Silent comics explained

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."^[1] 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,^[2] Chaval,^[3] Henning Dahl Mikkelsen,^[4] Adolf Oberländer,^[5] Wil Raymakers,^[6] Otto Soglow,^[7] Gluyas Williams^[8] and Jim Woodring.^[9]

List of notable silent comics

Argentina

• The cartoons of Santiago Cornejo (Corne).^[10]
• The cartoons of Guillermo Mordillo.^[11]
• Most comics by Quino (Joaquín Salvador Lavado) (except for Mafalda).^[12]

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.^[13]
• Balthazar by Bob de Moor.^[14]
• Cet Aimable M. Mops (The Loveable M. Mops) by Hergé.^[15]
• Fireplug kung fu by Eco.^[16]
• Game Over by Midam.^[17]
• Histoire Sans Paroles (Story Without Words) by Frans Masereel.
• The Idea (The Idea) by Frans Masereel.
• Klopstock by Sinap (pseudonym of Armand Panis).^[18]
• Love Story by Eco.
• Les Malheurs de Charlie by Jem ^[19]
• Het Manneke by Marc Payot ^[20] and Paul Ausloos.^[21]
• Maurice Rosy made a surreal pantomime comic about hat-like creatures in a seemingly Martian landscape in 1966, which never received a proper title.^[22]
• Max L'Explorateur (Max the Explorer) by Guy Bara.
• Les Mille et Une Aventures d'Oscar by Jean Léo.^[23]
• Mon Livre D'Heures (My Book of Hours) by Frans Masereel.
• Otto by Frodo De Decker.^[24]
• De Perfesser by Punt.^[25]
• Plunk by Luc Cromheecke and Laurent Letzer.^[26]
• Polo by Willem Dolphyn ^[27]
• Pollopof by Marc Sleen.^[28]
• Poussy by Peyo.^[29]
• Prosper by Ploeg.^[30]
• Rik en zijn Veiligheidschef by Gaston Ebinger.^[31]
• De Slag om Turnhout by Conz.^[32]
• 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.^[33]
• Southern Cross by Laurence Hyde.
• Tales From The Vase by Billy Mavreas.^[34]

China

• Mr. Chu and Aunt Eight by Mak Man-chung ^[35] (occasionally makes use of pantomime).
• Old Master Q by Alfonso Wong (occasionally makes use of pantomime).^[36]
• Sanmao by Zhang Leping.^[37]
• The cartoons of Tango Gao.^[38]

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.^[39]

Denmark

• Alfredo by Cosper and Jørgen Mogensen.^[40]
• The cartoons and comics by Herluf Bidstrup.^[41]
• Chas by Frederik Bramming.^[42]
• Ferd'nand by Henning Dahl Mikkelsen.
• Frederik by Frederik Bramming.
• Morkelige Mr. Mox by Cosper.
• Professor Phidus by Kaj Pindal.^[43]
• Rasmus by Jørgen Clevin.^[44]

Finland

• Lämsänperäläiset by Wallu.^[45]

France

• Arzach by Moebius.^[46]
• L'Enclos by Blexbolex.^[47]
• Lily Sprint by Bindle.^[48]
• 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.^[49]
• Mistouflet by Aldé.^[50]
• Monsieur Mouche by Rab.^[51]
• Monsieur Pépin by Piem.^[52]
• La Mouche by Lewis Trondheim.^[53]
• by and .
• Le Pantin by Michel Alzéal.^[54]
• Passages by Thibault Poursin.^[55]
• by and Lewis Trondheim.^[56]
• Le Petit President by J. Lap.^[57]
• Pervers Pépère by Marcel Gotlib.^[58]
• Poustiquet by Bindle.^[48]
• by .^[59]
• Riri by Maurice Chénechot.^[60]
• Les Souris by Pierre Clément.^[61]
• La Théorie du Chaos by Pierre Schelle.^[62]
• Turlupin by Piem.^[52]

