Panel Shapes Make a Difference

While reading Tintin in America and Cigars of the Pharaoh, I found myself taking note of panel shapes and Herge's deliberate choosing to use some shapes over others. It makes sense that each panel represents a moment, or part of an event. Most panels in the Tintin series are small squares; however, Herge uses a few other shapes too. Instead of squares, he sometimes uses two narrower panels. Putting two narrow panels next to each other helps to illustrate that one thing happens after another in a quick succession. For example, on the second line of page 24, the two narrow panels show readers how Tintin flicks a piece of resin to distract the Indian chief trying to sacrifice him. Herge could have used one regular sized panel, but it wouldn't have had the same step-by-step effect. Another interesting shape Herge uses happens when Tintin and Snowy are crawling through the cave on page 27. Here, the panels are all squished down like the way the two characters are literally squished down in the cave. This technique allows readers to feel the same surroundings as the characters and to imagine what it's like to be in their place. My favorite of the shapes Herge uses is the half page panel at the top of page 97, in which Tintin is running away from all the people chasing after him. To me, the choice to depict this on a larger panel emphasizes the scope of the scene. One can count fifteen men chasing after young Tintin here, whereas a normal sized square panel would not have been able to fit more than a few people. In addition to the people, this panel includes the vastness of the giant gatelike structure Tintin is running through. It purposely makes Tintin look small and vulnerable while being chased.

Herge makes these deliberate choices because in this medium, there are few ways to get the point across. Words in comics are mostly dialogue between characters. Every little detail, like the shape of a panel, makes a difference in helping to send the reader a message, whether consciously or not.