Emanata--not just a title

The first thing worth noting about this comic is the title – Emanata. As long as you find out the meaning of the title, you will know what makes this comic stand out from others in the same series. ‘Emanata’ is not a common English word, indeed, it is a comic vocabulary which specifically refers to the iconic representations used within comics and cartoons. Along with the plots and dialogues, the comic strip involves several symbols throughout the story which play different functions. For example, the gearwheels and glitters show the character is working and opening the refrigerator respectively. As comic does not like animation that we cannot see the motions, but with emanata, we can still construct the characters’ actions in our minds. Moreover, the question mark plus spiral shapes further show his bewilderment, whereas the heart-shaped symbols tell how the tone of the “Thanks” is. These emanata accompany the pictures and texts to strengthen the characters’ feeling and attitudes. From this comic, we can see that even though the emanata are small and seem to be insignificant, they in fact enrich the comic. Emanata act as auxiliary descriptions which help readers understand with ease and make characters more expressive and vivid.