#pictorial map

[newyorkthegoldenage]

C.V. Farrow drew this beautiful map of what he called "The Wondrous Isle of Manhattan" in 1926. You MUST enlarge it. It wasn't intended to be used for navigation, but rather as a pictorial representation of the island's highlights. Below are a few details that show you what the full-size map is really like. You should enlarge them, too!

Source: Gothamist

[nemfrog]

Kodiak Bear. Alaska [pictorial map]. 1949.

Rumsey

[sohannabarberaesque]

With this as inspiration, how would you imagine a map of, say, your favourite summer tourist trap incorporating some choice Hanna-Barbera characters looking like?

[ziacos]

ZICO for MAPS Magazine June 2023 Issue

[juliesandothings]

pictorial map entitled Intoxication Infatuation showing “The Isle of Pleasure” created by H.J. Lawrence auctioned by Swann 

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/pictorial-maps-intoxication-infatuation-h-j-heini-125-c-0074afbbc6?objectID=175612870&algIndex=upcoming_lots_lotNumber_asc_prod&queryID=427f9ed8ca15be05b97508caea66183a

[mapsontheweb]

1940’s Japanese pictorial map of North America

[reimenaashelyee]

Creator's Guide to Comics Devices: November 2023 Update

The first newsletter since launch came out a few days ago! It summarises all the updates I've made in November, which includes 2 (!) new devices, a sub-device, and other site changes.

Subscribe to the newsletter to get these updates direct to your email.

New Devices:

Aside

A short comment that sits outside of a balloon or character that is not perceived by anyone except the comment maker and the reader. An aside may come from the author, usually placed outside of the panel or near the edges. (Page with examples)

Topper

A secondary row of panels or single panel that goes 'on top' of the main comic. They are typically removable and non-essential, and usually contain the comic's title. (Page with examples)

Sub-device

Markers in Code Switch

Languages are assigned flags, pictographs or other iconographic symbols. (Page with examples)

News from the Curator and Site Changelog

I'm delighted over how well-received the library has been -- thank you to everyone who has shared, commented and provided feedback! I really appreciate the enthusiasm and generosity. <3 As a comics creator taking my first formal steps into the arena of comics studies, there is still a lot to do and to read for the library. Even with 63 devices catalogued, it's only still the beginning! 

From the Interwebs

‘The Creator’s Guide to Comics Devices’ Is the First of Its Kind, an Incredible Resource for Comics Creators & Readers Alike (The Mary Sue, Joan Zahra Dark) Lovely roundup from my fellow Cartoonist Cooperative co-founder Joan setting the historical context for Comics Devices and why an accessible resource is like this is due.  

Kibbles n Bits (Comics Beat, Heidi MacDonald) An enthusiastic feature of the library in Heidi's roundup.

Shout Outs

Thank you to Ritesh, Tan Juan Gee, Samantha Philipps, Blue Dellinquanti, Ted Anderson and Hannah Pallister for their contributions. (I really need to get that credits/curator's notes page set up. That's this month's to-do) Once again, thank you to the Sequential Artists Workshop Teaching Fellowship for supporting the development of the library this month.

Updates to the Site (Nov 2023)

Added the Store page and dedicated a subsection for it on the homepage, if only to direct people to the already-existing zine that’s currently distributed by Sequential Artists Workshop and myself. I might use that page to hold things like signing up for workshops and panels if they ever happen. Added the Newsletter page so it’s easier to link to across the site and elsewhere. Opened up the page that displays all the devices on one page. Added ‘Contribution’ ‘Newsletter’ ‘All Devices’ to the sidebar. Fixed the 404 page. It suggests the Site Map for advice. Finally opened the Links page! Check out all the resources in there! Thank you to folks who have submitted feedback/contribution! I have added new example pages for Harmonious Juxtaposition/Time & Space/Pictorial Lettering/Colour Coding and a longer definition for Map Panel. Added two new devices – Aside and Topper. Added ‘Markers’ and ‘Balloon Styles’ as a subdevice to Code Switch. Finally set up the Gallery page: this is where comics pages featuring the relevant device will be catalogued. Now for the slow work of filling up the galleries…..

