Where have all the thought balloons gone?

[Bat-Hombre]

They disappeared! What do you think about that?

 

[CConn]

It doesn't matter. We still get plenty of character inner-monologues. They're just in boxes instead of balloons.

 

[dude stannis]

I'd rather they stayed away. The central character should narrate all his/her own stories.

 

[KingOfDreams]

I prefer the boxes. Bringing back thought bubbles would be retro in a bad way.

 

[CConn]

Yeah, I think the only time thought balloons are really effective in modern comics is in comedic pieces, really.

 

[Bat-Hombre]

So the modern batman is too cool for thought balloons!

 

[Fledermaus]

Unnecessary balloons, be they thought or otherwise, often obscure the great art that most books have. So I'm fine with the inner-monologue boxes.

 

[batmaluco]

JOKER (apoplectic) - "HE STOLE MY BALLOONS!"

BTW, I don't care as well.

 

[Nepenthes]

There's also generally a difference between boxes and ballons that I prefer. Boxes don't really comment and interact with the precise scene at hand in the same fashion. They add second layer of naarrtive yeah, and an overall mood and tone but nowadays it's more conventional to let artwork convey the characters emotions and thoughts as they occur in the scene.

Ex. You not going to find boxes saying 'I don't trust him. The look in eye's - I think he's lying!'. This stuff is drawn into the characters expressions, more interesting for older readers. That the audience has grown up alot is a big reason balloons have dissapeared.

Also boxes mimic film where a voiceover can be the overarching narration. With balloons this effect isn't so strong.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Does anyone know when thought balloons ceasded to appear?

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Does anyone know when thought balloons ceasded to appear?

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Does anyone know when thought balloons ceasded to appear?

I'd say around the 80's, with the rise of the "grim n' gritty" era.

 

[Bat-Hombre]

I'd say around the 80's, with the rise of the "grim n' gritty" era.

No. They were there at least till the mid-90s in most mainstream books.

 

[Saint]

Caption boxes work better than thought-bubbles anyway, because they allow for a better narrative. In a thought bubble the monologue must be exactly what that character is thinking in that panel, whereas a caption box allows for the monologue to be detached, so the writers aren't boxed into explaining everything unnaturally. With caption boxes you're not forced to write things like "My insulated webbing is working great against Electro!" Caption boxes take an effect akin to narration or voice over. Much better.

 

[Nepenthes]

Caption boxes work better than thought-bubbles anyway, because they allow for a better narrative. In a thought bubble the monologue must be exactly what that character is thinking in that panel, whereas a caption box allows for the monologue to be detached, so the writers aren't boxed into explaining everything unnaturally. With caption boxes you're not forced to write things like "My insulated webbing is working great against Electro!" Caption boxes take an effect akin to narration or voice over. Much better.

You just said what I said but your post it actually makes sense.

 

[TwilightPro101]

They need to stay gone.

 

[SpideyInATree]

Thought balloons were pretty cool to have. But considering captions are being used in it's place it'd be sort of like taking a step back in a weird way. I'd love to have thought balloons back but the caption boxes seem to be working just fine for the time being.

I have seen a few recent comics use thought balloons here and there. Mostly stuff by Dan Slott...She-Hulk and The Thing had it. And I believe I saw some in another place but I can't quite place my finger on it.

 

[TwilightPro101]

Well, they can always pop back up again if need be.