Literature of Comics and Graphic Narrative Blog

In what course were you enrolled: Literature of Comics and the Graphic Narrative: LMST340   What were some of the best assignments you experienced this semester? I don't think I have a "favorite" or "best" assignment, I just really enjoyed talking on new material and being open to new readings and ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed our discussion during and after class.  How many assignments did you complete for the course?  I completed all the blog posts for this course. Have you completed the online course evaluation?  Absolutely! What is the appropriate grade for you to receive in this course on the scale of A through F including pluses and minuses?  (There is no A+) Why do you think that grade is appropriate? B+ I say this because as much as I enjoyed our conversations and writing out the blog posts, I could have chimed in more or jumped into debates and discussion during class. - I did thoroughly enjoy the way this class was ta...

      For homework,  I read Trash Mountain by Kelton Sears, which is an online webcomic. I think for this comic specifically it benefits to talk about the movement and design. I really liked the small moments that were portrayed that normally would take up two panels or would need to be exaggerated. The moving background with the "TV Static" could be extremely annoying at times and I felt like it would've done better if it was just white. Let the colors and the moving panels speak for themselves without all the extra on top. The sounds that were added were super cool! (If we're being honest, it made me jump at first because I was not expecting the noise to come from the comic.) The realistic textures with vectors were an interesting choice, I think it helped paint a very vivid sense of what was going on. I liked chapter two... Part II... Not sure, but I really liked when the character jumped between panels and it forced you to follow along and made you feel t...

      For homework,  I read The Killing Joke by Alan Moore. Which just so happens to be the origin story of the Joker. The story overall pulled at the heartstrings. The Joker was just a NORMAL dude who became a supervillain through things he felt he could not control. I'll be, losing this wife and an unborn baby would drive anyone to madness. Is it an excuse to run around and ruin your whole life over? I think it could be circumstantial and may be opinionated, but no. He was also forced to help rob the chemical plant which the icing on the cake for sad criminal stories because you aren't a criminal until you commit a crime. (Duh, that's how it works) Batman does wish to help the Joker, but the Joker rejects his help because he believes he's already too far gone. I do not believe this to be true, I think with the right intentions and moves to make yourself better you can prove other wrong and push past the stereotype of "being too far gone" and come back an...

      For homework,  I read Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. The comic reminded me of My Favorite Thing is Monsters . The main character in both stories is a girl. Both girls are struggling to grow up. Both families happen to be in a difficult situation. These girls are also dealing with the idea that they're gay. In Fun Home, the girl's life with her father is very difficult. We eventually find out that a big part of the problem is that the father is also gay but is in denial. They both express their love for reading and art but have never been able to build a strong Father-Daughter bond. When she finally works up the courage to come out, her father is not supportive. This complicated Father- Daughter dynamic becomes the main focus of the story. However, her openness about her sexuality, thoughts, ideas, and the struggles of her being different is also a strong point for this story. It really begs the question of how many people go their whole lives thinking s...

      For homework,  I read Monsters by Emil Ferris, the graphic novel, A friend actually recommended it to me. The narrative for this book has layers on layers and is told by multiple different points of view. The main point of view is from Karen, a 10-year-old girl, who seems to be written based on the author. Which is really awesome and interesting because it turns it into a story within a story. This is a story about a little girl who draws her life as a comic. Could you imagine telling your life through panels in a comic? How hard that would be to draw details and pick and chose how you say and show things in your life that then inturn shape who you become as a person?! Karen is a fan of monsters. She chooses to draw herself as a werewolf. The choice is interesting to me because it begs the question... Why? Why a werewolf,  does she draw herself as a werewolf because she might have something to hide about herself just like werewolves do when they are...

      For homework, this week   I read Buddha Volume 1 by Osamu Tezuka. This Japanese comic was written by the manga artist who is considered to be a master. This is an interesting perspective because Volume I about another master - Buddha . This perspective into one of the oldest stories in the world provides interesting points and information. It really lets you think about it especially if you're like me and are really unsure of how the structure in the culture words. It helps create that world for you. Tezuka's illustrations of India are completely black and white but are stunning none the less. They capture the details of Indian art and culture and seems to show a different style from the illustrations used in the characters/animals. These are very cartoony which, I think, adds to the story to make it that much more interesting. That being said, the story itself is difficult to follow. The little boy, who is portrayed as a thief really caught my eye, the ...

      For homework,  I read The Black Incal by Moebius and Jodorowsky. The time period is set in the future and follows the main character, John Difool. John is a private investigator and he is portrayed as the anti-hero in main of the old Noir films. He is rough looking, hasn't shaved in a while, his clothes are messy and the exact opposite of neat. There are bandages covering his injuries. Just like the detectives from Noir, his motives are not completely pure. John hangs out with robot hookers and people from the "shady side" of town. You would most definitely not let him babysit your kids. He finds the Incal but doesn't exactly understand it or its value and power. Let's talk about the layout. This particular comic uses four basic colors in varying vibrant tones. The figures that are shown show realism, but there are lots of nonhumans type figures, like "monster-ish." The layout is basic five to six panels per page and makes the comic easy to fo...

      For homework: Stereotypes are everywhere, I find it most prevalent in tv shows and books, but more present in comic books. For example, Asian Americans are either the brilliant scientist or the Kung fo master. African Americans are portrayed as "dark" superheroes like Black Panther or Venom. In some of the older comics, African Americans are pictured as less intelligent and of the poor working class. However, things are looking up for these groups in recent times. One group that is still objectified are women. Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, they are all illustrated to be "sexy" symbols. I noticed that even in the Archie comics, which are supposed to be "typical" high school girls, they are objectified to stereotypes. A good example would also be Tank Girl, she is a badass and can do whatever she wants. Maybe people turn their heads on these stereotypes because if women are going to be objectified, a least now they can kick ass and show men t...

      For homework,  I read Maus by Art Spiegelman. It is set in the 1950s, after WWII. Maus is the author's retelling of his father's story in Auschwitz. In this story, the cats portray the Nazis and the mice portray the Jews. This comic is all black and white, which is appropriate for this story because it touches on an extremely dark subject. This is considered being the first graphic novel and this book is NOT recommended for children or anyone of a young age. This graphic novel started a whole new genre,  I enjoy this style of "comics" I found it to be extremely easy to get hooked on. I do think this story makes cats out to be "the bad guy" but I relate it back to "Tom and Jerry" the cartoon kids show that played on Cartoon Network. One image that stands out and allows for this novel to reflect the horror of this time is the title art for Chapter four. The image is very detailed and really makes you stop to look and think. In this imag...