Graphic Novel/Comic Book Vocabulary

Graphic Novel/Comic Book Vocabulary

Splash Page: Usually the first page of a manuscript, with one or two images, including the title, logo, credits, etc. for the comic. 

Full-page shot: One panel that takes up the entire page.

Panel: One box or frame.  One picture, also known as a shot.

Gutter: The negative space between each panel.  Can represent lengths of time.

Speech balloon or word balloon: The bubble containing words to let a reader know that a character is talking.

Thought balloon: Usually a scalloped balloon that indicates the character is thinking, rather than speaking out loud.

Burst: A balloon with jagged edges to indicate volume, stress, or sound effects; also broadcasting or electric transmission.

Whisper balloon: A balloon whose outline is broken into small dashes; this indicates that the character is whispering.

Pointer/Tail: The part of a balloon that points to whichever character is doing the talking, thinking, whispering, etc.

Caption: A sentence or fragment that appears in the panel, but not in a balloon.  Usually captions are enclosed in a rectangle or box.  They are used to indicate a shift in time or place or for the narrator’s commentary.

Establishing shot: A picture indicating where an action is taking place.

Long shot: Shows the entire person from feet to head in the shot.

Medium shot: Usually shows a person from the waist up.

Close-up: Shows a person’s face or about that much of their body.

Extreme close-up: Shows a single small detail that might go unobserved if not focused on.

Story Spine: The plot.  The sequence of actions that lead to a conclusion.

Story Arc: A story that takes several issues to tell.

Graphic Novel: A long story, usually in a special format (better painting, bigger pages).