Conveying Nonverbal Messages in Translated Comics

A comic book is a publication in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels which combine both verbal and visual expression in a variety of ways. The sequence of drawings includes not only images and written texts, but also many graphic signs, such as speech bubbles, speed lines, and sound effects as well as graphic and pictorial symbols. All of these reinforce the joint effect of the words and images. The reader thus receives an even stronger message. Through the overall multimodal effect of comics, the reader can feel the speed, hear the sounds, smell the aromas and even taste the flavours. The many effects and pictorial symbols used in comics are culture-specific. These are demanding to the translator, especially if there is no possibility to make any changes in the graphic features of the panel. When translating the entire multimodality of comics, the translator faces the challenging task of transferring the written text as well as the nonverbal messages of comics from one language and cultural environment to another. This article examines some of the nonverbal features that comics can transmit.