Around the Gutter
If you are down and out you might be: in the gutter.
Or if you have a certain sense of humor you might be said to have a mind that is: in the gutter.
And while these are all good and well as metaphorical ways to speak and write, what I’m talking about here is a term that was new to me when I really started to read graphic novels (comics, comix, manga etc.).
The gutter is that space between panels in graphic (not that kind of graphic for those of you who have minds that immediately went into one of those other kinds of gutters) based writing/media.
I’m not even close to being an expert in visual based storytelling, but I find the idea of the gutter fascinating. So not only do you have the visuals in a comic to add to your story BUT everything that is on the page can have a point from the gutter to how your storyboard panels fit onto a page.
There are different ways you could play with this concept:
Try storyboarding a piece that you are working on without a focus on the words. There are many different ways to storyboard but how about trying out Canva?
Find a comic strip or some other visual (could use an ad etc.) and try to create a narrative.
Take a piece of writing, or a visual medium that has more than one “panel”, and cut them apart. Take some time away and then try to put them back together or have someone else put them back together so you can discuss the choices the original creator made.
Where will the gutter take you next?
18 - If you think you want to explore hybrid forms that could consider the gutter, maybe visit this section?
19 - If you think comics have more in common with the stage, maybe visit this section?
20 - If you think comics have more in common with the screen, maybe visit this section?