Character & Backstory
According to Scott McCloud, there are three qualities that a successful character must possess: inner life, visual distinction, and expressive traits. Without these qualities, a character might be confusing, flat, or – worst of all – forgettable.
- Inner life – relates to their “unique history, worldview and desires.” This includes a character’s backstory, personality, archetype, and more.
- Visual distinction – a character should have “a distinct and memorable body, face, and wardrobe.” This has to do with a character’s physical characteristics.
- Expressive traits – “traits of speech and behavior associated with that character.” A character’s expressive traits are what make them move and speak in a unique and interesting way – this could include posture, body language, facial expressions, and more.
In order to be successful, even a very simple character should have a backstory. While you certainly don’t need to know every detail of a character’s life history – McCloud writes that “obsessing too much over such details is a classic beginner’s mistake” – you should certainly have a sense of a character’s personal identity.
- Some characters are defined by specific moments in their history. Superhero stories often utilize moments like this – think about the origin stories of Spiderman and Batman.
- Other characters are defined by their desires – something that motivates them and causes narrative conflict. Every character in The Wizard of Oz has a clear desire that motivates their actions. Still other characters fit into certain archetypes.
- Star Wars makes great use of archetypal characters: the naive hero beginning a quest, the lovable rogue, the sharp-tongued princess, the wise old man, etc.
- Your characters can be defined by their history, their desires, their archetype, or some combination thereof – the important thing is that you know and understand them.
History 
Shape & Silhouette
“The secret of designing cartoon characters — and I’m giving away this secret now to all of you out there — is: you make a character that you can tell who it is in silhouette. I learned this from watching Mickey Mouse as a kid. You can tell Mickey Mouse from a mile away…those two big ears. Same thing with Popeye, same thing with Batman. And so, if you look at the Simpsons, they’re all identifiable in silhouette. Bart with the picket fence hair, Marge with the beehive, and Homer with the two little hairs, and all the rest. So…I think about hair quite a lot.”
Matt Groening
One way to give a character a distinctive silhouette is by using basic shapes as a starting point. By using a square, circle, or triangle as a starting point, you can give your character a unique look that is easily recognizable. Of course, you can – and should – elaborate on these basic shapes, but they can be a great starting point.
Movement
Does your character slouch or stand up straight? Do they fidget? Walk with a limp? Speak with an accent or use particular idioms? These are some of what McCloud calls “expressive traits.” Whereas visual distinction has to do with physical appearance, expressive traits are related to what your character does.
McCloud suggests defining key poses or facial expressions for your characters. These are physical cues unique to each character. It could be the way someone cocks their head to the side, or leans against a doorframe, or looks over the tops of their glasses. As the audience gets to know your character, these key actions will become associated with their respective characters and help make them seem more rounded and alive.
You can also use expressive traits to play against a character’s physical appearance. A hulking, brutish looking character could tiptoe fearfully or a meek-looking character could pose heroically. There are endless options.
The American animator Don Hertzfeldt is a master of using simple lines and expressive movement to infuse his characters with personality. Despite the fact that his drawings are little more than stick figures, every character seems to have a backstory. This is true of both Hertzfeldt’s human and non-human characters.
Production Challenge – Get in Character
For this production challenge, divide into groups of three or four. You will be designing an alien character from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Please avoid creating a humanoid alien.
Here is some information about Enceladus:
- Average surface temperature is 75 K (33-145 K)
- It is the most reflective body in the solar system
- You would weigh 1% of what you do on Earth
- The (very thin) atmosphere is composed of 91% H2O, 4% N2, 3% CO2, 2% methane
- The surface is composed of ice
- Only 314 miles across – similar to the width of Pennsylvania
- Geologically active, with erupting geysers of ice and water vapor
- Tidally heated – there may be a sub-surface ocean
Your character should have:
- A name or title; you are not just creating an alien species, but a specific member of that species.
- A distinct visual design that makes sense for the environment of Enceladus. This may include clothing or equipment, if that is applicable for your alien.
- A history or backstory that motivates and defines them. Is your character old or young? Does it have a gender? Does it have a tragic past? Does it fit into a character archetype?
- Expressive traits, gestures, or ways of moving – whatever form that movement might take.
