Occasionally, I meet a comic book reader who goes into great detail about the music they will play when reading a particular title. These readers claim it creates a soundtrack for the comic that enhances their reading experience.
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15 Comments
I had to vote a big no on this one. I’ve tried it before, but the mood of the comics I read changes faster than the music. If there was some way to make a dynamic soundtrack that fit the ongoing narrative of the comic better, then I’d be more inclined to use music to enhance my reading experience.
Music with lyrics is right out though, as I can’t focus on dialog if the music is also “talking” to me.
I had to vote yes simply because using the Man with No Name soundtracks to Jonah Hex.
I voted a big NO, because it hurts my concentration and songs I loved back in the day are now forever associated with a particular comic in my brain. I can’t read Runaways without hearing “Cupid’s Chokehold” in my head and I’m thinking of stopping reading the series just for that reason…
I do imagine specific voices for my characters, along with sound effects for the action, but no music soundtrack.
Sometimes it’s fun to imagine Superman sounds like Peter Griffin from Family Guy.
Absolutely! For Morrison’s run on X-Men, I pretty much listened to krautrock exclusively. For The Boys it’s something noisy, like Daughters or Burmese.
Nothing beats reading Blackest Night while listening to Rolling Stone’s “Paint it Black”. Try it, it’ll blow your mind.
I was gonna say no cause it hurts my immersion with outside stimuli…but that sounds awesome.
I had to vote no. I can barely handle the simplest multitasking so there is no way I can handle this.
Yes. For me soundtrack really improves the experience. The music with words does not really mess with my focus since its usually on a different language than my own native one so the words don’t register with me that easily.
I usually notice the music only when it fits the mood of what I’m reading, not even noticing when it wouldn’t fit.
anything not wordy. usually classical music or movie soundtracks.
I had to vote yes. With the way my mind works not only to i hear a sound track (mostly movie scores) and sound effects, but I also in-vision the motion linking motionless panels together.
I voted no. I do have music on most of the time, so also when I’m reading. but the music and the reading are different things. they don’tenhance eachother. I once tried to make a soundtrack by a comicseries (Chroniques de la Lune Noire(cronicles of the black moon) written by François Marcela-Froideval. I don’t know if those books actually exist in english) but once I started reading I didn’t pay the music much attention.
I enjoy listening to music with comics a lot. I wouldn’t call it a necessity, but whenever I can, I always take the opportunity to enjoy a little background processes.
Usually instrumental pieces. Electronica, Rock, Alternative, whatever. Anything really lyric heavy and stop reading the book and start singing the lyrics.
Yeah, I listen to music, but only instrumental stuff. Peter Frampton’s newest album is has no lyrics, and thusly doesn’t distract me from the dialog on the page. Chuck Mangione is good reading music as well.
Anything Pink Floyd.
Especially the song Echoes.