This is well known - from our collection to various columns about comics (such as “about painting MoMA”, which is deeply loved by everyone), it has occupied a very important place. Cartoon or image novel itself is an art form: presenting the story with beautiful images can arouse people’s resonance; But comics can provide more than entertainment - it is also a magical learning tool.

It can cultivate people’s language skills and critical thinking, while nurturing creativity and self-expression - you may wonder, isn’t it?

We invited writer and comic scholar Chris gavaler to share: about comics.

Grace Robinson’s illustration for MoMA’s “about MoMA”

01

What is a cartoon?

What is a cartoon?

There are two answers. The first is the most common: they appear in the form of publication most of the time. In the interesting columns of newspapers and cartoons in comic books, the longer length can be called image novels. We call this “comics as a medium”.

But this is not the majority of comics you can find in MoMA - it’s completely different if you go beyond the media level and see comics as a form. The second definition of comics is: juxtaposed images. Therefore, if an artist creates two images and puts them together, he is creating them in the form of comics.

The first kind of cartoon emphasizes working in the context, while the second often points to itself. The two are sometimes difficult to distinguish. The first often includes the second. We do this explanation just to generate “this is also a cartoon” when you face the MoMA exhibition wall Give you a loud positive confirmation when you have questions.

Peter Halley, explosion unit room, 1994

For example, Andy Warhol’s Jacqueline Kennedy III, which consists of four pictures, with 2 × 2 grid arrangement, which is a common layout in traditional comics. Even if comics are wordless, we can usually “read” comics in the default order.

Warwick III, Andy Warwick, 1965

Jacob Lawrence’s “immigration” series, created in 1941, arranges 60 image films together, one by one, telling a story about black workers leaving the south for the North during World War II. The “immigrant” series has elements of traditional comics, including words, and the characters are also simplified and exaggerated.

Jacob Lawrence’s “immigration” series on display in the MoMA Collection Hall

02

What are the elements of comics?

Now you know, comics are not just the colorful heroes in tights in magazines. When it is used as a form, it can cover any topic and can be found almost anywhere.

The best way to deepen understanding is to try to create your own comics. It can be about anything and contains a dazzling array of possibilities. But we should remember five elements: image style, text and text box, the relationship between text and image, the implicit reasoning between paintings, and layout.

Style is meaningful

Even if you draw the same theme, different styles of comics will have different effects. Take “details” for example. When you create simple cartoon characters, the details will be simplified to the most basic parts. And some creations will be full of details, lifelike like photos. For example, the image created by Carolyn CAPPS is rare for comics published in the journal.

Caroline kapps, nightfall #36, November 2020

Or compare the scene of MoMA audience sitting on a bench and resting painted by Sofia Warren and guno Park in “about MoMA”. The simple style of the former and the meticulous style of the latter form different effects and will also cause different reactions of the viewer.

Left: Sophia Warren’s illustration; Right: illustration by no Parker

Style can change almost any theme. Think about what this means for your own cartoon. If you draw a serious story in cartoon style, it may make the story less disturbing. If you draw the same story in a detailed and realistic style, your audience will experience it more intuitively. If you tell a story in a detailed but exaggerated style, the effect may become surreal and affect the audience in unexpected ways.

But who says comics must have only one style? According to the changes of time, place, viewpoint and even character emotion, style can be transformed in different images. In a word: style is not independent of visual story, but one of its main tools.

In comics, the text must also be presented in a certain style - from handwriting to well-designed graphic art. The choice of font is always related to the image, so treat the text as a larger image. When you think about this, you will think more: what if different characters speak in different fonts? What if a character’s font changes according to the way they speak?

In comics, the most common is to combine text with dialog boxes: in the form of bubbles or boxes. Gabrielle bell uses oval voice bubbles with hand-painted borders consistent with her painting style. Joanna avillez avoided using dialog boxes and chose to present text in a free floating form.

Gabriel Bell’s creation

The creation of Joanna avirez

You will also form your own preferences. Should the lines that make up bubbles be similar to the lines that make up characters? If each character’s dialog box has its own character’s exclusive logo, what will happen if the reader knows who is talking even if no character appears?

What does the meaning of a group of words have to do with the surrounding images: for example, repetition, complementarity, contrast or divergence.