New in Store: The Comics Devices Quick Reference Zine Before the website launched, I produced this zine as a promotional thing + quick reference. This is a 12-page zine showcasing the devices in this library as of 2023 (not including the Topper and Aside). Perfect for students, teachers and anyone who needs a quick, in-person reference if there's no wi-fi available. Sequential Artists Workshop is selling copies for North Americans in their online store. Folks in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia can directly contact me to get a copy. An ebook version is on the way. I will announce it via newsletter.

[thekimonogallery]

this is a pictorial map of Hokkaido Shiretoko Peninsula and eastern Hokkaido in 1956 from "Children's Yearbook" by Nobarasha. Text by 野ばら社｜昭和4年創業の出版社 @nobarako

[posthumanwanderings]

Internal Section (Positron / Square - PS1 - 1999)

“Often described as a twisted fusion between Tempest and S.T.U.N. Runner, this Positron game was released exclusively in Japan in 1999, at a time when the PlayStation games catalogue was already vast and varied. Dynamic and irreverent, Internal Section is essentially a complex ‘tube shooter’, an unusual angle that can be considered a welcome addition at a time when horizontal and vertical scrolling shooters were predominant. The mere sight of the initial presentation, or the bizarre imagery printed on the bizarre game manual, tells Internal Section apart from a common shooter. Instead of acquiescing to the adolescent anime characters and pseudo-plots, it evokes the same mature, impersonal and hi-tech ambience of the demoscene computer art subculture. Each of eight levels is divided into four sub stages (A, B, C, D and Boss Fight). When the level guardians are reached, game scheme switches from its tubular form to that of a circular rail drawn around the enemy, where greater shot precision is often required. Internal Section‘s gameplay is utterly unique, allowing the player to instantly choose between twelve different shot types, each of them based on a Chinese zodiac sign: apart from dodging bullets and other obstacles, the key to success lies in the use of the appropriate sign for each situation. Far from a hardcore shooting game experience, Internal Section is all about the experience and aesthetics – rather than superhuman skills – with scattered checkpoints and infinite continues that make it a short, albeit extremely enjoyable video game.

The first impact created by Internal Section originates from the awkward graphic style. Their lack of texture mapping is properly compensated with the addition of smooth and lustrous shading, drawn in vivid colors and wonderful contrasts. Flat polygons pervade the screen as each level displays a predominant color, and each sub-stage exhibits a rich and artful array of pictorial themes. Due to its spartan aesthetics, this uncanny Squaresoft release is bound to be compared with Rez, released by SEGA two years later.

iS also aspires to a perfectly balanced blend of audiovisual and gameplay, including a carefully selected techno music playlist. While not as memorable as the licensed soundtrack from games such as WipeOut, the disk includes 16 original themes that help bring some strong sense of rhythm into the game experience. Similar to Ridge Racer, it also lets the player swap the game disk for an audio CD, essentially giving it a customizable soundtrack. Customizations also include the selection of different ambiences for the levels, a factor that dramatically increases the game’s appeal and replay value.

If carefully observed today, in light of modern shoot’em up revivalisms, iS has achieved a certain state of grace, having risen to a level that only a handful of its counterparts were able to attain. Its flat polygon graphics running smoothly on the television screen and its responsive controls prevent the game from looking or feeling obsolete. In fact, everything about iS contemplates innovation, as well as a very strong desire to evade the usual patterns that have long infected this stagnant genre. Its status as a rare and unpublicized title coming from a major company has contributed, undoubtedly, to the consecration of Internal Section as one of the most engaging and sought after titles from the recent past.“ [article source]

[i-am-aprl]

Japanese pictorial map of the Middle East (1942)

1942 年に日本で絵がえた中東の地図です。

[nemfrog]

Floral border detail on pictorial map. North Carolina for Nature Lovers. 1937.

Rumsey

[vintagelasvegas]

The wide-open town of Las Vegas – unknown casino, July 1940

Photos by George Strock from LIFE magazine’s “Vacations,” 8/5/40. Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and Union Pacific Railroad had begun promoting Las Vegas as a tourist destination and “Vacations” was an early success in the national media.

