# Why is the dialog in comics all in upper case? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475 "2008-03-23T22:49:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/1 "2008-03-23T22:49:33Z")
Just today, we noticed that all the dialog in all the comic strips (except Pearls Before Swine, but maybe that is just the Crocs?) is written in uppercase lettering. I’ve seen multiple studies that indicate that text written in all uppercase lettering is harder to read than lowercase. In addition, in normal circumstances, all uppercase lettering is perceived as “shouting”. Well, it doesn’t seem to me like the characters are all shouting at one another, so perhaps we’ve simply gotten used to the practice. But why not use lowercase? One hypothesis was that the uppercase letters caused the eye/brain to slow down and see the drawing better. Sounds reasonable, but I’m not convinced. Or is this practice perhaps a recent phenomenon? Were the original comic strips of the 1930s for example also uppercase? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/2 "2008-03-23T22:57:27Z")
Crappy printing, in the old days. As it was, even with all-caps block lettering, letters often became illegible as ink bled. Now, with better printing and paper, some companies - Marvel, some indies - have gone to standard type, since they won’t become illegible in the printing process. Others - DC, other indies, manga translators - stick to all caps, possibly out of tradition, or possibly for other reasons. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/3 "2008-03-23T23:00:23Z")
As a minor note, FLICK was forbidden, in case the letters ran together. At least according to Jim Steranko. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/4 "2008-03-23T23:23:03Z")
But could they mention Clint Eastwood? ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/5 "2008-03-24T05:24:43Z")
It’s probably also easier for the letterers to write like that, especially since they have to write small. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/6 "2008-03-24T05:50:25Z")
[QUOTE=Algernon] I’ve seen multiple studies that indicate that text written in all uppercase lettering is harder to read than lowercase. In addition, in normal circumstances, all uppercase lettering is perceived as “shouting”. [/QUOTE] **GREAT SCOTT!** THAT’S **RIDICULOUS!** OF **COURSE** IT’S NOT SHOUTING! EVEN WHEN **EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE** IS ENDED WITH AN **EXCLAMATION POINT** , IT’S **STILL** NOT SHOUTING! **OBVIOUSLY,** IT’S **ONLY SHOUTING** WHEN \*\*ALL THE WORDS \*\* IN A SENTENCE ARE IN \*\*BOLD PRINT! \*\* **THIS IS SHOUTING!** THIS IS **NOT** SHOUTING! I HOPE THAT **HELPS!** LONG LIVE THE **SILVER AGE!** ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/7 "2008-03-24T06:58:24Z")
[QUOTE=Talon Karrde] It’s probably also easier for the letterers to write like that, especially since they have to write small. [/QUOTE] I seem to recall reading somewhere that comics illustrators and others involved in the artwork don’t work in as small an area as the standard comics page. Rather, they make a big page (not sure how big), and it is shrunk during the reproduction process. I imagine that the letters in comics, when they were finally laid out and applied to the art, would be correspondingly large. I never did comics, but this would make sense, since when I did calligraphy-for-hire some years ago, the rule of thumb was, “work big and shrink.” I could work small if the need arose, and it often did. But if my work was going to be reproduced, I’d work three or four times the size of the finished work. Not that I was including detail such as you would see in a comic, but working big allowed me the room for smooth pen strokes, and the size also allowed me to easily correct any imperfections that were more apparent in a big size. The end product, when it was shrunk, was much more professional-looking than it would have if I had done it in the small size from the start. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/8 "2008-03-24T08:14:20Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] **GREAT SCOTT!** THAT’S **RIDICULOUS!** OF **COURSE** IT’S NOT SHOUTING! EVEN WHEN **EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE** IS ENDED WITH AN **EXCLAMATION POINT** , IT’S **STILL** NOT SHOUTING! **OBVIOUSLY,** IT’S **ONLY SHOUTING** WHEN \*\*ALL THE WORDS \*\* IN A SENTENCE ARE IN \*\*BOLD PRINT! \*\* **THIS IS SHOUTING!** THIS IS **NOT** SHOUTING! I HOPE THAT **HELPS!** LONG LIVE THE **SILVER AGE!** [/QUOTE] That style of comic dialog really annoys me. It makes me think of William Shatner and his oddball pauses and emphases. ---
**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 24, 2008, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/9 "2008-03-24T13:19:07Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] **OBVIOUSLY,** IT’S **ONLY SHOUTING** WHEN \*\*ALL THE WORDS \*\* IN A SENTENCE ARE IN \*\*BOLD PRINT! \*\* [/QUOTE] The odd thing about **comic book text** is the emphasised bolded words don’t seem to be ones that you would **naturally emphasise** when **speaking**. It’s like they’re the **words** that have some **plot significance** , rather than the words that would **ordinarily** be stressed in **speech**. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/10 "2008-03-24T13:20:42Z")
[QUOTE=Tengu] Crappy printing, in the old days. As it was, even with all-caps block lettering, letters often became illegible as ink bled. [/QUOTE] I guess that explanation makes the most sense. It surprises me that this tradition pretty much continues even though both ink and paper have improved over the last 80 years. There must be another reason. Perhaps the readability of all uppercase lettering when it appears in short sentences and phrases isn’t really an issue. > [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > As a minor note, FLICK was forbidden, in case the letters ran together. > > At least according to Jim Steranko. Two things: In this context, what does “FLICK” mean? And thanks for the Jim Steranko reference because it caused me to do some research and I learned about him and his work. ---
