Marshall McLuhan once famously said “the medium is the message,” but what does that actually mean? It means that the message–the idea being communicated–is different depending on the medium being used to communicate the message. So what does this mean for a story? How is a story different when told as a graphic novel rather than a traditional novel? How is it different if told using song? How is it different if told using animation?

You will be looking at a graphic novel in this activity, but before you do that, it might be helpful for you to understand the background and context of this graphic novel. Watch the following video:

Chanie “Charlie” Wenjack (born 19 January 1954), died on October 23, 1966 near Redditt, ON. He was an Anishinaabe boy from Ontario who ran away from his residential school near Kenora at age 12, and subsequently died from hunger and exposure to the harsh weather. His death in 1966 sparked national attention and the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools.

In October 2016, Tragically Hip frontman, Gord Downie, released The Secret Path, a multimedia project that includes an album, graphic novel (illustrations by Jeff Lemire) and animated film (aired by the CBC on 23 October) based on Wenjack’s story. Proceeds from the project will be donated to The Gord Downie Secret Path Fund for Truth and Reconciliation through The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.

Graphic Novels

Using the term “graphic novel” can be a bit misleading in a way, because as a medium, graphic novels or comics are a lot closer to film than they are to novels. As Scott McCloud illustrates,

Comics are very close to animation. However, the sequential images of animation occupy the same space whereas the sequential images of comics occupy different spaces. Space is very important when it comes to conveying the passage of time in comics. Small spaces usually signify small amounts of time, whereas large spaces signify larger amounts of time.

Codes and Conventions of Comics

Now let’s take a closer look at the codes and conventions of comics.

Reading a Graphic Novel

As you read Secret Path, think about how these codes and conventions help to create meaning, and consider how the experience of reading a graphic novel compares to reading a traditional novel.

Code: A system of signs which create meaning. (e.g., motion lines, close-ups, dominating images, periphery images)

Convention: An accepted way of doing things. (e.g., using balloon shapes for speech)

Panels

• these contain the comics art

• a sequence of panels can show one or more characters/pieces of action moving through time, or can show a number of characters/pieces of action at one point in time

• the nature of panel borders (smooth, jagged, bold or none) can also provide meaning

Gutters

• these are the spaces between panels

• changes of character, scene, time and point of view can occur in these spaces

• as the reader moves across the gutter he/she must relate one panel to the next (this is called the act of “closure”)

Speech/Thought Balloons

• these are the spaces for the characters’ spoken words or thoughts

• their shape, style and colour can convey meaning

• balloons are not always used

Motion lines

• these convey speed, length and direction of the action

Text

• can provide narration, speech, thoughts or sounds (through onomatopoeia)

• the font size, style, colour and capitalization can all convey meaning

Image

• colour, style shading, perspective can all convey information and mood