When they repeat, the text and

Infantile eczema belongs to a kind of specific dermatitis, which is the infancy of specific dermatitis. Its pathogenesis is not very clear, which is mainly related to the imperfect and sensitive development of infant skin barrier and the immature development of immune mechanism. Eczema can occur all year round. Babies with dry skin are more likely to develop eczema. Eczema is mainly seen in the face and scalp, and it is rare in the body and even limbs. There will be itching, local dryness, peeling or liquid exudation papules, herpes and blisters in the eczema area. Eczema is often characterized by symmetry, exudation, pruritus, pleomorphism and recurrence. Eczema mainly occurs in infants from 1 month to 2 years old. It is a recurrent skin disease. It gradually disappeared after the age of 2. Moisturizing is very important in the treatment of eczema. Every time after taking a bath, apply moisturizing oil to the whole body, or even several times a day. Those with severe pruritus can take cetirizine drops, loratadine syrup, etc. Need to adhere to medication, during which eczema cream containing different hormones can be used alternately. General children with eczema can choose hydrocortisone ointment, desnide ointment, hydrocortisone butyrate ointment, etc. You can also quickly control the disease with medium and strong glucocorticoids, and then maintain it with low-intensity glucocorticoids. As long as it is used reasonably, it is safe even for long-term use. Most glucocorticoid ointments are safe for local continuous use for no more than 2 weeks. However, parents need to be prepared. Eczema occurs repeatedly and is not easy to root out. Usually, babies should wear cotton, loose and soft clothes instead of silk and wool clothes. Don’t cover your child. The temperature should not be too high when bathing. Choose a mild and neutral shower gel. Generally do not avoid too much. Most infant eczema has nothing to do with diet, Professor Yang Xichuan wrote on his microblog that: “Skin allergy prick test and blood allergen specific IgE test for infants with eczema will show a variety of positive reactions. These results are only for reference. They need to be comprehensively judged with the medical history such as whether the disease is really aggravated after actual consumption, and should be subject to the actual situation. Especially if the children have no allergic reaction after eating a certain food, they should not diagnose food allergy because of the positive serum IgE. Special reminder: at present, it is considered that blood test Food IgG antibody in liquid has no significance for infantile eczema (atopic dermatitis) Unless it is a very clear food allergy, you should not deliberately restrict your diet. “

Winter Olympics observation | China brings positive changes to global winter sports

Li Lingna, website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission

“The realization of China’s goal of ‘driving 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports’ is the most important legacy given by the Beijing Winter Olympic Games to the global winter sports and Olympic Games. It can be said that it is the’ first gold medal ‘of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.” On February 17, Tu Xiaodong, director of the Publicity Department of the State General Administration of sports, said at the press conference held by the 2022 Beijing Information Center.

In 2015, China won the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. With the progress of the preparations for the Winter Olympics and the continuous promotion and popularization of ice and snow sports in recent years, it has greatly driven the enthusiasm of the Chinese people to participate in ice and snow sports. According to the statistical survey report on “driving 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports” issued by the National Bureau of statistics, as of October 2021, the number of participants in ice and snow sports in China was 346 million, and the participation rate of residents reached 24.56%.

Ice and snow projects break through the traditional regional boundaries of “North ice”, and the momentum of “exhibition in the south, expansion in the West and eastward” is strong

100 days before the countdown to the Beijing Winter Olympics, the launching ceremony of the theme activity of Guangdong (Shenzhen) National Ice and snow season was held in Shenzhen, Guangdong. The site not only unveiled the national ice hockey training base, but also released a series of 20 theme activities in the 2021 Guangdong (Shenzhen) National Ice and snow season.

Among the theme activities, there are not only competitive competitions such as Guangdong Youth figure skating championships and urban ice hockey bullfights, but also educational and fun activities such as ice and snow campus tours, ice and snow carnivals and interesting Ice Games, which can meet the needs of people of different ages and drive more people’s enthusiasm to participate in ice and snow sports.

As the most populous province in China, the development of ice and snow sports in Guangdong came into being according to local conditions, meeting the diversified needs of the people for national fitness and happy life, and has become an important part of national fitness.

“Since Beijing’s successful bid for the Winter Olympics, Guangdong has actively responded to the National Ice and snow development strategy of ‘exhibition in the south, expansion in the West and eastward’.” Xu Jianping, then a member of the Party group and deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau, said that in recent years, Guangdong has earnestly implemented the implementation outline for the construction of a strong sports Province, gradually formed a development pattern of government guidance, market leadership and social coordination, and strive to build Guangdong into a leading demonstration province for the “South Exhibition” of ice and snow sports.

