Describing a comic: Yao Kiao's #BAOPU15 "Thank you, not sorry"
Tuesday, 29 December 2015 01:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jesse_the_kFor people with reading impairments, a crucial accommodation is text describing any meaningful visual information. In braille, it's mandatory. On the net, it's required by the US and WC3 accessibility standards.
You can attach this info to an image with HTML commands. But it's simpler to type it out in a paragraph before or after the image. Many people using slow internet or older feature phones turn off images to speed up loading, so text descriptions also serve these users.
I'm posting for two reasons:
1. I adore the comic and it has already changed how I think and speak. I had to write this description to post it and wanted to make the description available for others.
2. I want to encourage discussion, comments, criticism, suggestions on the utility and accuracy of this description. So comment and signal boost away!
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yaoxiaoart created this fabulous comic, and it was the #3 post on Autostraddle for all 2015. For those of us with vision issues, slow net, or feature phones, I describe it here. The visual art is linked at the end.
[Describer's note: Bracketed text does not appear in the comic. Find "%%%" three percent signs to jump to comic's start.
[Structure: Two columns of eight rows, two comic panels on each row. The left "A" column is headed "IF YOU WANT TO SAY". The right "B" column is headed "DON'T SAY." These two headings also repeat in a smaller white space between each row, shown with ".5" IDs in description. A blank line and percent sign % starts each row. A blank line appears between speakers within each panel.
[Colors: Casual comic, bouncy style, bright tones. Left "A" column contains positive statements, backgrounds in Kermit-the-frog green, speech bubbles are robust and round. Right "B" column contains negative points-of-view, speech bubbles are wobbly like deflated balloon, all colors darkened to grayish pastels, bright green becomes wilting lilac.
[Characters: Main character is tall and slender wearing black winter coat and conical black hat with red bangs. Based on artist's web site this is similar to artist's appearance, so identified as "Yao Xiao." Yao Xiao interacts with three people, one per panel, described at that point. Describer's note ends.]
%%%[reference] #BAIPU15
[author] Yao Xiao
[A title] If you want to say
[B title] Don't say˙
%[A1] Thank you [in robust speech bubble]
[B1] Sorry [in collapsing weary speech bubble]
[A1.5] If you want to say
[B1.5] don't say
%[A2] [Yao Xiao strides up to person sitting on bench outside public building with flashing sign. Yao Xiao has two fluffy clouds behind feet to show speed, white purse swinging in hand]:
Thank you for your patience.
[bench sitter, arms and legs crossed, small smile, turned towards Yao Xiao's approach]:
Cool.
[B2] [Yao Xiao stands in front of bench person, body slumping, hands hidden in sleeves, purse on ground]:
Sorry I'm **always** late.
[Bench sitter, one seat further away from YK, body turned away]:
whatevs
%[A2.5] If you want to say
[B2.5] don't say
%[A3] [Yao Xiao at table with teacup, hands on heart, smiling, across from silent white-hair person]:
Thank you for understanding me.
[B3] [Yao Xiao, elbows on table, head in hands, eyes downcast, across from silent white-hair person]:
Sorry I'm not making a lot of sense.
%[A3.5] If you want to say
[B3.5] don't say
%[A4][Yao Xiao offscreen speaking to smiling woman with sideways blue ball cap, blue jacket, and red-stripe bodice white dress]:
Thank you for spending time with me.
[Ball cap woman]:
'course.
[B4] [Yao Xiao offscreen]:
Sorry I'm kind of a drag.
[ball cap woman looks sad]:
Aw, I'm sorry.
%[A4.5] If you want to say
[B4.5] don't say
%[A5] [Yao Xiao sits on grass across from smiling person with buzzed red hair, red shirt, blue pants]:
Thank you for listening
[B5] [[Yao Xiao sits on grass hands holding knees together body tilting back, other person body turns away]:
Sorry I'm just rambling
%A5.5: If you want to say
B5.5: don't say
%[A6] [Yao Xiao alone in panel, smiling straight at reader]
Thank you for appreciating me.
[B6] [Yao Xiao still alone, facing her left]
Sorry I take up so much space.
%[A6.5] If you want to say
[B6.5] don't say
%[A7] [handwritten on rose-bedecked greeting card]:
Thank you for having hope in me all this time <3
[B7] [blue bubble on smartphone screen held in right hand with purple thumb polish]:
Sorry I'm such a disappointment :<
[A7.5] If you want to say
[B7.5] don't say
%[A8] [three phrases; text above and below speech bubble floating center panel:
Appreciate the others for what they have already done / THANK YOU / whether they know it or not.
[B8] [three phrases text above and below crumpled paper with "sorry"]:
Don't apologize for simply existing / SORRY [on crumpled paper] / because it is not wrong.
