Comic Book Gutter Definition

As comic book scholar scott mccloud explains the gutter is used to take two separate images and transform them into a single idea mccloud 1993 p.

Comic book gutter definition.

Gutter the space between the panels. The invisible messenger if one were to look at a comic they would see empty space between the panels that contain the illustrations and dialogue of the text. This blank space creates a transition from one moment to the next within a story. At its simplest form the gutter is a blank space that separates two panels.

In between the panels human imagination takes two unconnected images and mentally constructs transforms them into a single idea turns them into a continuous reality. It s this kind of interaction between the story and the reader that sets comics apart after all even novels don t force you to interact in the same way. Not that i m saying one is better than the other obviously though some gutters offer less interpretation than others. Reader moves from one panel to the next and comes to a conclusion about whats happening.

According to scott mccloud the gutter is a significant part of the story telling. In the comic world this space is known as the gutter. Comics designed by traci gardner. This is an obvious observation that has not so obvious implications.

The gutter is the space between two panels within a comic strip or comic book. Readers tend to fill in the blanks and imagine what happens between panels a process known as closure. The space between the panels of the comic shaded red in this example. Aka borderless panels panels where one or more or even all of the sides of the comic panel are open to show dramatic effect.

Scott mccloud defines the gutter in comics as the space between panels an interstitial space where meaning is made by connecting the contents of one panel to the next.