Sure, most of you reading this already know how to do that. However, and this is something anyone doing panel and word balloon layouts need to remember, not everybody can. It’s different than doing a prose novel or short story. It’s different than reading this article or the one I’m about to link to. As a visual medium it has certain advantages and certain risks. If you’re heavy into Western-style comics imagine how hard it is to read a comic out of Japan, even if they flip the pages so that it reads left to right like we’re used to. Unless you read primarily manga in the usual right-to-left orientation trying to adjust to how we do it in West, and there are some in America who read more manga and demand “unflipped” translations. Or try to learn Japanese. (Which is fine and to be respected…so long as you don’t start demanding EVERYONE learn the language and culture or don’t you dare touch the sacred scripture of Osamu Tezuka or CLAMP.)
But for people who didn’t grow up with comics, everything writers, artists, and letterers know about creating a layout that brings the eye where you want it just doesn’t cut it. Eddie Campbell, writing for The Comics Journal lists his rules of comprehension if you want to want to market beyond the denizens of the comic store to a more general audience. Because who doesn’t love more money readers?
BW Media Spotlight 