It has been a few months now since I read Blankets for the first time. I remember going into it knowing that people generally really love it. I remember starting it and continuing to breeze through the thick volume like it was nothing. Blankets was such an easy read for me. It kept me engaged, and I remember reading it in public places; anywhere I could carry it with me.
Out of everything I read this semester this is the work that captivated me most. This is the work I remember most, and this is the work that upon completion I recommended to many people.
There is a lot to like about Craig Thompson's Blankets. Most primary was the style of the artwork. I have always really enjoyed black and white comics in particular. I come from a background of mostly reading manga, Ashley Wood comics, and Johnny The Homicidal Maniac So with those in mind I can see why I really like Thompson's line quality and his very iconic characters. The very way Craig portrays himself in the comic is very simple and relateable. I actually felt I like became this character. I felt like this was somehow my story.
The excellent art of course only helps drive a very simple and real story. Everything is so well articulated through the actions and emotions of the characters, the use of wordless frames, and the skillful way Thompson shows time passing. The story seems infinitely relatable. I just feel like everyone has been somewhere along the lines of where he is in their life. Everyone has longed for someone, who perhaps returned the feelings but could not commit. Everyone has felt out of place, everyone has either had that crazy family or known that crazy family.
Aspects of the story that you may not be able to relate to as well are still equally articulated. I for one have never had an internal religious struggle. I feel however completely empathetic towards the situation, because Thompson relates what it feels like so well.
I feel the closing line of the comic sums up its overall theme very well. Temporality is very confusing, but sometimes satisfying. This work really got me thinking about a current situation that is very personal. The ending not only made me let out a heavy sigh, it made me sad. However it was really good. Even when things seems to be set up perfectly, they don't always flow together in the correct manner. Just like with Craig and Raina's relationship. I have learned very recently that things are not always so easy or simple even if feelings are mutual. Blankets only served to reinforce this discovery in my mind. I keep this story in mind through every I am facing recently in similar situations. Sometimes you cannot predict what is going to happen. You can't plan for the future. You never know how things are going to work out. Blankets showed me a good example of that. And I think it is important when a work of art can change the way you think.
Overall Blankets, though unusually long for a graphic novel, was a fairly quick read. The story moves really steadily and keeps you interested. You tend to find yourself getting lost in it and reading a couple hundred pages in a pretty short amount of time. I'm not sure exactly how Thompson does it, but he did it that's for sure. Blankets was genius.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Fables
The cover art of Fables has always attracted me, however I never checked it out until now. Luckily it wasn't just the outside that is interesting. I found that I not only really enjoyed Fables visually, but I also really enjoyed the concept. The fact that basically every character from classic fables are hiding among us in New York feels really original. The re-imagining and mashing up of classic characters from a wide range of stories makes for endless possibilities. Especially when you set them in modern times, sometimes with alternate human identities.
I tale I was reading was about Snow White and her sister Rose Red's death. It becomes a murder mystery in which the Big Bad Wolf (in human form) is a detective. Eventually the story leads to explaining that all of these characters lived in adjacent worlds until an evil threat destroyed all of their kingdoms. They now live secretly among the populous of New York City.
Not only did I really enjoy the concept of Fables, but I also appreciated the art style. Every illustration was really well done, in a fairly realistic style. The muted color palette used was appealing to me. The use of ornamental frames to outline certain scenes is a nice break from the traditional rectangular paneling.
Overall I am intrigued by the world of Fables and would like to continue reading the series.
I tale I was reading was about Snow White and her sister Rose Red's death. It becomes a murder mystery in which the Big Bad Wolf (in human form) is a detective. Eventually the story leads to explaining that all of these characters lived in adjacent worlds until an evil threat destroyed all of their kingdoms. They now live secretly among the populous of New York City.
Not only did I really enjoy the concept of Fables, but I also appreciated the art style. Every illustration was really well done, in a fairly realistic style. The muted color palette used was appealing to me. The use of ornamental frames to outline certain scenes is a nice break from the traditional rectangular paneling.
