I can't really say weather I liked The boondocks or not. It was certainly very different than all the comics that I read for this assignment. It had a very simple plot, a grandfather and his two grandson move from Chicago to suburbia. The first thing that I really noticed about this comic is that it is the first comic that I am familiar with that has all main character that are black. I have no problems with this, it was more of the subject matter that made me dislike it. The boondocks is very racy, everything that the little boy Huey, the main character, talks about is his race. I had a hard time getting into getting into a comic that talks about not much more than his race, the ignorant white people around him and how he will never fit in. Quite a few good points were brought up modern culture and the main character himself is very quick witted, smart, and very clever.
It is also hard to define what kind of comic this is, its not action packed like Flash Gordon or Light hearted and cute like Calvin and Hobbes. There is a very strange sense of humor that could most definitely be considered satire or mocking parts of modern culture. The style of the comic I find to be fairly modern, there are gradients and shades in color, each character has much more detail in design that eludes slightly to there personality. This comic originated in the news paper funnies section and was eventually turned into a show that aired on the Adult Swim section of cartoon network. To say the least this different and bold comic was very succseful.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Flash Gordon Vol. 3
Out of all the comics that I read for this assignment. Flash Gordon would have to be my least favorite. The first thing I observed was the style of the comic it had very sketchy lines that were very busy. There was a lot going on in each panel. The colors did not help the situation they were bright and loud, very many at a time and usually primary colors though every now and again there would be a green or purple thrown in. From what I could tell this Volume was printed in a newspaper because at the end of every page it said that it would be continued next week.
For being in the newspaper the story was really consecutive through the entire volume there is one plot line. The plot line is really action packed there is always something ridiculous going on. This fastness of the plot is probably one the things that turned me off of the comic so much. For example in the first chapter you find flash gordon and hes friends trapped in a forest, they are soon found on a log in a lake fighting a dinosaur, they get out of the lake climb a tree and are instantly attacked by angry flying squirrel like creatures. Theres a short scene with Flash Gordon being romantic with the girl he is with but, that is short lives only for them to be attacked by a angry elephant. This is all going on while Flash Gordons enemies are in the same Jungle looking for him so they can kill him on sight. This was all in the first chapter and way to much for my tastes. The other chapters continue on in this exact way.
I can see why Flash Gordon would be a popular comic with young boys. A Superhero who is constantly fighting some sort of evil weather it be a dinosaur or flying squirell. The plot is also very fast paced which would keep the attention of a unfocused young boy. Alex Raymand may have also been trying to market it to teens because there is a good deal of Flash Gordon with women, I must say that Flash Gordon seemed to be quite the Womanizer. This comic may be very popular and well renouned espcilally for the time that it was printed in but it is most definietly not for me.
For being in the newspaper the story was really consecutive through the entire volume there is one plot line. The plot line is really action packed there is always something ridiculous going on. This fastness of the plot is probably one the things that turned me off of the comic so much. For example in the first chapter you find flash gordon and hes friends trapped in a forest, they are soon found on a log in a lake fighting a dinosaur, they get out of the lake climb a tree and are instantly attacked by angry flying squirrel like creatures. Theres a short scene with Flash Gordon being romantic with the girl he is with but, that is short lives only for them to be attacked by a angry elephant. This is all going on while Flash Gordons enemies are in the same Jungle looking for him so they can kill him on sight. This was all in the first chapter and way to much for my tastes. The other chapters continue on in this exact way.
I can see why Flash Gordon would be a popular comic with young boys. A Superhero who is constantly fighting some sort of evil weather it be a dinosaur or flying squirell. The plot is also very fast paced which would keep the attention of a unfocused young boy. Alex Raymand may have also been trying to market it to teens because there is a good deal of Flash Gordon with women, I must say that Flash Gordon seemed to be quite the Womanizer. This comic may be very popular and well renouned espcilally for the time that it was printed in but it is most definietly not for me.
Calvin and Hobbes
I can honestly say that I have never read a Calvin and Hobbes comic before and I was really looking forward to finally reading some I have heard of how great they from a few of my friends. The story is primarily based on a boy that has a stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who is also his imaginary friend. The style of Calvin and Hobbes is extremely simple black lines with basic character designs. Most of the comics are just in black and white but, when the comic was originally published in the newspaper every Sunday comic was in color. The color really gave the Calvin and Hobbes a pop.
There isn't very much of a story in the comic because it was printed daily in the newspaper. As in most newspaper comics a short one shot thats cute, childish, and light. Every so often there are stories that would last about a week or so. There was a story about Calvin lost Hobbes and was going through a good deal of grief without him, the story lasted 7 stippes, one week. Most of the stories were really light hearted as I had mentioned. Some Calvin and Hobbes stories would deal with much darker subjects such as death. One strip was about Calvin and Hobbes finding a wounded Racoon, they try to rescue it but in the end it ends up dying. Its rather sad but, gave more depth and story to the usually light comic.