“Ice and snow events have broken through the regional boundaries of the traditional ‘North ice’, and not only have provincial youth ice hockey and figure skating championships been held for three consecutive years, but ice hockey and figure skating have also become the official competition items of the next provincial games.” Xu Jianping introduced that Guangdong ice and snow sports have made great development. During the Winter Games in Inner Mongolia, Guangdong athlete Peng Junyue won two gold medals, realizing a historic breakthrough in competitive sports in Guangdong. In the list of the Chinese delegation to the Beijing Winter Olympics, 17 athletes from Guangdong were selected, including 16 women’s ice hockey and 1 man’s sled.

“We have established Guangdong ice and snow sports association to strengthen the construction of ice and snow sports organizations, actively promote the construction of ice and snow sports venues, and widely carry out large-scale ice and snow sports activities and competitions.” Xu Jianping said, “on the one hand, we take the people as the center and meet everyone’s needs. On the other hand, southern cities have the conditions for the development of ice and snow sports in indoor venues. The construction of ice and snow venues in Guangdong has been fruitful, and there are more than 20 ice rinks and snow rinks in the province.”

Looking around, by the beginning of last year, China had built 654 standard ice rinks and 803 indoor and outdoor ski resorts, and the pace of ice and snow sports infrastructure construction in some southern provinces has accelerated… China’s ice and snow sports are “expanding from south to west and from east to East”, and mass ice and snow sports are vigorously promoted and popularized in the north and south of the river and inside and outside the Great Wall.

It is worth mentioning that the venue of the national public ice and snow season has also been transferred from the north to the south, and from traditional ice and snow areas to non-traditional ice and snow areas. Since 2014, the national public ice and snow season has been held for 8 consecutive sessions, and the scope of activities in the ice and snow season has continued to expand, from only 10 provinces, autonomous regions and cities to 31 provinces, autonomous regions and cities.

Bidding for the Beijing Winter Olympics will drive 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports. An important purpose is to accelerate the popularization and improvement of ice and snow sports, promote the extensive development of national fitness, help the development of national sports and the construction of a sports power, and enhance the people’s sense of gain and happiness.

The foundation of sports power lies in mass sports, and sports policies quietly change life

Qiu Hui, physical education teacher of new world Experimental Primary School Affiliated to Shanghai Academy of drama. While paying attention to the competition of the Chinese team in the Beijing Winter Olympics, Qiu Hui also felt that she had a more fulfilling winter vacation by organizing more than a dozen students of the school team to participate in the simulated skiing course.

“In the past, our school’s sports development courses were ice hockey and queue skating, mostly during school. After the new simulated skiing course was added in September last year, we let more than 100 students in grade 3 experience this project and choose the best to form a school team. The children are very interested and are training continuously during the holiday.” Qiu Hui told reporters.

In 2014, in response to the national policy of “ice and snow entering the campus”, Qiu Hui, who was a part-time teaching and research member of primary school physical education of Pudong New Area Bureau of education at that time, participated in the promotion of the project and tried to introduce the ice and snow project in the north to the south in five primary schools, five kindergartens and one middle school, including the new world experimental primary school.

When the students glided on the ice with professional coaches, Qiu Hui’s “snow dream” changed from heart to reality. On the basis of expanding the curriculum, the new world experimental primary school has established two school teams, with girls performing team skating and boys training ice hockey. Qiu Hui is very proud that the school team has participated in the Asian Youth figure skating challenge and won the place. It is also the only team named after the school in Shanghai.

Eight years like a day, Qiu Hui’s persistence has enabled more than 2000 students to realize the “ice and snow dream”. “Ice and snow sports have added different sports experiences and ways to children in the south. Their performance in these projects is beneficial to their physical and mental development and promotes the integration of North and South cultures.” Qiu Hui said that watching the children summon up the courage to try to get on the ice from the beginning to gradually become “little masters” sliding freely on the ice, she was pleased with the growth of the children.

In 2019, the Ministry of education, together with the State General Administration of sports and other departments, issued the guidance on accelerating the promotion of national youth ice and snow sports on campus