Overall I am intrigued by the world of Fables and would like to continue reading the series.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sin City
This week I read Frank Miller's Sin City. I came into reading this, being well versed in the movie (which I now see is remarkably similar). Unusually I found that I liked the graphic novel less than the movie, though I only read episode 1-13.
The story of episode 1-13, is not anything remarkable or incredibly compelling. Basically Marv has a night with a very attractive prostitute, wakes up and she is dead. He had fallen for her so this sets him off causing him to seek vengeance. He proceeds to kill his way up through the leagues of scum of Sin City. This eventually leads him to uncovering a scandal between the most powerful man in Sin City and a deranged adopted maniac who eats hookers, and eventually to him taking the fall for it all and death.
The artwork is what makes Sin City unusual. Its the highest of contrast, black and white. Stark white and black. Sometimes there is line work, but most of the time the comic is rendered in large shapes of black and white. This is interesting because I find all the characters have a lot of gray area about them. There is no truly good it seems. Though I respect this style, and know that its really hard to do, it feels like it falls on its face sometimes. I found some of the frames kind of hard to interpret. On the flip side, when the style happens in the right way its awesome.
Recalling the movie, this style worked really well and it was vastly different then everything else. Just like the movie the whites come out looking like really bright amorphous light. I like that aspect.
The most interesting aspect of the style to me was the switching between what is black and what is white. The fact is it is not really based on natural light, it is completely design based it seems. Some dark things are white, and some bright things are black. I like that aspect of the style as a designer. The first few panels are interesting to me because of the fact that the characters are silhouettes in a white empty space. It was overall an interesting decision, and I'd like to know more about why he made it.
Overall, the comic wasn't really my favorite. I respect the style, however I found it kind of unrewarding. The story just wasn't that appealing to me. The entire thing I feel was mostly eye candy, and violence for the sake of it. Entertaining somewhat but not fulfilling.
The story of episode 1-13, is not anything remarkable or incredibly compelling. Basically Marv has a night with a very attractive prostitute, wakes up and she is dead. He had fallen for her so this sets him off causing him to seek vengeance. He proceeds to kill his way up through the leagues of scum of Sin City. This eventually leads him to uncovering a scandal between the most powerful man in Sin City and a deranged adopted maniac who eats hookers, and eventually to him taking the fall for it all and death.
The artwork is what makes Sin City unusual. Its the highest of contrast, black and white. Stark white and black. Sometimes there is line work, but most of the time the comic is rendered in large shapes of black and white. This is interesting because I find all the characters have a lot of gray area about them. There is no truly good it seems. Though I respect this style, and know that its really hard to do, it feels like it falls on its face sometimes. I found some of the frames kind of hard to interpret. On the flip side, when the style happens in the right way its awesome.
Recalling the movie, this style worked really well and it was vastly different then everything else. Just like the movie the whites come out looking like really bright amorphous light. I like that aspect.
The most interesting aspect of the style to me was the switching between what is black and what is white. The fact is it is not really based on natural light, it is completely design based it seems. Some dark things are white, and some bright things are black. I like that aspect of the style as a designer. The first few panels are interesting to me because of the fact that the characters are silhouettes in a white empty space. It was overall an interesting decision, and I'd like to know more about why he made it.
Overall, the comic wasn't really my favorite. I respect the style, however I found it kind of unrewarding. The story just wasn't that appealing to me. The entire thing I feel was mostly eye candy, and violence for the sake of it. Entertaining somewhat but not fulfilling.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Promethea
At first glance I wasn't sure I would enjoy Alan Moore's Promethea. I found the story to be really strange, but in a good way. It was really unique. I guess maybe that is the key, to make something so strange that it is completely original. I only read the first three volumes so I don't know where the story is going, however I am compelled to read more and find out.
Something that struck me immediately was the art, and the paneling. I felt like the paneling was really unconventional and interesting. I particularly like the style of a scene from the 3rd volume. All the panels occurred in layers, like rings in a tree trunk or something.
I also really enjoyed the art work done on the outsides of the panels. Overall as a designer I could really appreciate it.