George Strock’s previously unpublished Las Vegas photos can be found on Vintage Las Vegas

A pictorial story of the Boulder Dam Recreational area and Las Vegas is being prepared this week by George Strock and Pat Clark of Los Angeles, staff photographers for Life magazine, accompanied by R. B. Denton, director of the Union Pacific news bureau in Los Angeles … the two Life photographers will remain here until the end of the week. They also have been assisted by Murray Wollman, chairman of the publicity committee of the chamber in Las Vegas.

Photographs for Life Being Made. Review-Journal, 7/3/40

Good old Las Vegas was the nation's number one publicity pet this past week. Most controversial bit of publicity was the four page spread given us by the Look magazine … Life magazine devoted one page to Boulder City and Las Vegas … everyone in the country will know that Las Vegas is on the map.

S. “Scoop” Garside, Caught on the Run column. Review-Journal, 8/2/40

[ziacos]

ZICO as the cover star for MAPS Magazine June 2023 Issue

[sukunasun]

hi do you write dark content? is it possible we get stalker!geto pls!

sigh sigh...

its the competency for me...the amount of research he’s done, can't really be a stalker if you get caught, or if you don’t at least have a basic understanding of surveillance tech...it’s not difficult sure, where’s the challenge really when no one is safe, when information is so easily accessible, but he shouldn’t complain. after all what has years of experience given him? that he doesn’t go after every type of woman but the ones that happen to just have that little bit of resistance. enough to suspect, to be wary, but not enough that they wouldn’t fall for him. and maybe he genuinely likes you too, but only as someone to own and keep, i’d do anything to tap into that violent and psychotic level of devotion and love he’s so capable of. 

the layers will start to unravel eventually and he comes off a little bit on edge, unhinged too, so creepy how he has zero self awareness, that people are put off by him, "you can't keep threatening to kill the waiter," you say, a little worried at his violent outbursts, and how he's able to just revert back to being the sweetheart you fell for. calm and collected. the emotional whiplash is strong.—"you're right sweetie, i should have just killed him on the spot, that way i wouldn't have to waste my breath..."

the way he’s sending you random packages of the most specific items, how did he know the exact brand of perfume you use, or your bra size. the flowers he sends to your workplace are nice, but the messages are a little much though, there's only so many ‘i love you’s written on every square inch of scallop trimmed card a girl can handle, but still...nice nonetheless, beautiful even.

so expensive too, how could you say no, how could you return the boots you’ve been eyeing for months, your name left on a waiting list for the longest time and he’s managed to get them shipped to you in a matter of days. you wear the boots, the earrings, all these things he’s gifted you and he’ll take it as a sign of your approval, which is why he doesn’t think you’ll turn them down...not the drawings he’s made of the two of you entwined, holding hands or having him atop you, he’s even got the colour of your hair and eyes in the right shade. what an artist, and a writer too, or at least the ten-page fanfic he’s written will be a testament to his skill, pictorial the way he describes how exactly he jerks off to you, how he’d like to see the fear flash across your eyes for that split second he presses a knife to your skin, against fleshy thighs, should he carve his name there?— “i was just being poetic you know, i won’t actually do that stuff...” he laughs it off.  

and he loves listening in on your conversations, searching up every contact in your phone, everything he does leads up to this, to hear you say "oh i love him, we're soulmates, i hope we'll stay together forever,” and he can't help but smile. beauty is in the eye of the beholder and what he sees in you stems less from physical attraction but that you’d be willing prey, he’ll be patient, doesn’t care how long it’ll take because of the satisfaction he gets when it all comes together.

you’ll be so happy with him, caresses the photos he’s taken from dark corners, on a rooftop, some he’s stolen straight off your job website. pinned to his wall alongside maps spread open, coordinates he’s scribbled on a piece of scrap paper, bank statements and text messages, your blood test results and medical records, all the people who've wronged you framed in passport sized thumbnails, arranged in a neat, uniformed line, red crosses over the ones he's already taken care of...suddenly that annoying co worker who makes you work overtime has disappeared, and your ex-boyfriend hasn’t posted anything in awhile...but geto's a professional of course, never leaves a trail, whether by bullet or knife or his bare hands, he loves you enough to not get you in trouble, he wouldn't want that for you...

