A great deal of people would look at a picture or read a comic before they would read a novel. Visual texts can be created in so many different ways to evoke any message to the reader's mind. The elements of design, which are line, shape, direction, size, texture, color, and value, are used to create different interpretations of a visual text. Each of these elements creates various ideas in the viewer's mind, and constructs a central message when they are combined. Guy Delisle's "Pyongyang" uses many of these elements as he describes a journey to the country of North Korea. The main character visits a small portion of the country and explains everything he goes through. He describes the famine, totalitarianism, and the other issues that exist in North Korea through comic strips. Guy Delisle uses "Pyongyang" to display the issues within North Korea by using the cartoon-like drawings, different types of text bubbles, and color in his comic.

Cartoon characters continue to be in use even to this day because they have so many different uses. They have been utilized since the beginning of entertainment. The cartoon characters in "Pyongyang" are very simple and plain. The simplicity of the main character expresses that this man could be any visitor to North Korea. No matter who visits, they will receive the same treatment, and be presented the same things. Delisle is trying to express that everyone who visits North Korea is shown what they are supposed to see, not the reality of the country. The residents of the country are also drawn very simplistically. Delisle presents the fact that all of the residents are treated the same. None of them are able to see the outside world, they are practically brainwashed. They only know what their leader, Kim Jong-un, tells them. Not only are the characters cartoon-like, all of the drawings are as well. Like the characters, these drawings also represents that all of North Korea is isolated from the rest of the world, not just the one area in the comic. Their leader keeps it this way so that he can have complete control over them. The country of North Korea is under a complete totalitarian government, meaning that the citizens should be totally subject to an absolute authority (Totalitarianism). The simplicity of the comic combines all of the aspects of North Korea into plain, cartoonish drawings.

Speech bubbles can be used in a variety of ways, and each one can look different. This comic has a few different text bubbles, there are thought bubbles, speech bubbles, and sound bubbles. The text bubbles are used very scarcely to express that the main character is mostly alone. There is almost no one around him the whole time he is there. The author does this to demonstrate that the citizens are not allowed outside of the walls of North Korea. They are basically starved inside the country, and there is nothing the citizens can do about it because they cannot get out. The sound bubbles are also not used frequently. They are only used a few times when the main character is around other people. The lack of sound shows how isolated North Korea is from the rest of the world. The country is basically by itself in the world. Sound means that things are happening and people are moving about. Without sound, it is apparent that nothing is happening in the country. The citizens are not allowed to do anything that they want to do. The thought bubbles are unlike the speech and sound bubbles, they are used a lot more frequently. The main character is alone while he is inside North Korea; this is why the thought bubbles appear a lot more than the others. Not only is the country isolated, he is isolated as well. He is not shown the real issues, like famine or disease, which are the reality of the country. The use of the speech, thought, and sound bubbles are the main components of demonstrating to the reader that North Korea is isolated, and the people that go in are isolated from the reality of the country.

Color can create many feelings within a person. Different colors can mean a multitude of things. "Pyongyang" is a totally monochrome comic, meaning that all of the pictures are black, white, and grey. Something that is grey can seem dull, dirty, or dingy (Bourn). North Korea is seen as dull and dirty from the outside world. All of their buildings are very plain and colorless just like the comic. The citizens of the country are shown this very dull landscape their whole life, so this is all they know. This sad view on life is their reality. The black and other very dark colors in the comic can also symbolize power and fear. The inhabitants of North Korea are terrified of their leader, and are afraid to rebel. Soldiers are shown throughout the comic to represent the power over the people. These soldiers are all wearing black or dark grey clothing, and stand out in every picture. This is because somebody is always watching over them to make sure that the visitors are not seeing something that they should not. All of the people are controlled to an extreme extent no matter how the country is viewed, and this is expressed by the dull colors in the comic.

The dark colors, cartoon-like drawings, and style of text bubbles all express the issues that are apparent in North Korea. The darkness represents the power of the country's leader and the fear of the citizens. Guy Delisle shows that all of the country's people are in fear by using the cartoon-like drawings. These simple drawings are meant to express that the people in the comic could be any person from North Korea or any visitor. The feeling of being isolated is shown through the text bubbles because most of the bubbles are just thoughts and not speech. Any and every way the country is looked at, it is apparent that the people are in trouble and need help. Comics are usually meant to be humorous, but this one presents a serious problem. These people are in constant fear just because their country's leader forces it upon them. This comic evokes the idea that North Korea's people cannot help themselves; they need help from anybody that is willing to support them. 

