From Panel To Pulse: Aurality, Closure, and Reader Agency

Abstract

This paper examines the integration of audible sound into the traditionally silent medium of comics, analysing how emerging technologies reshape narrative structure, reader agency, and sensory experience. Drawing on theories of closure, intermediality, and visual semiotics, it evaluates historical and contemporary forms including motion comics, Webtoons, AR/VR comics, and audio comics. The study argues that synchronised or prescriptive sound often disrupts reader-controlled pacing and imaginative participation, undermining the core mechanics of comics reading. In contrast, fluid, atmospheric, and non-diegetic sound design can enhance immersion while preserving interpretive openness. Case studies demonstrate that successful sonic integration occurs when sound complements rather than dictates visual rhythm. The paper concludes that sound should function as an augmentative layer within comics, the notable exception being the fully sonic ‘audio comic’ which operates as a distinct mode of narrative construction.

Keywords: audible comics, aurality, digital comics, intermediality, closure, Webtoons