Scott McCloud’s book Understanding Comics brings to light an extremely fascinating concept that can be utilized in a variety of media by storytellers, the idea of the “Blood in the Gutter.” The main idea behind the Blood in the Gutter is that the human mind will create closure in the gaps left when transitioning between images, or panels. We are able to look at two images and fill in what connects them, or the sequence of actions that led from one image to the other. Understanding the gutter, this gap between panels, and how to transition between images is extremely beneficial to storytellers as it allows them to better learn and plan how to use imagery to tell their story.

Scott McCloud explaing the gutter
Scott McCloud explanation of the gutter.

There are many different variations of transitions between panels, ranging from action-to-action and non-sequitur, each leaving a type of gutter that will incite different meanings or perceptions. It is important to know how the gutter can work as it directly impacts the understanding of the images. The minds’ ability to create closure, interpolating what has happened between panels, is what allows artists to set up their images to convey a particular meaning, create the illusion of an action. Being able to know how to convey an idea or event to an audience through still drawings is important when working with a medium like comics, as well as others.

Scott McCloud's six types of transitions
Scott McCloud’s six kinds of transitions.

The gutter is not only applicable to comics, but also for other media like film. While film uses far more images to create a sense of movement, the way it has set up images as frames and edit them with others to create scenes is similar to the structure of a comic, using images as panels and placing them in a particular way. When a film cuts to a different shot, a different series of frames, it too has a gutter. The audience must perceive what has occurred between the two shots, using closure just as they would between comic panels.

McCloud’s concept of the gutter is not just useful for comic artists, but for those working in other forms of media, the storytellers looking to know how to convey their message or narrative.