Bone

Switching from analyzing something like Watchmen to Bone was a bit jarring at first, simply because the two are at the opposite end of the spectrum. Unlike Moore who was working on something tight and finite, Jeff Smith didn't have the entire overall story of Bone in his head when he was writing/drawing it, but nevertheless he still manages to do a lot with what's traditionally perceived as a cartoony or silly style. I actually saw Smith do a Bone reading, and before that, he talked about some of the inspirations for some of the later parts in the book from his travels around the world to his youth in the outdoors of Ohio. I actually have some of the pictures from that reading, and I can post some if you want to see them.

In rereading "Understanding Comics" Bone's style really reminded me of p.134, the way Smith incorporates all the various balloons and sounds to convey the invisible. One of my favorite things about Bone is the lettering in that without even reading the words, you can automatically get a sense of what the character is feeling or trying to convey. Also, unlike "Watchmen" which was representing a certain style of comics, almost anything goes for Bone. So it can be like an old fashioned critter cartoon to a sword and sorcery epic.

You told us to look out for any different or unique word balloons and there are a lot throughout the book. The broken word balloons in one panel in the first chapter indicate a character is whipsering, the ghostly/blurry ones of the Hooded One and the rat creatures, etc. And as McCloud mentions in "Understanding Comics" Smith really knows how to invoke sensations and intangibles in a visual medium. We get smell lines, hears, sweat, smoke, and numerous other icons and symbols.

As Nate pointed out, Bone can be enjoyed by all without alienating kids or adults with juvenile humor or violence and sex. First reading it, I think I was actually reminded of Tolkien's The Hobbit, and since this is a fantasy, Smith does touch on the same archetypes and basic plot points that are prevalent in so many. Fone Bone himself can be seen as a Frodo/Bilbo Baggins character, and greatness comes from the most unexpected things. Besides the Bones, Thorn and Grandma Ben the common farmers are in fact royalty, much like Aragorn, a dirty scruffy ranger is the King of Gondor. But in the unversality of it, I'm also reminded of some modern day examples in television and film, probably by Pixar's most recent film "Ratatouille". Unlike other CGI movies that come at you with big action scenes or one pop culture reference after another, the humor in Ratatouille reminded me a lot of older classic Disney cartoons and even classic life action comedies like Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and all those other great stars.