Comic

Web Comics

The comic Johnny the Homicidal Maniac felt like something a read before. Johnny is a criminally insane, introverted young man on a killing spree, his victims being those who taunt and make fun of him, all to feed the red wall with their blood. Driven by the voices in his head projected on to dead bunny, and two styrofoam pigs, he struggles with his madness and the fact that no matter what atrocities he commits, he is never caught.The illustrations in this book are styled much like Jhonen Vasquez's other creation, Invader Zim, which was a huge selling point for me as I love that show. I love the plot of this book, it's not just a bunch of murderous comic strips with a deranged character. The murders mean something, Johnny's struggles and insanity have a point, and the story progresses at a nice pace. It was easy to follow and I had no trouble getting back into the story after setting it down for a while. 

Reading chapter one of The Meek was a rather interesting read. I liked the intro panel where the little creature is slowly moving to the fruit to eat and then bam, there is a chase that takes place. It was a nice surprise action that took place, how they developed this by having a very calm scene ruined by an action. Then reading more of the chapter I was really confused why the girl, Angora, is naked and have green hair during the comic. I think it is not necessary to have her naked, but maybe their is a important reason why she is down the line, but my preference to that is a no. The green hair kinda made sense when we find out she can use nature to fight, so green hair makes her more earthy looking. Another shocker to me was what the grandfather looked like, I thought it was going to be this old wise man, but it was more of a whimsical creature. Got me thinking that maybe Angora is not from earth or maybe not apart of the human life, but I don't know never got to the end. The humor is kinda funny, but not really a comedic comic. 

The art style of meek is one word, awesome. I liked the color choices and how they used highlights and shadows in a simple way that doesn't over do the style choice. It is defiantly more cartoon style then a realist one. Even though the artist keeps things simple, their is detail in some ares, just played down a little. Like for example they show the map and you understand its a map, but it doesn't have every little thing shown, but enough detail to know what they are talking about. The artist also accomplished great facial expressions on the characters, in which it brought them to life. They also added to their personality and you know more about their character through them and also their choices. 
When branching out to find a web comic of my choice I skimmed through a couple and found one called Sandra and Woo. It a comic based on a a girl named Sandra and her adventures with her pet raccoon Woo, its not a serious comic. 

http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2000/01/01/welcome-to-sandra-and-woo/ 

The comic is more like comic strips, very short and to the point. I like that because its refreshing not to read a book about one comic. The humor in this comic is spot on, I chuckled so many times on the jokes. The raccoon is my favorite character on his actions he does. Their is one comic I found that leads more into a story on how Sandra and Raccoon met. Still cute and funny like the strips. I like the style of the art its simple and black and white. Background is not really a big part in this comic and I kinda like it, it focused more on the characters and actions of them and it brought them alive. 

Osamu Tezuka Buddha and More

I read some volumes and discussed Buddha, a manga by Osamu Tezuka, with my brother. I could not find all the volumes of this manga series and knowing my brother he read them all. He gave me a quick summary of what I was not able to find. We also talked about the characters and how the religion buddhism is represented throughout the series. How they include Siddharta, which is the main character of the Buddha series and prince of the Shaka tribe. I do think he is a big part of the Buddhism, but do not quote me on that. Though if true it is very interesting how they included actual things from the religion of Buddhism in it. Sadly though he is only introduced half way in the first book , and then his mom dies, wow what a great child hood. The art style in the comic series is really minimalist in some ares but then he is able to add detail in which it does not off set things. I love how he plays with the panels shapes in different scenes. I uses more odd shapes that add movement and action during action scenes. I love the arrangement of panels on the page becomes different on ever other page. How some go down from one another, others horizontal in rows, full pages of one panel, and some thrown in different ares for different types of scenes based on the mood. I think the use of only being black and white is good, but how the covers of the books have a pop of color leaves me questioning if the comic would look maybe even better in color. Though overall I love his art style and especially his compositions in action scenes. 
Overall, Tezuka's liberal adaptation of the Buddha story is both riveting and kitschy in its use of 80s lingo and Manga humor and silliness. In the end, Tezuka's ability to tell a fast-paced, well-oiled tale outshines is astonishing. I would recommend someone to give it a look.

I watched the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World movie years ago and it was real love.Therefore, it’s probably completely understandable that I absolutely loved this book. It was fan-tastic! And obviously while they were making the movie, they paid huge attention to detail, because even though I had forgotten some moments and scenes, it was so easy to re-imagine everything in color and with the actual actors, simply because every scene was executed precisely as it was drawn.The story is obviously hilariously awesome, all of the characters are such weirdos, it is so good. I loved the dry humor and the sarcastic remarks to a degree in which I felt like all of the characters are my soulmates at one point or another.To be honest, out of all of them, Scott is not my favourite by far. However that might be part of the point. As well as having the readers love Ramona. Because that I did. She’s so cool. I totally feel like a Ramona sometimes, she’s the relatable hipster girl we were or tried to be in high school. Though I do not approve of her choice of boyfriends.I am now really looking forward to reading the other parts of the series, big recommendation of the comics and the movie.