Germany

• by .^[63]
• Die Abenteur des kleinen Ako by Klaus Vonderwerth.^[64]
• Albert by Klaus Vonderwerth.
• Alpha...directions by .
• Beta ... civilisations part 1 by .
• Dackel Willi by .^[65]
• German: Fäustchen|italic=yes by Horst von Möllendorff.^[66]
• by Hans Jürgen Press.^[67]
• German: Der Löwe Adolar|italic=yes by Becker-Kasch.^[68]
• German: Männer ohner Worte|italic=yes by .^[69]
• Pascha Bumsti by .
• Schicksal (Destiny) by Otto Nückel.
• Spacedog by .^[70]
• Une semaine de bonté by Max Ernst.
• Vater und Sohn by E.O. Plauen, aka Erich Ohser.^[71]

Hungary

• Jucika by Pál Pusztai.^{[72] [73]}
• Séta Álomországban by Bit . One particular episode,, took the interest of famous psychologists Sándor Ferenczi and Sigmund Freud.^[74]

Italy

• Squeak the Mouse by Massimo Mattioli.^[75]

Japan

• Gon by Masashi Tanaka.^[76]
• Kuri-chan by Susumu Nemoto ^[77]

Mexico

• Pedrito by William de la Torre.^[78]

Netherlands

• Adrian Backfish (a SF-story in the Doe-het-zelfdodingsgids of) Eric Schreurs
• Annemoon by Patty Klein and Piet Wijn.^[79]
• Bertje Branie by Ger Sligte.^[80]
• Boes by Wil Raymakers and Thys Wilms.
• Flossie by Gerard Wiegel.^[81]
• Gutsman by Erik Kriek.^[82]
• Het Leven in Karikatuur by Leendert Jordaan.^[83]
• Loeki de Leeuw by Wil Raymakers.
• Mea Culpa by Peter Kalberkamp.^[84]
• Mieke Meijer by Ger Sligte.
• Paradiso by Len Munnik.^[85]
• Pieterje Stastok by Steiner.^[86]
• Professor Pi by Bob Van den Born.^[87]
• Simpelman by Wim van Wieringen.^[88]

Norway

• Grosz by Lars Fiske.
• Sshhhh! by Jason.^[89]

Philippines

• Beelzebub by Malang Santos.^[90]
• Chain Gang Charlie by Malang Santos.
• Kosmé the Cop [Retired] by Malang Santos.
• Malangs Menagerie by Malang Santos.
• Pocholo by Malang Santos.

Poland

• Josephine by Elisabeth Brozowska.^[91]
• Professor Filutek by Zbigniew Lengren.^[92]
• Sans Titre by Jerzy Skarzynski.^[93]

Spain

• Cándído by José Luis Martin Mena, aka Mena.^[94]
• Don Celes by Olmo ^[95]
• The work of OPS (pseudonym of Andrés Rábago).^[96]

Sweden

• Adamson (known as Silent Sam in the USA) by Oscar Jacobsson.^[97]
• Ba-Ba by Sten Rinaldo.^[98]
• Gorillan Gusten by Jan Romare.^[99]
• Götlund by Birger Malmborg.^[100]
• Gus by Gunnar Persson.^[101]
• Mannen Som Gör Vad Som Faller Honom In (The Man Who Does Whatever Comes To His Mind) by Oskar Andersson.^[102]
• Mullvaden Malte by Jan Romare.
• Pyton by Jan Romare.
• Ugglan Urban by Jan Romare.
• Ur Igelkotten Huberts Dagbok by Jan Romare.

Switzerland

• Alberto by .^[103]
• Dead End by Thomas Ott.^[104]
• Geteilter Traum by Daniel Bosshart.
• Greetings from Hellville by Thomas Ott.
• Max by Pericle Luigi Giovannetti.^[105]
• Tales of Error by Thomas Ott.

