Friday, December 5, 2014

Cut! :Panel Design in Rat Queens #8



Panel design seems like such an insignificant aspect of comics, right? Wrong! Panels can to just as much to create a mood as the art style and color palette. Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch once again display their mastery over the building blocks of comics through their use of paneling in Rat Queens issue 8.


The first tier of the page is done in the traditional clean geometric style, but then the second and third tiers are populated by sketchy asymmetric overlapping panels. Why the switch? The moment in the middle tiers is a moment of change. In this universe, dwarves (yes even female dwarves) have beards, and their beards are icons of pride and status. So it only makes sense to have a moment where tradition and expectation is being defied in non-traditional panels. In this instance, the panels do as much to create the mood of the scene as the actual contents of the panel. The panels also reflect the action of the scene. The uneven shape of the panels reflects the uneven cuts as Violet cuts off her beard. The angles also imply the ‘snip’ ‘snip’ sound effect usually associated with scissors.

All of the above is created just through the shape of the panels. You have to admit that that is pretty impressive. The Rat Queens would be proud. (There would definitely be a round or twelve of ale in its honor.)

-Christina Angeli

Rat Queens is created by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch and published by Image Comics.  

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