Date of Award
2021
Document Type
Open Access Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Rhetoric, Theory and Culture (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Humanities
Advisor 1
Stefka Hristova
Committee Member 1
M. Bartley Seigel
Committee Member 2
Carlos Amador
Abstract
This thesis traces the evolution of the panel across decades as well as various mediums. In one form, the panel becomes stretched when characters break the fourth wall to immerse readers in a new perspective on how the panel functions and creates meaning. In another form, comic book film adaptations comic imagery to instill a sense of nostalgia and to wink and nod at the audience, stretching the conventions of what the panel can be to impact the devoted audience. Lastly, in modern comic-reading apps, a ‘Smart Reading’ function remediates panels to provide an easier and unified path to read comic books. This indulgence requires the panel to break in a way that is less individual to the reader. Through analysis of these various aspects, we can see comic books have a medium specific requirement derived from panels that gets removed, redefined, and adapted to provide new experiences.
Recommended Citation
Biese, Austin, "The Power of the Panel: How American Comic Book Media Utilizes the Panel to Alter Audience Interaction", Open Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2021.