your eyes rake over them, it finally clicks—"you killed them,” you whisper, shocked. breaths puffing out hurriedly, your heart begins to hammer, pounding so loud you miss his thumping footsteps coming closer.  "i had to,” geto replies standing before his handiwork, the attention to detail, a whole masterpiece. 

he’s sympathetic, hates seeing you so upset, fingers coming up to graze over the picture of your ex-boyfriend, “he wronged you,” geto explains, then drags his hands to the next photo, fingers pointing to your colleagues, “and they were such a nuisance weren’t they? i didn’t like that they made you work so hard…i waited all night for you to come home,” his shoulders rise and fall as he lets out another sigh, one that carries memories of sitting by his multitude of screens displaying live footage from cameras he’s no doubt set up, wired microphones in every corner of your apartment. 

"i know you best, i’ve seen everything,” ; taking a nap at 2, then work on a dissertation at 4, his eyes never leaving you for a second. casually watching you while sipping on tea, eyes taking in your form lounging in a bed, plush pillows resting under your chin, against your hip as you tap away at your computer and knows just exactly what you're doing; he knows you’re catching feelings, that you have notes written out of date ideas and long, long letters you'll never send to him, 'bday gifts' and 'children's names' in a bullet point list, all the cute new outfits waiting in a cart, and there’s the porn...just that little thing he rewards himself with—indulges in the fact that somehow your tastes are very specific, why are tall men with long hair the only thing you search for, that you’re more inclined to, or that you specifically like listening to the audios with melodic voices, whiny men who get right up to the mic and beg. and sometimes it’s the other way around...how dark and depraved you are to like what he does to you, “we belong together, i can make you happy, aren't you tired of being alone?” he says then, after he’s wound the rope around your wrists and it starts to cut into the skin, he pleads, he cries, “i couldn’t live without you...we’re meant to be...don't you want to be loved?" knowing you waited so long to hear it.

——————————————————

(inspired by a few lil messages from a discord chat with @sandsorghum ! )

[jmdbjk]

2023 Festa, the 10th Anniversary

I think I can speak for a lot of Army: we are relieved to see an official Festa map!

For new Army:

Festa is the annual celebration that happens on June 13 and celebrates the debut of BTS (June 13, 2013). Festa typically includes a pre-recorded video of the members discussing and answering pre-planned talking points and eating and sometimes drinking. We call it Festa dinner.

I'm sure you've heard that last year's was particularly heartbreaking in that they announced their hiatus to focus on solo projects and their inevitable enlistment to fulfill their military obligation. Festa also includes a lot of other content leading up to the actual anniversary day.

Older Army probably can shed more light on what transpired during previous Festas.

After last year, we really didn't know what to expect this year. But finally, we see they will have a full slate of content for us. The schedule on the map goes from May 31 through June 17.

Also in conjunction with Festa: the city of Seoul will commemorate BTS' 10th Anniversary by holding events throughout the city and lighting up major landmarks within the city with purple lights.

Looking at the Festa schedule "gameboard" it is laid out very similar to a Monopoly game board.

What could the pictorial icons on the spaces mean? 5/31: a ? and an Army flag. I think the flags represent playing pieces. 6/2: Video billboards on buildings? 6/3: Computer, popcorn, mic... Suga/Agust D online concert from Japan? and/or DANCE PRACTICE VIDEOS! 6/4 only has a gift box...6/5 has three-dimensional gift boxes... not sure if any of that will be actual content or just breather days. 6/7: A mic and a guitar... someone is going to sing, or perform or we get a song or ? 6/8: digital photos 6/9: another ? and Army flag. 6/10: Drinking and what looks like a calendar... not sure. 6/11: more digital pictures 6/12: we're getting a song. 6/13: The actual big day... another question mark... but with Seoul Tower on that space as well... hmmm. Also the flag is now a BTS flag. 6/14: more pictures 6/16: a trumpet and a mic... Trumpet makes me thing Taehyung... 6/17: a radio ... a radio show? Fireworks, Seoul Tower... a live broadcast? maybe they will turn the Seoul Tower purple... with fireworks.

I GUESS WE'LL FIND OUT! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

[mapsontheweb]

Japanese pictorial map of the Middle East, 1942.