A Study of the Similarities between Comic Subtitles on Korean Television and Visual Codes in Comics

커뮤니케이션 메시지의 생산과 수용에 대한 매체기호학적 연구를 위한 제언 : 한국 텔레비전의 자막 사용이 갖는 특성을 중심으로

In Korea, since the mid 1990s, the subtitles are largely employed on television programs especially on diverting programs like talk shows and game shows. The functions of these subtitles are different from those of the traditional subtitles. The traditional subtitles are used to give credits, explain an action, or represent dialogue, to be brief they are used to give informations. But the new type of subtitles are used to amuse the public. Not only the new subtitles represent words of the guests but also they present opinions or judgements of the program producer. They show also what to give attention to, what the guest feels and finally what to laugh at. These subtitles are very well received by the public. So they are employed more and more frequently by lots of programs. These subtitles will be ratted comic subtitles because their principal function Is to raise a laughter and to make fun. The purpose of this study is to attempt to find some particularities concerning the uses of the comic subtitles on Korean television. The study suggests that the comic subtitles call for the very known social codes because they should be understood clearly by the public. The forms and styles of the codes employed in the comic subtitles are very similar to those used in the comics. Some graphic codes especially developed in the comics are employed with success in the comic subtitles. The comic subtitles are aiming to amuse and provoke a laughter by written text and visual codes usually employed in the comics. But why does the program producer use the comic titles for make the public laugh? Laugh is not a emotional reaction but a act caused by the intellectual judgement. Written text and visual codes employed in the comic subtitles permit to judge the situation intellectually because they give to the public a moment for think about what they treat. They permit the public to see more clearly the situational relations which can provoke a laughter. The comic subtitles constitute now one of the main elements on Korean television. It means that the insertion of writing in the audiovisual media is popular in Korea. The study suggests that there is something in Korean culture which can favours this insertion : in Korea, writing has never been separated from painting. It seems that in Korea, there has been no clear separation between written culture and visual culture. But this point must be approached more carefully and needs profound researches.