One of the reasons why comics have survived so long is because many comics have made the transition to the big and the small screen. Many of the characters we know today derived from comics, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Wonderwoman, Judge Dread, X-men, Flash Gordon etc.
Batman and Robin made the leap to TV years ago carrying across the heroes and villains and even the sound words like 'Kapow' made it onto our screens. Superman is now on TV regularly, starring in Smallville and Flash Gordon has now been turned into a TV series. These TV programmes help keep these characters alive in turn helping these comics and the organisations that made them remain popular.
Manga comics have also become very popular in recent years, a product which is uniquely oriental, which has become a huge success in the west and is very poular in its animated format.
TV programmes are often made into comics or annuals that are written in a comic format, often they are programmes that are aimed at children, like the BBC's, Dora the Explorer.
Companies like DC and Marvel have had their characters immortalised by film and as a result are now thriving, enabling them to produce more comics.
The Internet....
The internet has also helped comics survive as it has made comics available electronically, so people do not have to go out and buy a comic.
Famous organisations and specific comics have their own websites, which often have a variety of hooks to keep their target audience interested aside form the comic strip, The beano website has games and competitions helping to give their young target audience an interactive experience.
The internet has also given comic enthusiaists a way to communicate, organisations a place to sell their comics and collectors a place to find and purchase special editions and valuable copies.
Merchandising.....
Once the chracters, objects, costumes and locations that originally derived from comics become famous, toys, figures, T-shirts, computer games, DVD's and all forms of merchandise, help keep the mythology of the stories in the public eye and provide much needed revenue.
Comic language.....
The codes and conventions which we expect to see in comics of this genre are apparent in this strip. The strip is set up using frames within panels and the characters speak within speech bubbles. We can see that thought bubbles are also used, if we look at the second panel and the last frame, we see Dennis thinking 'Huh' as he is scheming, a common technique used for characters such as Dennis, which helps the reader enter the mind of the character. The technique of using a text box in the corner of a frame to express time, (2nd panel 1st frame) 'soon' keeps the pace of the story up, ensuring the story is attention grabbing for a younger audience.
The use of movement lines is also important in comics as it explains to the reader how quick or slow a character or an object may be moving. We can see in the first frame, that Dennis is rushing up to his Mum, rudely asking for more and when his neighbour slams his window the image is again detailed with movement lines to highlight the slam. The word slam is also used in this panel, bright orange in colour to stand out, this an example of using a sound word, or an onomatopoeic word and it helps anchor the genre.
PLODCAMEDLEG
The people in the comic strip are typical of characters you would expect to find in the life of a young boy. Dennis himself is a stereotypical naughty young boy and therefore would to other young boys who show off and carry out pranks, or would like to anyway. Dennis also has a pet, gnasher (the only one that understands him) who could be seen as the helper, helping Dennis, who is the villain, as labelled in Propp's theory. As the story develops, the neighbour becomes the Damsel-in-distress.
The Locations are again stereotypical locations you would expect to find in a young boy's life. A kitchen, where he gets his food and his street where he causes havoc.
Quite often we see objects that are used to carry out practical jokes and in this strip, we see Dennis uses some drinking straws, this is a typical convention of the genre, using everyday objects to carry out practical jokes.
The dress of the characters is also very important and helps creates a high level of generic verisimilitude. The mother is wearing an apron, the nerdy neighbour is wearing glasses and the main antagonist, Dennis is bright and bold, juxtaposed against the softer dreary background. Dennis is always dressed in black and red which becomes a symbolic code and helps create a visual trigger for the character. The colours black and red are important signifiers, red commonly connoting danger and black, connoting death or evil, it could be said that they represent the colours of the devil, with Dennis being, 'a little devil'.
The panels are mostly made up of long shots or medium shots of the characters, again this is typical of the genre as there is normally plenty of action happening within each frame.
The writing in the strip is all in capital letters and the sentences are simple and short, helping inject pace into the narrative and ensuring it is easy to read.
Narrative...
The narrative is simple and single-strand which is suitable for younger children. The strip starts with a disruption as we see Dennis upsetting the equilibrium by being rude to his Mum. Dennis then responds by upsetting his neighbour, this in Dennis' mind is a resolution because he was hungry and he got to eat and he got to upset someone else.
6. Create a new comic, aimed at young children, by completing the following tasks.
- Task 1. Choose a title for your comic.
- Task 2. Decide on the characters who will be in your comic.
- Task 3. Design a basic comic strip.
- Task 4. Explain how your comic will appeal to a young audience
2.
- Andy as the hero and the protagonist, as every time he gets angry he saves somebody or something.
- Magic Molly as his helper, who uses a bit of magic if things go wrong.
- Devilish Dave will be the villain or antagonist, who attempts to take over the town of Tamworth the capital of Mercia.
- Andy will have various friends including, Sarcastic Simon, Tall Tim, Judge Judy and Dumbdog, all of whom will take it in turns playing damsel-in-distress, or helper.
4. My comic will appeal to a young audience in a variety of ways including using codes and conventions that are appropriate to comics and the genre of the comic.
Layout...
The target audience for the comic would be young children and the strip is set out in a traditional comic format of frames within panels, which keeps children interested, they know the format, they don't have to read too much and there is plenty of colour.
Comic Language
The codes and conventions which we expect to see in comics of this genre are apparent in this strip. The strip is set up using frames within panels and the characters speak within speech bubbles. We can see that thought bubbles are also used, when Dumbdog is thinking. The technique of using a text box in the corner of a frame also helps explains the change of place and time, or in this case highlights that something is happening at the same time.
