▁to ▁a ▁narr ator , ▁convey ▁characters ' ▁dialog ue ▁or ▁thoughts , ▁or ▁indicate ▁place ▁or ▁time . ▁ ▁Spe ech ▁bal lo ons ▁themselves ▁are ▁strongly ▁associated ▁with ▁com ics , ▁such ▁that ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁one ▁to ▁an ▁image ▁is ▁sufficient ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁image ▁into ▁com ics . ▁ ▁Sound ▁effects ▁m im ic ▁non - v ocal ▁sounds ▁text ually ▁using ▁on om at op oe ia ▁sound - words . ▁ ▁Cart oon ing ▁is ▁most ▁frequently ▁used ▁in ▁making ▁com ics , ▁tradition ally ▁using ▁in k ▁( es pecially ▁India ▁in k ) ▁with ▁dip ▁pens ▁or ▁in k ▁br ush es ; ▁mixed ▁media ▁and ▁digital ▁technology ▁have ▁become ▁common . ▁ ▁Cart oon ing ▁techniques ▁such ▁as ▁motion ▁lines ▁and ▁abstract ▁symbols ▁are ▁often ▁employed . ▁ ▁While ▁com ics ▁are ▁often ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁cre ator , ▁the ▁labour ▁of ▁making ▁them ▁is ▁frequently ▁divided ▁between ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁special ists . ▁ ▁There ▁may ▁be ▁separate ▁writers ▁and ▁artists , ▁and ▁artists ▁may ▁special ize ▁in ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁art work ▁such ▁as ▁characters ▁or ▁background s , ▁as ▁is ▁common ▁in ▁Japan . ▁ ▁Part icular ly ▁in ▁American ▁super h ero ▁com ic ▁books , ▁the ▁art ▁may ▁be ▁divided ▁between ▁a ▁p enc iller , ▁who ▁l ays ▁out ▁the ▁art work ▁in ▁p enc il ; ▁an ▁in ker , ▁who ▁finish es ▁the ▁art work ▁in ▁in k ; ▁a ▁colour ist ; ▁and