Taiwan

• Ichthyophobia by Li Lung-chieh.^[106]

United Kingdom

• Brenda Breeze by Rolfe.^[107]
• Caesar by Tim.^[108]
• Chicko by Norman Thelwell.^[109]
• Come on, Steve! by Roland Davies.^[110]
• Les Aventures des Deux Barbus (The Adventures of the Bearded Duo) by Harold Mack for the Marten Toonder studios.^[111]
• Little Dead-Eye Dick by Charles Holt.^[112]
• Louie by Harry Hanan.^[113]
• Perkins by John Miles.^[114]
• The Snowman by Raymond Briggs.^[115]
• Sporting Sam by Reg Wootton.^[116]
• THHRP! by Leo Baxendale.^[117]
• Uncle Charlie by Peter Laing.^[118]

United States

• Age of Reptiles by Ricardo Delgado.
• The Ambassador by Otto Soglow.
• Bozo by Foxo Reardon.^{[119] [120]}
• Doctor Bill by Jack Tippit.^[121]
• Fox Bunny Funny by Andy Hartzell.^[122]
• Frank by Jim Woodring.
• Gods' Man by Lynd Ward.^[123]
• Grindstone George by Clifton Meek.^[124]
• Hannah by Courtney Dunkel^[125]
• Hawks & Doves by Al Jaffee.^[126]
• He Done Her Wrong by Milt Gross.^[127]
• Henry by Carl Thomas Anderson.^[128]
• Herman by Clyde Lamb.^[129]
• Hi and Jinx by Jonny Hawkins.^[130]
• Johnny Mouse by Clifton Meek.
• Korgi by Christian Slade.
• Lancelittle by Paul Sellers.^[131]
• Little Farmer by Kern Pederson.^[132]
• Little Umjiji by Syd B. Griffin.^[133]
• Liō by Mark Tatulli.^[134]
• The Little King by Otto Soglow.^[135]
• A Mad Look At... and Marginals by Sergio Aragones.
• Madman's Drum by Lynd Ward.
• No Comment by Vahan Shirvanian.^[136]
• 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.^[137]
• 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).^[138]
• Spy vs. Spy by Antonio Prohías.^[139]
• Sticks and Stones by Peter Kuper.^[140]
• Sticky by Dale Lazarov and Steve MacIsaac.
• The Strange World of Mr. Mum by Irving Phillips.^[141]
• 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.^[142]

Yugoslavia

• Ljuba Truba by Milorad Dobrić.^[143]