Calvin and Hobbes also had a lot to do with the imagination which greatly incompasses children. Many of the comic strips deal with, space ships, dinosaurs, and other wild imaginations of his. One of the greatly remembered strips was Calvins Transmogrifier machine which turns him into a young tiger and he runs around like that for a few strips until he decides he no longer wants to be a tiger.
I liked Calvin and Hobbes it reminded me of my childhood and I think it would still be very succsful if it was still printed in the newspaper today.
There isn't very much of a story in the comic because it was printed daily in the newspaper. As in most newspaper comics a short one shot thats cute, childish, and light. Every so often there are stories that would last about a week or so. There was a story about Calvin lost Hobbes and was going through a good deal of grief without him, the story lasted 7 stippes, one week. Most of the stories were really light hearted as I had mentioned. Some Calvin and Hobbes stories would deal with much darker subjects such as death. One strip was about Calvin and Hobbes finding a wounded Racoon, they try to rescue it but in the end it ends up dying. Its rather sad but, gave more depth and story to the usually light comic.
Calvin and Hobbes also had a lot to do with the imagination which greatly incompasses children. Many of the comic strips deal with, space ships, dinosaurs, and other wild imaginations of his. One of the greatly remembered strips was Calvins Transmogrifier machine which turns him into a young tiger and he runs around like that for a few strips until he decides he no longer wants to be a tiger.
I liked Calvin and Hobbes it reminded me of my childhood and I think it would still be very succsful if it was still printed in the newspaper today.
Little Nemo in the Palace of Ice
As a classic comic I thought Little Nemo in the Palace of Ice was quite fantastic. The story was light and the characters were rather simple. The style of the comic was very simple. Bold black lines that are somewhat sharp relatively stylized. The colors are almost like a wash of watercolors. The color themselves are pastel and overall suits the feeling of the comic.
The story starts off with the princess of slumberland and her playmate Nemo are visiting the Palace of Ice to see Jack Frost. They run into a few issues getting there when the ice stairs colapes, they run into a snowman ball, and have to take a sled to the Palace of Ice. They meet him and is warned to now shake his hand because he has a really tight grip. They also learn where snow comes from. They find out that the Palace of Ice is being torn apart. The princess and Nemo find themelf on a iceberg and get picked up by a pirate ship.
It is now good to mention that between everypage of the comic the last panel is the boy nemo being woken up from his dream and then the story continueing. With that being said the quick changes of scenery makes plenty of sense if it is a dream. The princess of slumberland and nemo find them self prisioner on a pirate ship rescued, after they are rescued there ship crashes and they end up in a place that seems like Africa, after they are in Africa they are in a modern city where the comic ends with Nemo and one of the guys he meets in Africa scaling buildings because he is gigantic.
One of the reason why I enjoyed this comic so much, was because I felt Winsor McCay so succsessfuly portrayed the little boy's dream. I felt like I have had dreams of that nature with such quickly changing scenery. The story was light and cute and fairly interesting since the scenery changed at a especially quick pace near the end.
The story starts off with the princess of slumberland and her playmate Nemo are visiting the Palace of Ice to see Jack Frost. They run into a few issues getting there when the ice stairs colapes, they run into a snowman ball, and have to take a sled to the Palace of Ice. They meet him and is warned to now shake his hand because he has a really tight grip. They also learn where snow comes from. They find out that the Palace of Ice is being torn apart. The princess and Nemo find themelf on a iceberg and get picked up by a pirate ship.
It is now good to mention that between everypage of the comic the last panel is the boy nemo being woken up from his dream and then the story continueing. With that being said the quick changes of scenery makes plenty of sense if it is a dream. The princess of slumberland and nemo find them self prisioner on a pirate ship rescued, after they are rescued there ship crashes and they end up in a place that seems like Africa, after they are in Africa they are in a modern city where the comic ends with Nemo and one of the guys he meets in Africa scaling buildings because he is gigantic.
One of the reason why I enjoyed this comic so much, was because I felt Winsor McCay so succsessfuly portrayed the little boy's dream. I felt like I have had dreams of that nature with such quickly changing scenery. The story was light and cute and fairly interesting since the scenery changed at a especially quick pace near the end.
Monday, September 7, 2009
The Arrival
The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a beautiful illustrated Graphic Novel. It is completely silent having no words however; a magnificent story emerged. It is beyond me to think of how someone can create such a wonderful story using no dialogue what so ever.
The story opens with a man moving away from his family to a new world away from some sort of terrible monster, to get a start for when his family arrive. When he arrives in the new world he is in a completely foreign place. Strange letter, buildings and language. The man struggles to get by since he is completely lost in translation. Once he finds a place to stay he befriends what seems to be an ordinary rodent. The man then searches for food all of which looks very strange to him, one thing even reminds him of the monster from back home. Another man shares a memory with him from a monster from his home town, this other man invites him back to his home for dinner. It opens the next chapter of the man trying to find work, he finds a few jobs and continuously does them wrong. He ends up working in a factory where he meets an elder man who shares stories of his past in the army. The man sends a letter to his family as seasons pass he finally receives one telling him when they will arrive. His family arrives and they are again united in the new world.
