Pantomime Comics

Silent comics (or pantomime comics) are comics which are delivered in mime. They make use of little or no dialogue, speech balloons or captions written underneath the images. Instead, the stories or gags are told entirely through pictures.

Definition

Silent comics have the advantage of being easily understandable to people - like children - who are slow readers. The genre is also universally popular since translation is not required, lacking the usual language barriers. Sergio Aragonés, a famous artist in the field, once said in a 1991 interview with Comics Journal: "What happens is like a supersimplification. Something you can say with words, you have to eliminate all the words until it can be told in a little story without words. You just think a little longer. But it becomes rewarding in the end because everybody can understand your cartoons no matter what your nationality. And that, to me, has been always a big thing—to do cartoons that everybody can understand, every age, every nationality. It is different. It's like in the theater. You have regular theater, and you have pantomime, like Marcel Marceau or Alejandro Jodorowsky. And I apply that to cartooning and it works." Silent comics tend to be popular in the gag-a-day comics genre, where they typically consist of just three or four images per episode. But some graphic novels with longer narratives also make use of pantomime (see ''Wordless novels''). This allows for a more visual experience, where the actual meaning of the events is left to the readers' own interpretation. Some famous silent-comics artists are Sergio Aragonés, Guy Bara, Chaval, Henning Dahl Mikkelsen, Adolf Oberländer, Wil Raymakers, Otto Soglow, Gluyas Williams and Jim Woodring.

List of notable silent comics

Argentina

* The cartoons of Santiago Cornejo (Corne).
* The cartoons of Guillermo Mordillo.
* Most comics by Quino (Joaquín Salvador Lavado) (except for Mafalda).

Australia

* '' The Arrival'' by Shaun Tan.

Belgium

* '' 25 Images de la Passion d'un Homme'' (''25 Images of a Man's Passion'') by Frans Masereel.
* ''Balthazar'' by Bob de Moor.
* ''Cet Aimable M. Mops'' (''The Loveable M. Mops'') by Hergé.
* ''Fireplug kung fu'' by Eco.
* ''Game Over'' by Midam.
* '' Histoire Sans Paroles'' (''Story Without Words'') by Frans Masereel.
* '' The Idea'' (''The Idea'') by Frans Masereel.
* ''Klopstock'' by Sinap (pseudonym of Armand Panis).
* ''Love Story'' by Eco.
* ''Les Malheurs de Charlie'' by Jem
* '' Het Manneke'' by Marc Payot and Paul Ausloos.
* Maurice Rosy made a surreal pantomime comic about hat-like creatures in a seemingly Martian landscape in 1966, which never received a proper title.
* ''Max L'Explorateur'' (''Max the Explorer'') by Guy Bara.
* ''Les Mille et Une Aventures d'Oscar'' by Jean Léo.
* '' Mon Livre D'Heures'' (''My Book of Hours'') by Frans Masereel.
* ''Otto'' by Frodo De Decker.
* ''De Perfesser'' by Punt.
* '' Plunk'' by Luc Cromheecke and Laurent Letzer.
* ''Polo'' by Willem Dolphyn
* ''Pollopof'' by Marc Sleen.
* '' Poussy'' by Peyo.
* ''Prosper'' by Ploeg.
* ''Rik en zijn Veiligheidschef'' by Gaston Ebinger.
* ''De Slag om Turnhout'' by Conz.
* ''Le Soleil'' (''The Sun'') by Frans Masereel.
* '' La Ville'' (''The City'') by Frans Masereel.

Canada

* '' The Life and Times of Conrad Black'' by George Walker.
* ''The Mysterious Death of Tom Thomson'' by George Walker.
* ''Pour un Dîner de Noël'' by Raoul Barré.
* ''Southern Cross'' by Laurence Hyde.
* ''Tales From The Vase'' by Billy Mavreas.

China

* ''Mr. Chu and Aunt Eight'' by Mak Man-chung (occasionally makes use of pantomime).
* ''Old Master Q'' by Alfonso Wong (occasionally makes use of pantomime).
* '' Sanmao'' by Zhang Leping.
* The cartoons of Tango Gao.

Cuba

* ''Geste Hypergraphique'' by Roberto Altmann, a comic book with abstract imagery, a surreal plot and symbols and freeform interpunction. While there are speech balloons it's unreadable gibberish, making it somewhat of a pantomime comic.

