Comparing Frame Usage in Essex County: Ghost Stories and 300

      Frame usage is one of the most crucial parts of a comic book or graphic novel. When looking at every picture, it’s important to use the right type, amount, and style of frames. When dealing with different genres of books, these frames may be different or similar (or even both). In Jeff Lemire’s story Essex County, the frames are scarce, which adds to the mystery of the story itself. My first graphic novel that I chose was Frank Miller’s 300, which uses frames in both similar and different ways when compared to Essex County.
      In Essex County, the frames’ borders are often the same, medium black. They do not differ in any way at all throughout the story. This shows continuity, and doesn’t confuse the reader at any point regarding narration and story line. To emphasize Book Two: Ghost Stories, there are really a few types of frames used: The typical frame-to-frame¹, frame-within-a-frame², and one-frame³. When looking at 300, the reader is able to notice that the same types of frames are used as well:

1:Frame-to-Frame

2:Frame-within-a-Frame

3:No Frame

1:Frame-to-Frame

2:Frame-within-a-Frame

3:No Frame

       These are basic frames that serve their purpose depending on what’s happening in the story. For example, frame-within-a-frame is beneficial to use when looking at shot-to-shot angles. It is used in 300 after Xerxes’ personal guards left loose their arrows upon the Spartans. The frames within the frame of the arrows show Spartans being hit by them, as well as a frame showing Xerxes’ reaction to the slaughter. In Essex County, this frame usage is used when Lou and Beth kiss for the first time. There are tiny frames that show them holding hands, moments at a time, and the big frame at the rear is the moon, but it’s actually Old Lou’s eyes, which are crying.

First Kiss

Arrows

            Now, certain frames are also different when looking at these two novels. In Essex County Book Two: Ghost Stories, Lemire uses a scrapbook style to focus on Vince and his accomplishments while playing for The Grizzlies. It helps give the reader a sense that he/she is actually looking at the book with Old Lou; actually sitting next to him in the basement. 300 uses a frame type that is slightly different than anything seen in Essex County. During giant fight scenes, Miller shows how epically scaled the battles are by putting them on two landscaped pages; in fact, the entire book is landscaped, which differs from Essex County, which is letter sized.

Scrapbook

Landscape

            Both stories are different in their own way, but as different as they are, they also have many similarities when looking at their mechanics and presentation. I find this interesting since I would have never have thought to have compared the two before this particular blog. It’s actually quite an astonishment, to say the least, but hey, we learn something new everyday, I suppose.