# The origins of conventions in comics/animation **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips, comic-books-manga\ **Created:** [March 19, 2022, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363 "2022-03-19T23:36:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/21 "2022-03-20T02:22:38Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > It looks like … he’s sweating! If I had said a drop of sweat, would you have intuited it to be an elongated drip, rounded on the bottom and pointed at the top? Because I said it is shaped like a raindrop _because it is shaped like a raindrop_, not round. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/22 "2022-03-20T02:23:57Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > sorry, the link won’t generate an in-post image here Clicking gives an error message. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/23 "2022-03-20T02:25:53Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > _ **Asterix** _ has a funny take on this. When a character in the strip has a bright idea, an ancient oil lamp appears above his head! In the first book of the series, _Asterix the Gaul_, it’s a little lit candle over the centurion’s head. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Clicking gives an error message. Well sorry about that. It works for me. I’ll see if I can find another example. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/24 "2022-03-20T02:29:46Z")
@Darren_Garrison and others. Here, try this one: [![](http://www.dvdbeaver.com/107/tex_avery_screwball_classics_volume_1_blu-ray_/cover-425_tex_avery_screwball_classic_one_blu-ray.jpg) ](http://www.dvdbeaver.com/107/tex_avery_screwball_classics_volume_1_blu-ray_/cover-425_tex_avery_screwball_classic_one_blu-ray.jpg) From [this page, which has many more images](http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film8/blu-ray_review_108/tex_avery_screwball_classics_volume_1_blu-ray.htm) if you scroll down a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/25 "2022-03-20T02:30:16Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > What do you not understand? How would you do it differently, i.e., better? What I don’t understand is how you took a question about the history of a convention and twisted it around to be me claiming the convention is wrong and implying that I am stupid for not understanding it. If this the depth of your understanding of a _historical_ question, then I would kindly suggest that this thread is not for you. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/26 "2022-03-20T02:32:24Z")
The first link gave a 403 forbidden error. This one works correctly. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2022, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/27 "2022-03-20T02:38:29Z")
I’ve seen characters knocked off their feet by surprise, but not completely bowled over. [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/b8/4d/21b84d1b239c685b3576eae8078b355f.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/b8/4d/21b84d1b239c685b3576eae8078b355f.jpg) What I don’t get is how a hat could fly off like this! [![](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/39/68/c3/3968c33d875cc68ddec19613b2cf240c.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/39/68/c3/3968c33d875cc68ddec19613b2cf240c.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/28 "2022-03-20T02:43:59Z")
Some googling shows that the term for what I’m looking for there is the “[plop take](https://www.google.com/search?biw=432&bih=782&ei=VpQ2YtilKMvm_QaK1YDYBQ&q=%22Plop+take%22+comic&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYqN2H1dP2AhVLc98KHYoqAFsQ7Al6BAgDEAI&biw=432&bih=782)”. ETA a Twitter thread: > ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/29 "2022-03-20T05:02:18Z")
And I see it is also called a “face fault”. > **[Face Fault - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FaceFault)** > > Sometimes a character is so shocked or surprised by an absurdity, non sequitur, or incredibly stupid remark from another character that the listener actually faints. The remark is so startling that it, quite literally, floors them. There are … ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/30 "2022-03-20T05:12:54Z")
I’ve often wondered about the origin of a super hero landing in a 3 point stance. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/31 "2022-03-20T05:13:50Z")
Spider-Man would be my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/32 "2022-03-20T05:43:34Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > I’ve often wondered about the origin of a super hero landing in a 3 point stance. I don’t think it started in comic books. The earliest example from comics is a 1998 Iron Man cover. But a naked Arnold Schwarzenegger struck the pose in _Terminator_ more than a decade earlier. [![](http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/c/60/4bc3a3af47b98.jpg) ](http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/c/60/4bc3a3af47b98.jpg) [![](http://www.jamescamerononline.com/miniuk104.png) ](http://www.jamescamerononline.com/miniuk104.png) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/33 "2022-03-20T13:57:03Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > I’ve often wondered about the origin of a super hero landing in a 3 point stance. There is a nice article in _The New York Post_ (who has ever said that before?) about it: > **[How the iconic landing pose became a superhero staple](https://nypost.com/2021/07/08/black-widow-pokes-fun-at-classic-superhero-landing-pose/)** > > How it works is a character drops from a height and slams into the ground in a crouch with feet spread apart, knees bent — or on one knee, always with a fist pounding the earth. Tl;dr: probably Japan. (It cites an earlyish example from one of the Greatest Animated Shorts Ever. In this version (which has hard subbed lyrics but doesn’t have the Daicon III video pasted onto the front) it happens at around 2:50) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PeHYQ1um25E/maxresdefault.jpg "Daicon IV Lyrics (ELO's Prologue/Twilight)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeHYQ1um25E) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/34 "2022-03-20T22:26:01Z")
Hey, thanks for the posting that link. You’re right, good article. I’m a little confused though, at one point it states, “It’s possible the superhero landing started in kabuki then migrated into Japan’s manga, cinema, anime and TV in the 20th century and was then borrowed by American comic book artists in the ’60s and ’70s.”. Then goes on to say the earliest example is from 1983? Regardless, I appreciate your taking the time to research/post. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/35 "2022-03-21T00:27:15Z")
> **[Amazon.com: Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art: 9780060976255: McCloud,...](https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Comics-Invisible-Scott-McCloud/dp/006097625X)** > > Amazon.com: Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art: 9780060976255: McCloud, Scott: Books Scott McCloud’s book is indispensable to looking at visual storytelling. I don’t remember if he touches on every point asked here, but he covers the history of cartoons (pre-animation humorous stills) and comics. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/36 "2022-03-21T00:44:31Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Then goes on to say the earliest example is from 1983? It says “one of the earlier examples”. Then points out that it was a well-enough known trope by 1983 already to make in to the homage (_definitely_ not parody like the article characterized it) video. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/37 "2022-03-21T04:30:09Z")
One of the odd quirks I recall from around the ‘60s era was a few of the older strips had a habit of using " th’ " to indicate, I guess, that the word was to be pronounced like “thuh” rather than “thee”. Not sure where that came from, but, luckily, it was not in very many cartoons (_Terry and the Pirates_, I think, one or two others). ---
**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:** [March 21, 2022, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/38 "2022-03-21T18:34:22Z")
I don’t think that’s a “comic” thing so much as a “dialect” thing. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/39 "2022-03-21T18:41:19Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Drawing the character flipped upside down (usually with curved motion lines) to represent extreme surprise. > > A raindrop-shaped drawing on the forehead or cheek to represent surprise. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/AT1xldG.gif "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/AT1xldG) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363/40 "2022-03-21T18:59:55Z")
One squiggly line above the head means anger. Several means they stink. In addition to the former above, daggers coming out of the character’s eyes as they look at the source of their ire. Andy Capp fight: a lumpy cloud with fists and lightning bolts. Tex Avery also created the angry party reaching through the telephone and strangling the other party through the receiver. That there is Einstein level gaggery. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-conventions-in-comics-animation/961363.md?page=3)