Denmark

* ''Alfredo'' by Cosper and Jørgen Mogensen.
* The cartoons and comics by Herluf Bidstrup.
* ''Chas'' by Frederik Bramming.
* ''Ferd'nand'' by Henning Dahl Mikkelsen''.
* ''Frederik'' by Frederik Bramming.
* ''Morkelige Mr. Mox'' by Cosper.
* ''Professor Phidus'' by Kaj Pindal.
* ''Rasmus'' by Jørgen Clevin.

Finland

* ''Lämsänperäläiset'' by Wallu.

France

* ''Arzach'' by Moebius.
* ''L'Enclos'' by Blexbolex.
* ''Lily Sprint'' by Bindle.
* ' by
* ''Malabar'', the mascot of chewing gum brand ''Malabar'', whose adventures were told in pantomime comics. The first artist to draw the series was Jean-René Le Moing.
* ''Mistouflet'' by Aldé.
* ''Monsieur Mouche'' by Rab.
* ''Monsieur Pépin'' by Piem.
* ''La Mouche'' by Lewis Trondheim.
* ' by and .
* ''Le Pantin'' by Michel Alzéal.
* ''Passages'' by Thibault Poursin.
* ' by and Lewis Trondheim.
* ''Le Petit President'' by J. Lap.
* ''Pervers Pépère'' by Marcel Gotlib.
* ''Poustiquet'' by Bindle.
* ' by .
* ''Riri'' by Maurice Chénechot.
* ''Les Souris'' by Pierre Clément.
* ''La Théorie du Chaos'' by Pierre Schelle.
* ''Turlupin'' by Piem.

Germany

* ' by .
* ''Die Abenteur des kleinen Ako'' by Klaus Vonderwerth.
* ''Albert'' by Klaus Vonderwerth.
* ''Alpha...directions'' by .
* ''Beta ... civilisations part 1'' by .
* ''Dackel Willi'' by .
* by Horst von Möllendorff.
* ' by Hans Jürgen Press.
* by Becker-Kasch.
* by .
* ''Pascha Bumsti'' by .
* '' Schicksal'' (''Destiny'') by Otto Nückel.
* ''Spacedog'' by .
* '' Une semaine de bonté'' by Max Ernst.
* '' Vater und Sohn'' by E.O. Plauen, aka Erich Ohser.

Hungary

* Jucika by Pál Pusztai.
* ''Séta Álomországban'' by Bit ( ). One particular episode, (), took the interest of famous psychologists Sándor Ferenczi and Sigmund Freud.

Italy

* '' Squeak the Mouse'' by Massimo Mattioli.

Japan

* '' Gon'' by Masashi Tanaka.
* ''Kuri-chan'' by Susumu Nemoto

Mexico

* ''Pedrito'' by William de la Torre.

Netherlands

* Adrian Backfish (a SF-story in the Doe-het-zelfdodingsgids of) Eric Schreurs
* ''Annemoon'' by Patty Klein and Piet Wijn.
* ''Bertje Branie'' by Ger Sligte.
* ''Boes'' by Wil Raymakers and Thys Wilms.
* ''Flossie'' by Gerard Wiegel.
* ''Gutsman'' by Erik Kriek.
* ''Het Leven in Karikatuur'' by Leendert Jordaan.
* ''Loeki de Leeuw'' by Wil Raymakers.
* ''Mea Culpa'' by Peter Kalberkamp.
* ''Mieke Meijer'' by Ger Sligte.
* ''Paradiso'' by Len Munnik.
* ''Pieterje Stastok'' by Steiner.
* ''Professor Pi'' by Bob Van den Born.
* ''Simpelman'' by Wim van Wieringen.

Norway

* ''Grosz'' by Lars Fiske.
* ''Sshhhh!'' by Jason.

Philippines

* ''Beelzebub'' by Malang Santos.
* ''Chain Gang Charlie'' by Malang Santos.
* ''Kosmé the Cop etired' by Malang Santos.
* ''Malangs Menagerie'' by Malang Santos.
* ''Pocholo'' by Malang Santos.

Poland

* ''Josephine'' by Elisabeth Brozowska.
* ''Professor Filutek'' by Zbigniew Lengren.
* ''Sans Titre'' by Jerzy Skarzynski.

Spain

* ''Cándído'' by José Luis Martin Mena, aka ''Mena''.
* ''Don Celes'' by Olmo
* The work of OPS (pseudonym of Andrés Rábago).