I feel that this story is beautiful and in this situation the wonderful art work only helps move the story along. With the lack of word the more beautiful and realistic the art can be used without taking anything away from the story. I find that Shaun Tan also uses such strange buildings, letters, and food to emphasis that the man is in a new world. If we can understand nothing about the new world then we can relate more to the man who also understands nothing. This story parallels to immigration to the United States and helps readers understand the hard ships that immigrants had to endure. I would recommend this book to anyone you do not have to be a comic book lover to enjoy this graphic novel.
The story opens with a man moving away from his family to a new world away from some sort of terrible monster, to get a start for when his family arrive. When he arrives in the new world he is in a completely foreign place. Strange letter, buildings and language. The man struggles to get by since he is completely lost in translation. Once he finds a place to stay he befriends what seems to be an ordinary rodent. The man then searches for food all of which looks very strange to him, one thing even reminds him of the monster from back home. Another man shares a memory with him from a monster from his home town, this other man invites him back to his home for dinner. It opens the next chapter of the man trying to find work, he finds a few jobs and continuously does them wrong. He ends up working in a factory where he meets an elder man who shares stories of his past in the army. The man sends a letter to his family as seasons pass he finally receives one telling him when they will arrive. His family arrives and they are again united in the new world.
I feel that this story is beautiful and in this situation the wonderful art work only helps move the story along. With the lack of word the more beautiful and realistic the art can be used without taking anything away from the story. I find that Shaun Tan also uses such strange buildings, letters, and food to emphasis that the man is in a new world. If we can understand nothing about the new world then we can relate more to the man who also understands nothing. This story parallels to immigration to the United States and helps readers understand the hard ships that immigrants had to endure. I would recommend this book to anyone you do not have to be a comic book lover to enjoy this graphic novel.
Understanding Comics
I have been reading the funnies since I was a little kid but, it wasn't until last year I indulged myself into the works of Alan Moore. I did not think much went into comics besides word and picture. After reading Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics I found out I was as wrong as ever. The psychology that is put into comics is quite ridiculous. I used to be one of those people who judge a comic by its art and was nearly not able to read watchmen, now one of my favorites, because I did not appreciate the art style. Through understanding comics I learned that artists sometimes choose a simpler art style so the reader could take in the content equally. A over detailed and realisitc art style could very easily take away from the message. I also learned simple things like the space inbetween each frame has a purpose and it is left up to the reader to determine and understand that purpose. To better understand Understand Comics McCloud broke the comic into 9 chapter each chapter explored a imprtant meaning.
1). Setting the Record Straight: Discusses a dictionary style definition of what a comic is.
2). The Vocabulary of Comics: Looks at icons in the comic book.
3). Blood in the Gutter: Establishing the different types of transitions between frames of comics.
4). Time Frames: Looks at how time plays a role in comics, and how it effects the overall experience and outcome of the story in the comic.
5). Living in Line: Explores motion and emotion and how it is made visible in comics.
6). Show and Tell: Explains how words and pictures work together in comics, and what combinations work and which combination means what.
7). The Six Steps: Idea/Purpose, Form, Idiom, Structure, Craft, Surface. Explains these six step and how they form the perfect comic.
8). A Word About Color: Shows the effect of color in a comic book.
9). Putting It All Together.
Each of these chapters opened my eyes to something that I have never realized before. There is a real interaction between the comic and the reader. Seeing what put in between each frame, recognizing what simple lines mean, and making the connection from panel to panel. This comic about comics gave me much more than I had expected. I now feel even more prepared to tackle the world of comics now that I have a firm understanding of how they tick.
1). Setting the Record Straight: Discusses a dictionary style definition of what a comic is.
2). The Vocabulary of Comics: Looks at icons in the comic book.
3). Blood in the Gutter: Establishing the different types of transitions between frames of comics.
4). Time Frames: Looks at how time plays a role in comics, and how it effects the overall experience and outcome of the story in the comic.
5). Living in Line: Explores motion and emotion and how it is made visible in comics.
6). Show and Tell: Explains how words and pictures work together in comics, and what combinations work and which combination means what.
7). The Six Steps: Idea/Purpose, Form, Idiom, Structure, Craft, Surface. Explains these six step and how they form the perfect comic.
8). A Word About Color: Shows the effect of color in a comic book.
9). Putting It All Together.
Each of these chapters opened my eyes to something that I have never realized before. There is a real interaction between the comic and the reader. Seeing what put in between each frame, recognizing what simple lines mean, and making the connection from panel to panel. This comic about comics gave me much more than I had expected. I now feel even more prepared to tackle the world of comics now that I have a firm understanding of how they tick.
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