“Speech bubbles” or “word balloons”?

These are two very common terms to use in regards to the characters' dialogue in comics, however, they don't seem to be used quite so interchangably. When I was a kid growing up, they were more often than not refered to as “speech bubbles,” however I have noticed that in more recent years, especially among professionals within the industry itself, seem to strictly refer to them as “word balloons.”

Basically, this is just something of a poll for the community (though I don't see any forum feature to actually post a poll) to see which you prefer to use. I personally tend to use the terms interchangably, though I may say “speech bubbles” more common simply because, again, it's what we called them when I was growing up, and it better matches “thought bubbles” for whenever a character's inner thoughts are made to be readable.

On an unrelated note, I know there's a name for those squiggles that appear above a character's head to illustrate their frustration or exasperation (as kids, we would call them “screwed-up tornadoes”), but I can't remember what it is.

When I was a kid growing up we called them “word balloons”. I wouldn't call it a recent thing though. When I was growing up a comic book cost twelve cents.

The cheapest comic book I had ever gotten was a milestone issue of DEXTER'S LABORATORY: it the comic's special 25th issue, so the cover price was 25 cents.

Otherwise, I've watched as comic book prices gradually rose from $1.99 to $2.25 . . . I haven't bought an actual comic book in years, but the last I glanced, I think the prices are ranging from $4-$5 now.

Unka John wrote:
When I was a kid growing up we called them “word balloons”. I wouldn't call it a recent thing though. When I was growing up a comic book cost twelve cents.

I only go back as far as fifteen cents. For me it was "word balloons“ and ”thought bubbles.

The word balloon is like a balloon with that little tether going to the speaker's mouth. A thought bubble is free floating often with other little bubbles leading back to the thinking character's head.

Also heard both referred to as "word balloons and ones for a character talking as a "speech balloon"

You should make more of those puppet videos. Maybe make them more violent and psychedelic

bravo1102 wrote:

Unka John wrote:
When I was a kid growing up we called them “word balloons”. I wouldn't call it a recent thing though. When I was growing up a comic book cost twelve cents.

I only go back as far as fifteen cents. For me it was "word balloons“ and ”thought bubbles.

The word balloon is like a balloon with that little tether going to the speaker's mouth. A thought bubble is free floating often with other little bubbles leading back to the thinking character's head.

Also heard both referred to as "word balloons and ones for a character talking as a "speech balloon"

Yup. agreed. The logic makes sense. :)

“Speech bubble” sounds nicer though XD

lothar wrote:
You should make more of those puppet videos. Maybe make them more violent and psychedelic

Agreed

More violent you guys say? Just how much more violent?

LOL!

These days, it appears that thought bubbles (with the little dots leading to the character's head) are considered passe. A character's thoughts should now appear in a square box to the side of the panel, similar to a narrator's monologue box. It is thought that this would be the comic book equivalent of a “voice-over” in a movie. I don't like that new convention, but that seems to be the trend.

I really hadn't noticed too much of that, but yeah, unless the character is also the story's narrator, and they're explaining the exposition from their first-person perspective, I would think that would get just a tad confusing for those of us who are more familiar with those boxes being reserved for non-character specific exposition.

fallopiancrusader wrote:
These days, it appears that thought bubbles (with the little dots leading to the character's head) are considered passe. A character's thoughts should now appear in a square box to the side of the panel, similar to a narrator's monologue box. It is thought that this would be the comic book equivalent of a “voice-over” in a movie. I don't like that new convention, but that seems to be the trend.

Nate Piekos refers to them as ‘inner monologue captions’ in his recent book. The thought balloon has been passe since the nineties - long enough for it to be due a comeback! I'll use both approaches because they don't feel the same to me. The caption suggests a voice over, while the balloon does not.

Honestly, I don't care whatever the zeitgeist says; I use thought bubbles whenever I feel they're necessary.

fallopiancrusader wrote:
These days, it appears that thought bubbles (with the little dots leading to the character's head) are considered passe. A character's thoughts should now appear in a square box to the side of the panel, similar to a narrator's monologue box. It is thought that this would be the comic book equivalent of a “voice-over” in a movie. I don't like that new convention, but that seems to be the trend.

I think it's for character voiced exposition mostly- when they're telling us about a scene (a voice-over, like you say), rather than what they're thinking inside a scene in the moment?

One thing I've noticed has become trendy in recent years is whenever a character is speaking, but they're not actually seen in the panel, the tail is inverted into the word balloon, which almost makes it look like a pie with a slice cut out of it. I've seen it work relatively well, that is if the balloon itself has enough spacing that the tail cutting into doesn't also cut into the actual dialogue.

the inverted tail is hardly a new technique, has been used for many many years. The term word balloon is entirely new to me. Always been speech bubbles and thought bubbles to me. or some times thought clouds.

Maybe word balloons has surfaced due to manga and translation.