See also

• Text comics

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sergio Aragones and the Art of Pantomime Cartooning | .
2. Web site: Guy Bara . lambiek.net.
3. Web site: Chaval . lambiek.net.
4. Web site: Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Ferd'nand . live . https://archive.today/20240527215218/https://www.webcitation.org/6jHAxE3Jt?url=http://toonopedia.com/ferdnand.htm . 2024-05-27 . toonopedia.com.
5. Web site: Adolf Oberländer . lambiek.net.
6. Web site: Wil Raymakers . lambiek.net.
7. Web site: Otto Soglow and the Little King: The Silent Runs Deep | .
8. Web site: Gluyas Williams . lambiek.net.
9. Web site: Jim Woodring . lambiek.net.
10. Web site: Corne . lambiek.net.
11. Web site: Guillermo Mordillo . lambiek.net.
12. http://sundaycomicsdebt.blogspot.se/2010/08/quino.html Sunday Comics Debt
13. Web site: Frans Masereel . lambiek.net.
14. Web site: Bob De Moor . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170815182125/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/d/de-moor_bob.htm . 2017-08-15 . lambiek.net.
15. Web site: Hergé . lambiek.net.
16. Web site: Eco . lambiek.net.
17. Web site: Midam . lambiek.net.
18. Web site: Sinap . lambiek.net.
19. Web site: Jem . lambiek.net.
20. Web site: Marc Payot . lambiek.net.
21. Web site: Paul Ausloos . lambiek.net.
22. Web site: Maurice Rosy . lambiek.net.
23. Web site: Jean Léo . lambiek.net.
24. Web site: Frodo De Decker . lambiek.net.
25. Web site: Jan van der Aa . lambiek.net.
26. Web site: Luc Cromheecke . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161223202124/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/cromheecke.htm . 2016-12-23 . lambiek.net.
27. Web site: Willem Dolphyn. lambiek.net.
28. Web site: Marc Sleen . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160422035032/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/sleen.htm . 2016-04-22 . lambiek.net.
29. Web site: Peyo . lambiek.net.
30. Web site: Ploeg . lambiek.net.
31. Web site: Gaston Ebinger . lambiek.net.
32. Web site: Conz . lambiek.net.
33. Web site: Raoul Barré . lambiek.net.
34. Web site: Billy Mavreas . lambiek.net.
35. Web site: Mak Man-chung . lambiek.net.
36. Web site: Alfonso Wong . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170816194152/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/wong_alphonso.htm . 2017-08-16 . lambiek.net.
37. Web site: Zhang Leping . lambiek.net.
38. Web site: Tango Gao . lambiek.net.
39. Web site: Roberto Altmann . lambiek.net.
40. Web site: Jørgen Mogensen . lambiek.net.
41. Web site: Herluf Bidstrup . lambiek.net.
42. Web site: Frederik Bramming . lambiek.net.
43. Web site: Kaj Pindal . lambiek.net.
44. Web site: Jørgen Clevin . lambiek.net.
45. Web site: Wallu . lambiek.net.
46. Web site: Jean Giraud . lambiek.net.
47. Web site: Blexbolex . lambiek.net.
48. Web site: Bindle. lambiek.net.
49. Web site: Jean-René Le Moing . lambiek.net.
50. Web site: Aldé . lambiek.net.
51. Web site: Rab . lambiek.net.
52. Web site: Piem. lambiek.net. November 14, 2020.
53. Web site: Lewis Trondheim . lambiek.net.
54. Web site: Michel Alzéal . lambiek.net.
55. Web site: Thibault Poursin . lambiek.net.
56. Web site: Thierry Robin . lambiek.net.
57. Web site: J. Lap . lambiek.net.
58. Web site: Marcel Gotlib . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170206102844/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/g/gotlib.htm . 2017-02-06 . lambiek.net.
59. Web site: André Daix . lambiek.net.
60. Web site: Maurice Chénechot . lambiek.net.
61. Web site: Pierre Clément . lambiek.net.
62. Web site: Pierre Schelle . lambiek.net.
63. Web site: Ferdinand Barlog . lambiek.net.
64. Web site: Klaus Vonderwerth . lambiek.net.
65. Web site: Hans Kossatz . lambiek.net.
66. Web site: Horst Von Möllendorf . lambiek.net.
67. Web site: Hans Jürgen Press . lambiek.net.
68. Web site: Becker-Kasch . lambiek.net.
69. Web site: Frank Flöthmann . lambiek.net.
70. Web site: Hendrik Dorgathen . lambiek.net.
71. Web site: E. O. Plauen . lambiek.net.
72. Web site: New exhibition shows Hungarian women in Socialist advertising . 2020-02-20 . welovebudapest.com . en.
