The digital medium allows for more possibilities in layout. McCloud emphasized this characteristic in his book Reinventing Comics where he coins the term “infinite canvas”. (McCloud 2000, 220–29) This idea encourages to use the freedom and flexibility of space that the computer page allows. Permitting the comic to develop more freely, unbound by the limitations of physical space. An example of this is “PoCom-UK-001”, by Daniel M. Goodbrey, in it lines guide the reader in different directions depending on where they lead; at the beginning the protagonist leaves a house and the story bifurcates in two directions, one upwards, leading to a panel of the sky, and one forward, leading to a field (Goodbrey 2003) (see Figure 12).
These directions accurately depict or mimic the physical characteristics of the story’s landscape, which is a feature only open-space mediums can provide. For example, if the story was about a car trip and what happens throughout it, it would be ideal if the layout of the panels developed horizontally for as long as the trip lasted. There would be no pauses to flip a page or look elsewhere, the action would be carried out in the same spot and in the same direction, mimicking that of the car. Kühni’s “Deploy (Der Anschlag)”, uses this possibility and constructs the story vertically, to give the illusion that the block of stone hanging from the crane is being lowered, reinforcing the action of falling and giving the effect of animation through a simple game of optics (Kühni 2016a) (see Figure 14).
Furthermore, Goodbrey’s comic can be viewed as a whole (see Figure 13), allowing the reader to view the panels all at once. This grid-like layout informs the viewer of how the story develops by following the columns and lines of panel and the directions they follow, and would not be possible in traditional print comics.
Digital layout benefits the author in that they are no longer limited to panel construction in the standard grids and panels, but can construct the story in new ways. For example, in Kühni’s “Visiting the aquarium”, traditional comic panels have been replaced by polaroid stills (Kühni 2016b). The story is navigated by clicking and dragging the pictures as they reveal events in the story. Lastly, the digital layout can be designed to show only the amount of information desired by the author, protecting the spoilers that lie ahead. For example, in a battle scene, your eyes might accidentally jump to a later panel, revealing the end beforehand and ruining the suspense. This is a unique trait of digital comics that further enhances the narrative and visual possibilities of the story.
Layout represents yet another aspect of comics that benefits from the inclusion of digital features, permitting the author further creative freedom. Additionally, platforms such as Webtoons or Naver, by constructing their platforms to support the vertical format, have allowed for the diffusion of untraditional layout styles. The freedom ascribed to layout is strongly influenced by the lack of restrictions linked to the physical printed medium. The digital page is therefore a welcome evolution of one of the traditionally most restrictive aspects of comic production.
[Fig.14] Kühni, Michael (2016)
Deploy (Der Anschlag)
Available at: https://abwaesser.net/comic/deploy/ (Accessed: 28 October 2017)