I felt really inspired by the unconventional panels and the art work around the panels. Not to mention that the illustration of the comic is very well done and well colored. I actually don't usually like this comic style. I don't know how to explain it, and I am not sure what it is called. It seems like a very contemporary style of coloring and illustration and I never really liked it. Maybe I had blocked myself from reading comics in this style in the past. But as I read this I started to like the style. So either the artist was just incredibly good at it, or I acquired a taste for it.
Back to the story of Promethia, I have never read anything like it. It is a comic that seems completely aware of itself. The very fact that the hero is completely created by myth and imagination is really interesting. The story seems to have a little of everything. Funny futuristic 1999, Ancient Gods, Egyptian themes, demons, a Weeping Gorilla comic within a comic, and even fairy tale characters. I'm not sure how the story progresses yet, but I feel it has the possibility of being endless considering that the character of Promethia is passed on from person to person.
Overall I'm compelled, and would like to keep reading it!
Something that struck me immediately was the art, and the paneling. I felt like the paneling was really unconventional and interesting. I particularly like the style of a scene from the 3rd volume. All the panels occurred in layers, like rings in a tree trunk or something.
I felt really inspired by the unconventional panels and the art work around the panels. Not to mention that the illustration of the comic is very well done and well colored. I actually don't usually like this comic style. I don't know how to explain it, and I am not sure what it is called. It seems like a very contemporary style of coloring and illustration and I never really liked it. Maybe I had blocked myself from reading comics in this style in the past. But as I read this I started to like the style. So either the artist was just incredibly good at it, or I acquired a taste for it.
Back to the story of Promethia, I have never read anything like it. It is a comic that seems completely aware of itself. The very fact that the hero is completely created by myth and imagination is really interesting. The story seems to have a little of everything. Funny futuristic 1999, Ancient Gods, Egyptian themes, demons, a Weeping Gorilla comic within a comic, and even fairy tale characters. I'm not sure how the story progresses yet, but I feel it has the possibility of being endless considering that the character of Promethia is passed on from person to person.
Overall I'm compelled, and would like to keep reading it!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Entry 5 - Diary of a Dominatrix
For the Women comic writers section of class this week, I chose to read Molly Kiely's Diary of a Dominatrix. This was a really different choice for me, I've never read anything like it, and I've never been interested in fetishes or masochism. I've also never really read any erotica type comic. Though I don't really see this work as something someone would read for pleasure.
So first off I'd have to say this work is out of my comfort range, and maybe that was a good thing. However I didn't really find it that interesting or entertaining. I found some parts really disturbing and uncomfortable. Most specifically was the depiction of a home done vasectomy.
What I did like about this comic was its simplicity, and occasional humor. The story isn't complicated at all. There really isn't much of a plot, it is merely a series of events in the life of a dominatrix. As well as an explanation of details of a Dominatrix's life. When I say details, I really mean it too! Tools and procedures are outlined to their fullest extent. Things I never really new that existed as methods of "pleasure".
Overall I think it's sometimes good to step out of your area of comfort. I'm not opposed to sex or even dominatrix fetishes; however dominatrix fetish and masochism make me uncomfortable. There were a ton of images in that comic that just as a male made me cringe. Somehow Kiely does a good job of a pulling back after making you cringe and enjoying some light humor. My favorite part of the comic is when Zelda (the Dominatrix) tortures a client by putting him in an isolation mask and making him listen to Kiss. I found myself laughing at that to be honest. She says at the end of the scene "When we next meet–you will recite...forwards, backwards, and in Pig-Latin...Every song." I think the thought of Kiss as torture is pretty funny.
So first off I'd have to say this work is out of my comfort range, and maybe that was a good thing. However I didn't really find it that interesting or entertaining. I found some parts really disturbing and uncomfortable. Most specifically was the depiction of a home done vasectomy.
What I did like about this comic was its simplicity, and occasional humor. The story isn't complicated at all. There really isn't much of a plot, it is merely a series of events in the life of a dominatrix. As well as an explanation of details of a Dominatrix's life. When I say details, I really mean it too! Tools and procedures are outlined to their fullest extent. Things I never really new that existed as methods of "pleasure".