Another comic I read was Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara. The first volume of Mushishi is just wonderful. While it's sublime pace might not be for anyone, it collects five stand-alone stories which detail the interaction between humans and different kinds of Mushi. The tone of each story varies quite wildly, from the uplifting "The Green Gathering" to the truly disturbing "The Pillow Path".
While the trade doesn't really have an overarching plot, it does serve to introduce the concept of Mushi, as well as the reoccurring characters of Ginko and Adashino. The world-building characters the unmistakable overtones of Japanese mythology and the art is truly stunning throughout.

This One Summer

Jillian Tamaki wrote a comic called "This One Summer" which I thought was an interesting read. I felt more like a average television show you would find on abc family or something rather then a comic to me. I guess I thought this because when I think of comics I think of either humor or action in a comic, not a everyday girls day. I liked it though, it was different then a lot of what we read in this class. It shows how a young girl deals with her parents slowly separating, spending the summer with her best friend, and crushing on an older guy that might of got a girl pregnant. It is really relatable with me because of how the parents are always fighting, so I felt more attach to this comic more then something like "Archie." I liked the drawing style as well, how they drew each character with clean lines. How she really drew the clothing with pattern and the background with detail to really understand where the character is and the time. My favorite scene that she illustrated was the one with rose just chilling in her bedroom on the bed reading a magazine. Just the detail in the rug, the objects on the floor, and how she translated the blanket folding but with simple lines. Also another panel I loved when her friend Windy is dancing and she did not break each move in a different panel but rather on the same panel, with a figures moving a sequential order. It brought humor and movement in that moment. Most of the book was in black and white, but I also saw some blue ink used. I really enjoy the simple color use as well, I think it benefits in this way more then it would if it was in color. The overall character shows how the younger mind of a girl works, bringing a little bit of innocence to the comic.

In class we talked about how women comic book artist have a distinct area that classifies their work all together. I do not really think that women artist should all be classified in a subject together. Different artist bring different things to the comic world. In the comic I read done by a woman artist I see of only a woman being able to achieve it, but only because of the concept of the comic. It would not make sense of a man writing about a young girl and her love interest in a older man. I mean he could, but the perspective coming from a woman that went through possible is way better. Just because woman are way more emotional and can bring that to art in a famine way.

Authority

I read Watchmen by Alan Moore, and it was rather interesting, but not a favorite. Watchmen in which many people know the idea behind the title "Who will watch the Watchmen", but not everyone has read this acclaimed novel. As the title suggests it is a graphic novel that deals with the idea of who exists to watch the superheroes if they go out of control. And really, part of my problem with reading this novel is that when a hero goes out of control you get a villain. I don't subscribe to the idea of the anti-hero like many people. I believe in absolutes and as such I think that the hero is the character who performs more good than he does evil. 

In the end of this novel the whole idea of what Watchmen is really trying to convey wraps together. It's really about psychological conflict, about Nihilism and about the Jungian shadow. Many psychological theories I do not subscribe to but find useful to use as discussion points. Because I do not believe that the world is all full of darkness and evil when you strip it down as Watchmen appears to portray. I believe that there is much evil in life but that there is also hope and light for anyone to see. 

The comic "Authority" is a superhero themed comic filled with action of good and evil. When reading the two volumes, the class was asked a question about the comic. Which was, "are there any prominent symbolism the story and if so, what are they, and how are they used?" When reading the volumes I really did not look for symbols, so when going back to look it over again I really did not see many. A big symbol is good and evil, how their is this group of all sorts of heroes trying to keep all the universes from being taken over by this evil group that wants to turn, well at least one I know of, into a rape camp. I do not know if this was a symbol or not, when examining the clothing on both parties I notice they both consisted of a circle in some way. How the evil man had a circle, but with three dots breaking it up, kinda reminds me of how they are trying to break this peaceful state that society is in a cycle of. Though, then the superheroes had a circle on their clothing, but also a triangle. I do not know what that really could stand for honestly, because later on in the second volume Jenny Sparks has a new outfit on. Also another symbol I saw was Apollo and the Midnighter and how they are dark and light, or more what I see as ying and yang. Because they are a pair, always together, and when Apollo used all his energy and was drained, Midnight was very worried and held him, but they are different from each other. The guy is like his other half, a brother, or lover if you will.
 Next question we were asked to answer was " What connections did you make with the story, and discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect?" It is kinda hard to connect with a story based on superheroes, since I have no super powers. Though my connection is kinda with my dad. How I wanted to go to an art college and I had to keep fighting and fighting him to let me carry on my dreams. So in a way its like how the authority league is fighting evil to keep their place of peace that they dream of. Another connection would be to Apollo and Midnighter, because it kinda reminds me of my best friend lena and me. How I am more like midnight the dark kinda rebel one and she is like the pure and innocent one, how me and her are ying and yang, different, but need each other.
"What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium, what medium would you use, and what changes would you make?" I think the only other medium I could see this comic in would be and animation or a film. It kinda has that face pace action that I think would show very will with face pacing shot scenes. Some changes thought would be more detail in areas, it seems to me that the comic jumps a lot around and the quickly to where I am sometimes lost. I would kinda have more of flashbacks of the main characters to understand who they are and how they got there. I was really confused on everyone when reading this comic, I did not know what they did really until they were thrown into and action shot and I had to really look at it to know what they did. Sure they say like oh Apollo "the sun guy", but that is a very vague description of the man. I would though keep the idea of how the characters designs are present the way they are and the use of opec colors is eye catching.

