Blood in the Gutter

In Scott McCloud's book, Understanding Comics he uses the term the "Gutter." Very simply put, the gutter is the space between the panels. More specifically, it is the space where all the action happens. The gutter has a very close relation to another term McCloud uses -- closure. Essentially, McCloud argues that in order for two pictures in sequence to mean anything, it is up to the audience to fill in the space in the gutter and create closure. The two images to the right aren't very humorous by themselves, but with the appropriate amount of closure, with the audience filling in the blanks, they have more meaning and are more effective.

While the example McCloud suggests may be a bit more dramatic -- one panel of a man being chased by another man wielding an axe, juxtaposed next to a city scape with scream of terror -- the point remains the same. Telling an story through images, requires the audience to fill in the gutter.

Have to do a Q&A section here soon. Not sure what image I would like to write about. I'm just so flipping smart that I could virtually expound on anything. You're all lucky to even be reading this.