Sweden

* '' Adamson'' (known as ''Silent Sam'' in the USA) by Oscar Jacobsson.
* ''Ba-Ba'' by Sten Rinaldo.
* ''Gorillan Gusten'' by Jan Romare.
* ''Götlund'' by Birger Malmborg.
* ''Gus'' by Gunnar Persson.
* ''Mannen Som Gör Vad Som Faller Honom In'' (''The Man Who Does Whatever Comes To His Mind'') by Oskar Andersson.
* ''Mullvaden Malte'' by Jan Romare.
* ''Pyton'' by Jan Romare.
* ''Ugglan Urban'' by Jan Romare.
* ''Ur Igelkotten Huberts Dagbok'' by Jan Romare.

Switzerland

* ''Alberto'' by .
* ''Dead End'' by Thomas Ott.
* ''Geteilter Traum'' by Daniel Bosshart.
* ''Greetings from Hellville'' by Thomas Ott.
* ''Max'' by Pericle Luigi Giovannetti.
* ''Tales of Error'' by Thomas Ott.

Taiwan

* ''Ichthyophobia'' by Li Lung-chieh.

United Kingdom

* ''Brenda Breeze'' by Rolfe.
* ''Caesar'' by Tim.
* ''Chicko'' by Norman Thelwell.
* ''Come on, Steve!'' by Roland Davies.
* ''Les Aventures des Deux Barbus'' (''The Adventures of the Bearded Duo'') by Harold Mack for the Marten Toonder studios.
* ''Little Dead-Eye Dick'' by Charles Holt.
* ''Louie'' by Harry Hanan.
* ''Perkins'' by John Miles.
* ''The Snowman'' by Raymond Briggs.
* ''Sporting Sam'' by Reg Wootton.
* ''THHRP!'' by Leo Baxendale.
* ''Uncle Charlie'' by Peter Laing.

United States

* '' Age of Reptiles'' by Ricardo Delgado.
* '' The Ambassador'' by Otto Soglow.
* '' Bozo'' by Foxo Reardon.
* ''Doctor Bill'' by Jack Tippit.
* '' Fox Bunny Funny'' by Andy Hartzell.
* '' Frank'' by Jim Woodring.
* ''Gods' Man'' by Lynd Ward.
* ''Grindstone George'' by Clifton Meek.
* ''Hannah'' by Courtney Dunkel
* ''Hawks & Doves'' by Al Jaffee.
* '' He Done Her Wrong'' by Milt Gross.
* ''Henry'' by Carl Thomas Anderson.
* ''Herman'' by Clyde Lamb.
* ''Hi and Jinx'' by Jonny Hawkins.
* ''Johnny Mouse'' by Clifton Meek.
* '' Korgi'' by Christian Slade.
* ''Lancelittle'' by Paul Sellers.
* '' Little Farmer'' by Kern Pederson.
* ''Little Umjiji'' by Syd B. Griffin.
* ''Liō'' by Mark Tatulli.
* ''The Little King'' by Otto Soglow.
* ''A Mad Look At...'' and ''Marginals'' by Sergio Aragones.
* '' Madman's Drum'' by Lynd Ward.
* ''No Comment'' by Vahan Shirvanian.
* ''Owly'' by Andy Runton.
* '' Prelude to a Million Years'' by Lynd Ward.
* ''Sad Sack'' by George Baker started out as a pantomime comic, but later became a speech balloon comic.
* ''Sentinel Louie'' by Otto Soglow.
* ''Song Without Words'' by Lynd Ward.
* ''Splinters'' by William Steinigans (started out as pantomime comic, but after some episodes it began using dialogue).
* '' Spy vs. Spy'' by Antonio Prohías.
* ''Sticks and Stones'' by Peter Kuper.
* '' Sticky'' by Dale Lazarov and Steve MacIsaac.
* ''The Strange World of Mr. Mum'' by Irving Phillips.
* ''The System'' by Peter Kuper.
* ''Tall Tales'' by Al Jaffee.
* ''Travelin' Gus'' by Otto Soglow.
* ''Vertigo'' by Lynd Ward.
* '' Wild Pilgrimage'' by Lynd Ward.
* ''Wordless Workshop'' by Roy Doty.

Yugoslavia

* ''Ljuba Truba'' by Milorad Dobrić.

See also

* Text comics

References

{{Comics

Pantomime
Comics genres