week two [rhian]

What does Khordoc think the Asterix series does better than Hergé’s Tintin? 


Khordoc starts off by talking about the use of speech balloons in both comics. The Asterix series uses the already defined convention of speech balloons but the illustrator, Albert Uderzo, contributes to "refining" them. He uses a more complex form compared to the norm at the time of illustration. However, Khordoc also states that when Herge's Tintin was released in France, it was thought that the audience wouldn't be able to understand as he relied heavily on speech balloons to convey his messages. She says Herge's work is "deprived of narrative commentary." It is said that as the speech balloons take up a large portion of the comic frame, despite the "detailed drawings" the story is very reliant upon the speech to narrate and convey the message.
Khordoc believes that the Asterix series is more illustration based than Tintin because of Tintin's reliance upon speech bubbles, which is better because she believes that comics have a unique skill by creating sound through the images. However, she also says that speech balloons are very important for the readers to understand the text.