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ESSAY:

ANALYSING THE FRONT COVER OF TWO COMICS

In this essay, I will be analysing and comparing two different comic book front covers. One of the front covers is from a young children’s comic, and the other front cover is from an older child/teenager’s comic. I will be looking at how they are each suited to their target audience and how they portray this through their front cover.

On the Beano comic, the masthead is big and bold; it stands out when you look at the comic. The typography is a clear, readable font. The main font is red, with an outline of yellow which connotates masculinity; as these colours are normally related to boys. The thick outline makes the masthead stand out. The speech bubble on the front cover says ‘It’s a girl!’ in a bold red which stands out. The font is big which highlights that the producers of the comic want the audience to notice it because it hints as to what the story inside is about. This makes the reader want to buy it to find out more. The typography for the plugs are simple to read and bold, which makes it easy for the audience to see what it says and decide if they are interested in what the comic has to offer.

On the Spiderman comic, the masthead is clear and bold and stands out of the page which catches attention of the audience. It is a metallic colour which usually relates to males, which connotates that the comic is targeted at males. The red and black outline of the slanted typography makes the masthead clearer and eye catching. The Publishers logo located at the top of the comic is simple and easy to read.

On the Beano comic, the full bleed image has a cartoon of Dennis, who is a stereotypical young boy which is connotated by him having wild hair, and wearing masculine colours of red and black. The image of Dennis demonstrates that the target audience is young boys because they would be the ones to relate to Dennis’ character. The colours used are bright and eye catching. This appeals to the younger audience because the colourful images and typography capture their attention.

The colours of the Spiderman comic are dark. These colours suggest that the comic is going to be mysterious and scary, as that is what dark colours usually connotate to. The scene of the image is set in a storm at night. There are lightening strikes and rain splashing off Spiderman’s back. He is in a crouching position which connotates that he is in the middle of action. The style of the image uses detail, and the colours and images also connotates that the story inside will be more scary; this suggests that the comic is targeted towards an older audience as the stories would be more suitable for them.

The Beano comic gives a lot of extra information. The information given gives an idea as to who the target audience is by including the price. The lower the price is, the more likely that the target audience is younger because it is more affordable. The more often the comic comes out, the more likely it is that the target audience is younger as they have a shorter attention span. The issue number helps the buyers keep up with the comics.

There isn’t much information supplied on the front of the Spiderman comic. It tells the audience who the Publisher’s are. This is useful because if comic collectors have bought comics published by the same company, they are more likely to buy the comic. There is a more expensive price because the stories are more likely to be longer. The target audience for this comic is an older generation, who have more money and a longer attention span. This comic also has a barcode which is useful for selling the comic.

The Beano comic’s target audience is young people. This is because of the bright colours, cartoon images and eye catching typography which is more likely to capture the attention of a younger audience. The price also indicates that the target audience is younger, as it is cheap and affordable. I think it is successful because it includes everything in which a younger audience would like.

The Spiderman comic’s target audience is for older people. This is suggested by the more detailed images, the darker colours and the higher price. The detailed images wouldn’t be suitable for a younger audience as they wouldn’t find it as fun and enjoyable to look at. The dark colours connotate scariness, which is suitable for the older audience as it is what they enjoy. The price is also higher because they can afford it. I think this is successful because it uses the right things to be aimed at an older audience.

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