**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 24, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/11 "2008-03-24T13:26:51Z")
[QUOTE=Algernon] Two things: In this context, what does “FLICK” mean? [/QUOTE] Imagine if the poor reproduction of the comics caused the ink in the L to bleed so it joined with the I and appeared to become a U. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/12 "2008-03-24T13:33:35Z")
> [@](#): > > As a minor note, FLICK was forbidden, in case the letters ran together. > > At least according to Jim Steranko. So he (and others) say, but I do remember an inssue of Fantastic Four from back in the 1960s where the Thing “Flicked” a Bad Guy with his finger, and the sound effect read “FLIK!” Of course, it was a drawn-out set of letters, since it wasn’t inside a word balloon (fumetti), so it wasn’t going to “run together”. And it did lack the letter “C”. But I had to think that was a deliberate jab at the prohibition. Besides, the Thing was, IIRC, using his middle finger (the Thing only had four fingers, thumbs included, as The Thing). I wonder if this same reason is why you didn’t have many comic book characters named “Clint”. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/13 "2008-03-24T14:07:27Z")
[QUOTE=Algernon] I guess that explanation makes the most sense. It surprises me that this tradition pretty much continues even though both ink and paper have improved over the last 80 years. There must be another reason. Perhaps the readability of all uppercase lettering when it appears in short sentences and phrases isn’t really an issue. [/QUOTE] That’s right, it’s only in large bodies of copy, such as in a book or newspaper, that readability suffers. What you have to bear in mind, though is that it’s only been within the last 20 years or so that the quality of paper and reproduction on comics has improved significantly, and that it’s even more recently that computer-set lettering has replaced hand lettering. Letterers weren’t (probably still aren’t) payed huge amounts per page, and it’s a lot easier to do fast, legible and consistent block caps than upper and lower case. You do see a more variation in lettering now that it’s done on computer, and a few mainstream comics do have dialogue in sentence case, but for the most part – why change after 50 years? [QUOTE=CalMeacham] I wonder if this same reason is why you didn’t have many comic book characters named “Clint”. [/QUOTE] Well, there’s Hawkeye, but I can’t think of any others off the top of my head, no. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/14 "2008-03-24T14:17:46Z")
There’s some debate as to whether Sterenko was right; it was not put into the comics code, but it’s quite possible that it was an in-house rule in the industry. Comic strips and books were always upper case, with one glorious exception: Crockett Johnson’s **[Barnaby](http://www.k-state.edu/english/nelp/purple/characters/cartoons2.html#davy_jones)** used typeset lettering in the 40s. Johnson found it let him put more words on a page, and the strip depended on long digressions and lots of dialog. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/15 "2008-03-24T14:26:29Z")
It is correct that comic artists (and most illustrators) work larger than the finished reproduced art appears. Golden Age art was sometimes twice as large as the finished comic books. By the Silver Age it was closer to one third the size. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/16 "2008-03-24T15:21:10Z")
Now, from personal experience, I can say that it’s in caps due to tradition. Lowercase just looks odd to me, and is only used for special effects. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/17 "2008-03-24T16:15:48Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] EVEN WHEN **EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE** IS ENDED WITH AN **EXCLAMATION POINT** , IT’S **STILL** NOT SHOUTING! [/QUOTE] Paging [Elliot S! Maggin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliot_S%21_Maggin). ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/18 "2008-03-24T19:37:16Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I wonder if this same reason is why you didn’t have many comic book characters named “Clint”. [/QUOTE] Oh, yeah. In _Doonesbury_, (many many years ago) Joanie Caucus’s first husband’s name was Clint. I did a spit take more than once… ---
**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:** [March 24, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/19 "2008-03-24T19:44:14Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I wonder if this same reason is why you didn’t have many comic book characters named “Clint”. [/QUOTE] [Beat ya to it](http://tinyurl.com/yon7db) ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475/20 "2008-03-24T19:50:56Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] The odd thing about **comic book text** is the emphasised bolded words don’t seem to be ones that you would **naturally emphasise** when **speaking**. It’s like they’re the **words** that have some **plot significance** , rather than the words that would **ordinarily** be stressed in **speech**. [/QUOTE] I know **video games** better than **comics** , so I would \*\*call \*\*this **RPG** highlighting. So you don’t forget the **key items** at Hour 40, you know? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-dialog-in-comics-all-in-upper-case/442475.md?page=2)