# Question about production/comic book term for 1960's Batman Bams! and Pows! during fights? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779 "2015-09-19T16:04:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/1 "2015-09-19T16:04:09Z")
I know the words are onomatopoetic. But is there a special term used in comic book production for these words or their word ballons? Also is their a term for a screen overlay in television/film production? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/2 "2015-09-19T16:24:56Z")
Since this is about literature, let’s move it to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/3 "2015-09-19T16:56:35Z")
According to wiki, which draws from “Duncan, Randy; Smith, Matthew J. (2009). _The Power of Comics_”, these are “sound effects”. Kind of a let-down. WAH-waaaaahh… ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/4 "2015-09-19T17:41:06Z")
Yeah, I haven’t been able to find any unique terminology for them either. I always loved Ben Edlund’s use of them in the original _Tick_ comics… _Take! Noose! Tussle! Control Remotely!_ ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/5 "2015-09-19T17:54:51Z")
How about SFX? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/6 "2015-09-19T19:37:19Z")
> [@neofishboy](#): > > Yeah, I haven’t been able to find any unique terminology for them either. > > I always loved Ben Edlund’s use of them in the original _Tick_ comics… > > _Take! > Noose! > Tussle! > Control Remotely!_ I always liked **Eat! Eat! Eat!** in the Looney Tunes comics whenever anyone was chowing down. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/7 "2015-09-24T02:28:33Z")
Bort! Snuh! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/8 "2015-09-24T03:26:24Z")
There was the year I went to the San Diego Comic Con carrying a big cardboard “Meanwhile…” narration box. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/9 "2015-09-24T03:53:58Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Bort! > Snuh! [KRAKADOOOOOOOOOM!](http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/Sound%20effect%204.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/10 "2015-09-24T04:11:02Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > According to wiki, which draws from “Duncan, Randy; Smith, Matthew J. (2009). _The Power of Comics_”, these are “sound effects”. I don’t think so. That refers to actual onomatopoeic sounds. Gunfire \*budda-budda-budda \*would be sound effects, so would an explosion _blam_. A punch \*thud \*would be, but \*pow \*isn’t an actual sound. > [@furryman](#): > > How about SFX? That’s special effects, that is visual effects in a movie or TV show. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/11 "2015-09-24T06:21:11Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I don’t think so. That refers to actual onomatopoeic sounds. Gunfire \*budda-budda-budda \*would be sound effects, so would an explosion _blam_. A punch \*thud \*would be, but \*pow \*isn’t an actual sound. . . . Not? I would have said “Pow” is onoma…what you just said. It’s the sound of an impact, or is intended to evoke the sound. How is “Pow” different from “Wham” or “Bomf?” You might have a better case against “Slam,” which is more evocative of the martial arts move that causes the “Ker-Wham.” (Raspberries to Sonic the Hedgehog for heavily over-using “Ker-” as a prefix. Although they were engaging in self-parody, so maybe it doesn’t count.) ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/12 "2015-09-24T16:33:22Z")
The late, great Don Martin of _Mad Magazine_ was the master of sound effects. This [site](http://www.madcoversite.com/dmd-alphabetical.html) lists all of the ones he used over the years, include such classics as Spwap, Skroik, PBLRBLPSFT, Fwoosh and many others. Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/13 "2015-09-24T16:48:33Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > The late, great Don Martin of _Mad Magazine_ was the master of sound effects. This [site](http://www.madcoversite.com/dmd-alphabetical.html) lists all of the ones he used over the years, include such classics as Spwap, Skroik, PBLRBLPSFT, Fwoosh and many others. Enjoy! I remember the one with two women typists. One was going at light speed with her typing, and the sounds were TIK TIKKA TIK for the keys, BING! for the bell, and THWIZZZZIK ZAK for the carriage return. The other woman got annoyed and eventually jerked out the page (THZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ), straightened the page with a “fnap,” and the last panel showed that the first woman had typed out all the previous sound effects. _META!_ ---
**Author:** ![jrbor76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9e8a1a/32.png) [@jrbor76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrbor76)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/14 "2015-09-26T23:00:15Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > I know the words are onomatopoetic. But is there a special term used in comic book production for these words or their word ballons? Also is their a term for a screen overlay in television/film production? Thanks! [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HitFlash](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HitFlash) Is this what you had in mind? (When you open the link, open the “Live Action TV” tab to see more on the Batman example specifically.) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-production-comic-book-term-for-1960s-batman-bams-and-pows-during-fights/731779/15 "2015-09-29T00:57:20Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I don’t think so. That refers to actual onomatopoeic sounds. Gunfire \*budda-budda-budda \*would be sound effects, so would an explosion _blam_. A punch \*thud \*would be, but \*pow \*isn’t an actual sound. Well. If they’re not accurate representations of the events, then they’re unsound effects.