%[Final line under both A & B]
IF YOU WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, DON'T SAY SORRY
http://www.autostraddle.com/saturday-morning-cartoons-baopu-15-318590/
Archive link
Available in this comic book:
http://www.yao.nyc/everything-is-beautiful
You can attach this info to an image with HTML commands. But it's simpler to type it out in a paragraph before or after the image. Many people using slow internet or older feature phones turn off images to speed up loading, so text descriptions also serve these users.
I'm posting for two reasons:
1. I adore the comic and it has already changed how I think and speak. I had to write this description to post it and wanted to make the description available for others.
2. I want to encourage discussion, comments, criticism, suggestions on the utility and accuracy of this description. So comment and signal boost away!
[Describer's note: Bracketed text does not appear in the comic. Find "%%%" three percent signs to jump to comic's start.
[Structure: Two columns of eight rows, two comic panels on each row. The left "A" column is headed "IF YOU WANT TO SAY". The right "B" column is headed "DON'T SAY." These two headings also repeat in a smaller white space between each row, shown with ".5" IDs in description. A blank line and percent sign % starts each row. A blank line appears between speakers within each panel.
[Colors: Casual comic, bouncy style, bright tones. Left "A" column contains positive statements, backgrounds in Kermit-the-frog green, speech bubbles are robust and round. Right "B" column contains negative points-of-view, speech bubbles are wobbly like deflated balloon, all colors darkened to grayish pastels, bright green becomes wilting lilac.
[Characters: Main character is tall and slender wearing black winter coat and conical black hat with red bangs. Based on artist's web site this is similar to artist's appearance, so identified as "Yao Xiao." Yao Xiao interacts with three people, one per panel, described at that point. Describer's note ends.]
%%%[reference] #BAIPU15
[author] Yao Xiao
[A title] If you want to say
[B title] Don't say˙
%[A1] Thank you [in robust speech bubble]
[B1] Sorry [in collapsing weary speech bubble]
[A1.5] If you want to say
[B1.5] don't say
%[A2] [Yao Xiao strides up to person sitting on bench outside public building with flashing sign. Yao Xiao has two fluffy clouds behind feet to show speed, white purse swinging in hand]:
Thank you for your patience.
[bench sitter, arms and legs crossed, small smile, turned towards Yao Xiao's approach]:
Cool.
[B2] [Yao Xiao stands in front of bench person, body slumping, hands hidden in sleeves, purse on ground]:
Sorry I'm **always** late.
[Bench sitter, one seat further away from YK, body turned away]:
whatevs
%[A2.5] If you want to say
[B2.5] don't say
%[A3] [Yao Xiao at table with teacup, hands on heart, smiling, across from silent white-hair person]:
Thank you for understanding me.
[B3] [Yao Xiao, elbows on table, head in hands, eyes downcast, across from silent white-hair person]:
Sorry I'm not making a lot of sense.
%[A3.5] If you want to say
[B3.5] don't say
%[A4][Yao Xiao offscreen speaking to smiling woman with sideways blue ball cap, blue jacket, and red-stripe bodice white dress]:
Thank you for spending time with me.
[Ball cap woman]:
'course.
[B4] [Yao Xiao offscreen]:
Sorry I'm kind of a drag.
[ball cap woman looks sad]:
Aw, I'm sorry.
%[A4.5] If you want to say
[B4.5] don't say
%[A5] [Yao Xiao sits on grass across from smiling person with buzzed red hair, red shirt, blue pants]:
Thank you for listening
[B5] [[Yao Xiao sits on grass hands holding knees together body tilting back, other person body turns away]:
Sorry I'm just rambling
%A5.5: If you want to say
B5.5: don't say
%[A6] [Yao Xiao alone in panel, smiling straight at reader]
Thank you for appreciating me.
[B6] [Yao Xiao still alone, facing her left]
Sorry I take up so much space.
%[A6.5] If you want to say
[B6.5] don't say
%[A7] [handwritten on rose-bedecked greeting card]:
Thank you for having hope in me all this time <3
[B7] [blue bubble on smartphone screen held in right hand with purple thumb polish]:
Sorry I'm such a disappointment :<
[A7.5] If you want to say
[B7.5] don't say
%[A8] [three phrases; text above and below speech bubble floating center panel:
Appreciate the others for what they have already done / THANK YOU / whether they know it or not.
[B8] [three phrases text above and below crumpled paper with "sorry"]:
Don't apologize for simply existing / SORRY [on crumpled paper] / because it is not wrong.
%[Final line under both A & B]
IF YOU WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, DON'T SAY SORRY
http://www.autostraddle.com/saturday-morning-cartoons-baopu-15-318590/
Archive link
Available in this comic book:
http://www.yao.nyc/everything-is-beautiful