73. Web site: Pál Pusztai. lambiek.net.
74. Web site: Nándor Honti . lambiek.net.
75. Web site: Massimo Mattioli . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180124005802/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/mattioli.htm . 2018-01-24 . lambiek.net.
76. Web site: Masashi Tanaka . lambiek.net.
77. Web site: Susumu Nemoto . lambiek.net.
78. Web site: William De La Torre . lambiek.net.
79. Web site: Patty Klein . lambiek.net.
80. Web site: Ger Sligte . lambiek.net.
81. Web site: Gerard Wiegel . lambiek.net.
82. Web site: Erik Kriek . lambiek.net.
83. Web site: Leendert Jordaan . lambiek.net.
84. Web site: Peter Kalberkamp . lambiek.net.
85. Web site: Len Munnik . lambiek.net.
86. Web site: Steiner . lambiek.net.
87. Web site: Bob van den Born . lambiek.net.
88. Web site: Wim van Wieringen . lambiek.net.
89. Web site: Jason . lambiek.net.
90. Web site: Malang Santos . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170816193847/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/santos_malang.htm . 2017-08-16 . lambiek.net.
91. Web site: Elisabeth Brozowska . lambiek.net.
92. Web site: December 5, 2008 . Comics in Poland: Zbigniew Lengren . Trans Atlantis.
93. Web site: Jerzy Skarzynski . lambiek.net.
94. Web site: Mena . lambiek.net.
95. https://www.lambiek.net/artists/o/olmo.htm Olmo
96. Web site: OPS . lambiek.net.
97. Web site: Oscar Jacobsson . lambiek.net.
98. Web site: Sten Rinaldo . lambiek.net.
99. Web site: Jan Romare . lambiek.net.
100. Web site: Birger Malmborg . lambiek.net.
101. Web site: Gunnar Persson . lambiek.net.
102. Web site: Oskar Andersson . lambiek.net.
103. Web site: Daniel Bosshart . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171017202452/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/bosshart_daniel.htm . 2017-10-17 . lambiek.net.
104. Web site: Thomas Ott . lambiek.net.
105. Web site: Pericle Luigi Giovannetti . lambiek.net.
106. Web site: Li Lung-chieh . Ministry of Culture.
107. Web site: Rolfe . lambiek.net.
108. Web site: Tim . lambiek.net.
109. Web site: Norman Thelwell . lambiek.net.
110. Web site: Roland Davies . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170922195508/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/d/davies_roland.htm . 2017-09-22 . lambiek.net.
111. Web site: Harold Mack . lambiek.net.
112. Web site: Charles Holt . lambiek.net.
113. Web site: Harry Hanan . lambiek.net.
114. Web site: John Miles . lambiek.net.
115. Web site: Raymond Briggs . lambiek.net.
116. Web site: Reg Wootton . lambiek.net.
117. Web site: Leo Baxendale . lambiek.net.
118. Web site: Peter Laing . lambiek.net.
119. Web site: About Bozo Comic Strips - GoComics. 2021-09-23. www.gocomics.com.
120. Web site: Foxo Reardon . lambiek.net.
121. Web site: Jack Tippit . lambiek.net.
122. Web site: Andy Hartzell . lambiek.net.
123. Web site: Lynd Ward . lambiek.net.
124. Web site: Clifton Meek . lambiek.net.
125. Web site: Courtney Dunkel . lambiek.net.
126. Web site: Al Jaffee . lambiek.net.
127. Web site: Milt Gross . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170206101220/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/g/gross_m.htm . 2017-02-06 . lambiek.net.
128. Web site: Comics | King Features Weekly Service | Solutions for Community Newspapers . weekly.kingfeatures.com. 11 June 2014 .
129. Web site: Clyde Lamb . lambiek.net.
130. Web site: Jonny Hawkins . lambiek.net.
131. Web site: Paul Sellers . lambiek.net.
132. Web site: vincenzina.net . www.vincenzina.net.
133. Web site: Syd B. Griffin . lambiek.net.
134. Web site: Mark Tatulli . lambiek.net.
135. Book: Only Connect, A Cultural History of Broadcasting in the United States . 2016-10-16 . 9781478421054.
136. Web site: Vahan Shirvanian . lambiek.net.
137. Web site: George Baker . lambiek.net.
138. Web site: William Steinigans . lambiek.net.
139. Web site: Antonio Prohias . lambiek.net.
140. Web site: Peter Kuper . lambiek.net.
141. Web site: Irving Phillips . lambiek.net.
142. Web site: Roy Doty . lambiek.net.
143. Web site: Milorad Dobrić . lambiek.net.