Mox Nox

Joann Cornell's graphic novel Mox Nox was a delight to read. Some where really humorous to me, but others were alittle to graphic which lead me not being able to enjoy it. Cornellà is a brilliant artist. He is genuinely insightful and witty without being at all pretentious. He is focused on his art and not on his image. Great bold bright colors through out the comics adds to its humor and makes the comic for the young generation. He is a minimalist, conveying exactly and only what needs to be shown. He understands that there is no need for fluff or filler in great art. His minimalist approach is refreshing; I do get bored of photorealists drawing meaningless, complicated dragons and shit. Mox Nox does not seem at all manufactured, forced, rehearsed or 'thought up'; it feels natural and like Cornellà is giving a part of himself to his art. It is raw and vulnerable. The brilliant, short comics make abstract, sometimes riddle-like comments and inferences about human nature and culture. The recurring characters are archetypal and memorable and the facial expressions Cornellà draws are simple yet timeless. A favorite most defiantly. 

Dockwood is a contemplative glimpse into an otherwise uneventful Fall day in a sleepy town somewhere in the UK. You spend the first half of the day following a young kitchen porter as he prepares and delivers meals to the residents of the nursing home where he works, while a section of the afternoon is spent with a high school paperboy as he goes around Dockwood delivering the local evening newspaper.
Yeah, not much happens in terms of a plotline, but then again, you get the feeling that complicated plots were never the point of this graphic novel. Capturing everyday life, as quiet, uneventful and even boring as it might be sometimes seems more in line with the purpose of Dockwood, and in this aspect, the novel succeeds most brilliantly. The color schemes used by the artist are stunning and complement the Fall spirit of the novel entirely. I particularly like the “silent” moments of some of the panels, the ones in which the two main characters simply stop what they are doing and take the time to appreciate simple things, such as tree leaves or a starry sky. But humans are not the only protagonists in Dockwood, and I found the numerous panels depicting nature and the animal life of that quiet town really enjoyable too. 
That being said, it is fair to warn that Dockwood is an unusual book and that it is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you tend to find beauty in the ordinary, it might just be the thing for you. 

The french film we watched in class was also a delight to watch. I love the style of art it had through out the film. How each character was drawn, the dog being round so he is friendly to the audience and the evil man have sharp edges making the audience to know they are not friendly. The muted dirty colors made it seem like a older piece then it is, and I loved seeing that sketchy feel all around. This art style is the kind of style I love to see in art. I would recommend this film even though we sadly never go to finish the film in the class.

Contemporary Literature Comics

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli, was more amazing to look at then to read in my view. I love the use of colors in the piece, like the bright blues, purples, yellow, and pinks, but also use those colors muted as well. Anything with color is more interesting to me then just black and white. A lot of white space is used in the artwork. He almost uses it to frame out the characters and objects that identify the background. Kinda makes the art have a abstract or geometric work. He uses different styles throughout the comic, their is some minimalist work and then some sketchy aspects. Even though he introduces different styles throughout it all seems to work still as being one. They story is about a professor named Asterios Polyp who taught at Cornell University, but leaves after being hit by lighting in his apartment. He moves to Apogee to become a mechanic. Then the story starts to show his past about his childhood with his still born twin, then into his bad marriage, and continues on into dreams. I think it was a very interested story and never really read anything like it. I would recommend everyone to try it and read it. I have been told by my friends that they love reading it over and over again, so it seems timeless.

Bone by Jeffery Smith is a childhood favorite of mine. This comic brings back memories of me just sitting on the couch, flipping through the pages as fast I can so I do not get caught by my mom to start my homework. I read the color version which I though was the only version of the comic, I never knew it was in black and white first. I am glad they made a color version because it just added so much to the art and brought the story to life even more.Jeff Smith wonderfully takes three cartoon characters and puts them in a land of mystery and adventure, taking the reader from amusing, comedic anecdotes to an epic war for the fate of the world! While the Bone cousins are surely simplistically drawn, Smith develops their characters to a level of richness that blends them naturally with the detailed, flourishing environment that perhaps visually contrasts their appearance. Coming of age, loss of innocence, faith, love, and truth which are all major themes of this story. It is a must read for anyone that enjoys comics or just a great story with playful characters. 

In class we looked at some comics in more of a book form. I really enjoyed looking at Ice Haven and the one that came in a box with many different ways presented (I did not remember the name, sorry!).