Masterclass on Multimodality | Christoph Wolf

BREMEN MASTERCLASSES ON MULTIMODALITY
23 November | 12.15-13.45 | GW2 B3010

Visual Layout in Japanese Manga – A Comparative Diachronic Study

Christoph Wolf
University of Bremen

Abstract
Due to the recent development in the field of empirical comic research, it has become possible to conduct quantitative research on the visual layout of comics and related multimodal texts that use still images in combination with text to multimodally create meaning. This gives way to working with corpora in order to test assumptions about the layout choices made by the different authors of comics. Furthermore, specific groups of comics can be categorised by different characteristics like for example author, country of origin or genre and compared as to their visual layout. The goal of this talk will be to compare Japanese mangas that were released before and after the year 1990 and find out whether generalisable statements about the visual layout and also about the differences in visual layout can be made. Using the open multilevel annotation scheme for visual layout of comics and graphic novels by Bateman et al., I coded a corpus of Japanese mangas from different years, authors and genres and compared their visual layout. I hypothesise that significant differences in one or more areas of the layout choices made for the mangas released before and after the year 1990 after will be found.

BREMEN MASTERCLASSES ON MULTIMODALITY
23 November | 12.15-13.45 | GW2 B3010

Visual Layout in Japanese Manga – A Comparative Diachronic Study

Christoph Wolf
University of Bremen

Abstract
Due to the recent development in the field of empirical comic research, it has become possible to conduct quantitative research on the visual layout of comics and related multimodal texts that use still images in combination with text to multimodally create meaning. This gives way to working with corpora in order to test assumptions about the layout choices made by the different authors of comics. Furthermore, specific groups of comics can be categorised by different characteristics like for example author, country of origin or genre and compared as to their visual layout. The goal of this talk will be to compare Japanese mangas that were released before and after the year 1990 and find out whether generalisable statements about the visual layout and also about the differences in visual layout can be made. Using the open multilevel annotation scheme for visual layout of comics and graphic novels by Bateman et al., I coded a corpus of Japanese mangas from different years, authors and genres and compared their visual layout. I hypothesise that significant differences in one or more areas of the layout choices made for the mangas released before and after the year 1990 after will be found.