Hilda and Some Notes on Panel Divisions

A look at the brilliant Luke Pearson and his great graphic novel series Hilda.

The first time I picked up Hilda, I remember thinking: Why is this book so big?

At 8 x 11 inches, Hilda is at a size bigger than most graphic novels I see today.

(To be fair, a lot of European comics and graphic novels are also at this bigger size.)

But I think I also see a reason why it is bigger: the comic panels are done a bit differently from most other “modern” comics and graphic novels geared at this specific age range.

Most of the time, graphic novels avoid having too many panels on the same page, especially for younger readers. The reason is that it actually takes some time to “train” a reader to read the comic panels in the correct order.

With panel divisions, if you are not careful, the reader gets confused quickly. A confused reader will lose interest and put the book away. Each time a book gets put away, a little fairy dies somewhere in the Neverlands’ Public Library. It just goes downhill fast.

For example, when reading George Herriman’s Krazy Kat comics, I got very puzzled.

Krazy Kat was created over 100 years ago, literally. Time has changed. Most comics and graphic novelists don’t draw that many panels on a single page.

Which was why I did a double-take when I first read Pearson’s Hilda series. There were so many panels on a page!

But it felt natural immediately to read the panels in the correct order. After all, much like reading a book, we are used to going left to right, then our eyes hit the “return” button to the next “line” underneath.

There is an art to panel divisions. At this, Pearson did a masterful job. Despite having so many panels, there was never a time when I felt confused.

The slight trick, of course, is to never have the upper and lower panel stacked in the same width.

Sometimes, we also use subtle visual tricks to “guide” the readers.

Not only is Pearson’s panel division brilliant, the whole series is done beautifully.

There is a wonderful quality to Pearson’s illustrations. It’s a sense of magical serenity. The quiet nature reminds me of the joy in Tove Jansson’s Moomin books, and the adorable, woodland creatures exude a warmth similar to Hayao Miyazaki’s fantasy work.

In terms of story, the kind of adventures Hilda went on was the kind all kids dreamed of: exciting, warm, and fantastical.

What a master graphic novelist!

If you haven’t read Hilda yet, I highly recommend the series. It is now also an animated series on Netflix. It’s done well, but, as always, I prefer the books.

I look forward to many more Hilda books to come.

***

Do you enjoy reading Hilda? Which is your favorite book so far? I look forward to your thoughts on the comments section below.