Comics are generally perceived as a wordless medium. But, they have their own sonic language, despite the lack of an audio accompaniment.
Illustrations, speech bubbles, description boxes, emblems, and audio effects partake in conveying ideas. To transmit the storyline to the reader, all aspects function in unison.
The basic sound effect is one of the characteristics about comic books that is unique to comics. Comic books have the unique quality of writing down the sound affects as a distinctive facet of the story. Sound isn’t only described; it’s felt.
The sound of comics or onomatopoeias, are words that symbolize distinct sounds in order to improve the visual story.
Reading comics is a multi-sensory experience. It is because of the basic components like symbolism, typefaces, and onomatopoeia. Latest and ancient examples demonstrate the art-form’s limitless possibilities.
What are onomatopoeias?
The comic book format concurrently makes use of two intrinsic elements.
- The visual component of the drawn portrait.
- Textual aspect of description and conversation inside and along the plot.
A term that mimics the natural sound of something is called onomatopoeia. Human motion, animal sounds, or any vocal and motion can all be represented through onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia heightens the impact of a character’s condition or circumstance in particular.
In regards of creative possibilities, the range of sounds expressed by onomatopoeia is endless. From gestural sounds produced by humans to noises of objects, much is covered under this genre.
Bang, boom, and splash are some words that augment life to the characters. The usage of comics’ speech can help to extend the aural lexicon.
Onomatopoetic phrases are distinct from other written languages. It is because they take on a visual role as a bearer of message or storytelling. They are discerned usually outside the enclosed conversation balloon, next to the figure, or hovering over the environment.
When the figurines are unable to convey human feeling and expression, onomatopoetic terms arise.
In comics, we may distinguish among four types of onomatopoetic expression:
- Typical sound phrases describing sociolinguistic events
- Basic inflective such as sighing and coughing
- A combination of inflective and onomatopoetic phrases such as rumbling or shrieking.
- Basic interjections (not word-based) or sounds made by the vocal cord such as ohhhh.
Onomatopoeia, tries to capture the sound of a person and their surroundings by focusing on sensory characteristics. It has nothing to do with the syntactic nature of a word.
Regardless of visual appearance, a multisensory impression generates. This helps the audience to comprehend the sounds and feelings whilst reading.
Cars squealing, streams gushing, and weapons bursting with a boom using onomatopoetic expressions to enhance the image.
Furthermore, punctuation and added rows can aid in the detailed description of the statement. Intensity, pace, tempo, and the interpretation of onomatopoetic phrases are all sound-specific implications of punctuation.
To accentuate distinct aspects of the actual text, bold, italics, fading, or unusual characters are used. All of this enhances the hypnagogic experience of the phrase.
In Consonance: Music and Comics
In comparison to comics, the music business has a far higher magnification. Its ability to reach a wide range of people is one of the reasons for its success. Sound, as opposed to visual media, provides for a wider range of applications. Sound effects take up less time and also help to establish the mood.
In terms of layout, components, and themes, comics are more complicated. Dialog boxes and captions are examples of such features. Those are the ones that take the longest to pace.
That renders it difficult to convert into music, yet owing to melody, articulation, and dynamics, it’s not insurmountable. It’s nearly difficult to decipher the conversation without “hearing” a tune when it’s preceded by the readily recognizable musical sign.
The inclusion of musical components is a substantial departure from the conventional duality of text and picture in comics. Music, in its very essence, tends to be seen in a way that indicates consistency and motion. On the other hand comics are viewed as a series of motionless pictures.
Because sound requires visual consistency, one of the things it may accomplish in comics is fill in gaps and link instances.
The prevalence of music in a comic is similar to that of sound in a movie. Its existence can be documentary-like, but it frequently represents a personal perspective. Music may undoubtedly aid a comic’s storyline, but it isn’t just a part of the plot.
At its finest, music is an integral element of the story’s telling. It isn’t only there to inform us about the characters’ cultural backgrounds or to convey an emotional response to the situation.
Music is best used in a comic book as part of the artist’s visual toolset.
The melody serves as more than simply a soundtrack to the lives of the individuals. It also serves as a vital element in the narration of their stories.
Music does not appear in the same way as the other noises in a comic. It tests the composer’s ability to resolve its existence in the story. Its value lies in its refusal to succumb to the panel-by-panel storytelling’s micro-episodic essence.
Politigory provides in-depth reviews of science, history, humanities, religion, social sciences and arts 