I will also use movement lines which are important in comics as it explains to the reader how quick or slow a character or an object may be moving. I will also sound words, or onomatopoeic words which help grab the attention of younger readers and anchor the genre.
PLODCAMEDLEG
The people in my comic are very important and as already explained they follow Propp's theory of including a hero, villain, helper and damsel-in-distress. I will try and subvert stereotypes by making the geek the hero and the villain having a good heart.
The locations I will use will help my target audience identify with the stories. I will use locations such as schools, bedrooms, sports pitches, cinemas etc...
I will use objects that anchor the fantasy sci-fi genre, such as a wand for magic molly and a tardis for dumbdog's kennel.
My characters will be dressed in bright colours and fashionable clothes to connote excitement and appeal to a young audience. Devilish Dave and his helpers will wear more outlandish costumes, this will signify that they are form another world, which will anchor the sci-fi genre.
I will use long shots and medium shots for the majority of the time as the comic will be fast moving and each frame will incorporate a lot of action. I will use close up shots to show facial expressions which will help build tension.
I will make sure that the font is bold and that I use brighter colours when using sound words. I will also use punctuation lavishly to highlight a certain point, a statement of shock !!!!! or a rhetorical question??!!!???
Narrative....
I will ensure that the narrative is single-strand so my target audience can understand it and I will try and use an equilibrium, disruption and resolution in each story. Sometimes I may leave a story on a cliff-hanger but not often, as people read comics because they have fast paces short narratives.
Uses and Gratification Theory....
My target audience will use my comic as a form of diversion form real life, as the stories will be fictional and the characters unrealistic in some respects.
I hope that my readers will be able to personally identify with some of the characters as they are based on stereotypical young people and animals, until of course they access their special powers.
I hope that my target audience will create a personal relationships as a result of reading my comic. I will set up a website with fan clubs for specific characters and a chat room where young people can share their thoughts on the comic and suggest future narratives.
7. Explain why you think comics are popular and why people buy them.
People buy comics because they are cheap and children in particular cannot afford expensive forms of entertainment. Comics are also portable and can be read anywhere at any time.
Comics have been around for many years now and as a result certain issues have become collectable. Collectors like to have full sets of their favourite comics.
Comics appeal to people of all ages and and can be purchased on the internet, in specialist shops, newsagents, supermarkets and comic fayres.
Genre...
There are many different genres of comics and this level of variety helps comics remain popular and attract a large and varied readerships. Comics appeal to all age ranges and with comics aimed at young children, to erotic comics aimed at adults only.
Layout...
Comics are structured in a way which makes them easy to read and accessible to readers of all abilities and ages. Often they are set out in frames and panels and include incredibly detailed images which add to the atmosphere of the comic and anchor the genre.
Comic Language...
Characters speak within speech bubbles and think in thought bubbles, they also use movement lines and sound words. This style of writing, is fast paced and means you have two ways of understanding the text, through words and pictures.
PLODCAMEDLEG....
The people or characters in comics become really important to the readers. Often a singular hero and villain are created and then other characters beef out the narrative. The charcters are developed and become famous, often these characters move across into the world of film and television.
Locations also become famous in comics and readers fell like they know the locations where the action is taking place, we all know Gotham City and The Daily Planet.
Comics rely heavily on their visual art and specific artists become famous for designing specific comics. The characters and the costumes they wear, the weapons and objects they use and the places in which they live and work or play are very important to the reader.
Narrative...
The narratives are normally quite short and are resolved by the end of each strip. Sometimes storylines are left on a cliff hanger, encouraging the reader to buy the next edition to find out what happens.
Uses and Gratification Theory......
Comics are a great form of diversion for their readers, with super-hero characters and troublesome young antagonists.
People often personally identify with characters in comics, often readers want to be like their favourite character and they wish they could do in real life, what they see in the comics.
People form personal relationships through being associated with specific comics, the majority of this communication and in turn relationship building is now done via the internet, through chat rooms and fanclubs.
Lastly comics are portable and you can carry them and read them anywhere. Comics are also a physical commodity and people like to own them and collect them.
How have comics managed to survive the digital age?
Beacause of TV and Film
One of the reasons why comics have survived so long is because many comics have made the transition to the big and the small screen. Many of the characters we know today derived from comics, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Wonderwoman, Judge Dread, X-men, Flash Gordon etc.
Batman and Robin made the leap to TV years ago carrying across the heroes and villains and even the sound words like 'Kapow' made it onto our screens. Superman is now on TV regularly, starring in Smallville and Flash Gordon has now been turned into a TV series. These TV programmes help keep these characters alive in turn helping these comics and the organisations that made them remain popular.
Manga comics have also become very popular in recent years, a product which is uniquely oriental, which has become a huge success in the west and is very poular in its animated format.
TV programmes are often made into comics or annuals that are written in a comic format, often they are programmes that are aimed at children, like the BBC's, Dora the Explorer.
Companies like DC and Marvel have had their characters immortalised by film and as a result are now thriving, enabling them to produce more comics.
The Internet....
The internet has also helped comics survive as it has made comics available electronically, so people do not have to go out and buy a comic.
Famous organisations and specific comics have their own websites, which often have a variety of hooks to keep their target audience interested aside form the comic strip, The beano website has games and competitions helping to give their young target audience an interactive experience.
The internet has also given comic enthusiaists a way to communicate, organisations a place to sell their comics and collectors a place to find and purchase special editions and valuable copies.
Merchandising.....
Once the chracters, objects, costumes and locations that originally derived from comics become famous, toys, figures, T-shirts, computer games, DVD's and all forms of merchandise, help keep the mythology of the stories in the public eye and provide much needed revenue.
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