Overall I think it's sometimes good to step out of your area of comfort. I'm not opposed to sex or even dominatrix fetishes; however dominatrix fetish and masochism make me uncomfortable. There were a ton of images in that comic that just as a male made me cringe. Somehow Kiely does a good job of a pulling back after making you cringe and enjoying some light humor. My favorite part of the comic is when Zelda (the Dominatrix) tortures a client by putting him in an isolation mask and making him listen to Kiss. I found myself laughing at that to be honest. She says at the end of the scene "When we next meet–you will recite...forwards, backwards, and in Pig-Latin...Every song." I think the thought of Kiss as torture is pretty funny.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Entry 4 - Battle Angel Alita
This week for the manga section of the class I chose to read Battle Angel Alita: Last Order. The manga is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi story set in a barren dessert. Robots and cyborgs amongst humans is very common. This in fact seems to be a theme throughout the manga; the difference between humans, cyborgs, and robots. Gally, the main character, has an interaction with a group of humans she finds. The group asks her to save them from a robot, but calls her cyborg and gives her commands as if she is purely machine. She corrects them by saying that she is not a robot she is a cyborg, and considers herself human. She feels and thinks and has a brain.
The manga itself is very well rendered and I enjoy the illustrations and style. There is definate violent aspect to the comic. There is a lot of blood, decapitation, and viscera. And its quite detailed. I don't especially like or dislike that factor, it just really makes a lot of it intense. It can be somewhat disgusting, but I feel like its really part of the style. There is a sense of cruelty expressed by many of the characters. For instance one of the most poignant, but beautiful scenes is Gally's first memory as a girl being told to walk to a crashed space ship through a mine feild. However she is hurt and cannot walk there, so another cyborg girl, Erica helps her. They walk many steps and some how make it, but are then saved by a cyborg soldier. However the walk there is very well emotionally expressed. My favorite part is near the end of the walk when they realize they will probably die. Erica tells Yoko (Gally) that they should look at the sky when they walk so they will go to heaven.
They only thing I don't really like about the manga is that sometimes it is hard to understand. A lot of scientist theoretical talk, kind of sometimes comes across as babble. The story also seems sort of vague in many ways.
The fighting sequences are really greatly illustrated. I like the style, and how well the dynamics of motion are portrated. It can be confusing to look at, but also very fluid. You can look at the frames for the fights for a really long time because many times they are showing a lot of stuff in one scene.
Overall I really enjoyed this manga.
The manga itself is very well rendered and I enjoy the illustrations and style. There is definate violent aspect to the comic. There is a lot of blood, decapitation, and viscera. And its quite detailed. I don't especially like or dislike that factor, it just really makes a lot of it intense. It can be somewhat disgusting, but I feel like its really part of the style. There is a sense of cruelty expressed by many of the characters. For instance one of the most poignant, but beautiful scenes is Gally's first memory as a girl being told to walk to a crashed space ship through a mine feild. However she is hurt and cannot walk there, so another cyborg girl, Erica helps her. They walk many steps and some how make it, but are then saved by a cyborg soldier. However the walk there is very well emotionally expressed. My favorite part is near the end of the walk when they realize they will probably die. Erica tells Yoko (Gally) that they should look at the sky when they walk so they will go to heaven.
They only thing I don't really like about the manga is that sometimes it is hard to understand. A lot of scientist theoretical talk, kind of sometimes comes across as babble. The story also seems sort of vague in many ways.
The fighting sequences are really greatly illustrated. I like the style, and how well the dynamics of motion are portrated. It can be confusing to look at, but also very fluid. You can look at the frames for the fights for a really long time because many times they are showing a lot of stuff in one scene.
Overall I really enjoyed this manga.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Entry 3 - Blankets
There is a lot to like about Craig Thompson's Blankets. Most primary the first thing that really attracted me was the style of the artwork. I have always really enjoyed black and white comics in particular. I really like Thompson's line quality and his very iconic characters. The way Craig portrays himself in the comic is very simple and relatable.
The excellent art of course only helps drive a very simple and real story. Everything is so well articulated through the actions and emotions of the characters, the use of wordless frames, and the skillful way Thompson shows time passing.
The story seems infinitely relatable. I just feel like everyone has been somewhere along the lines of where he is in their life. Everyone has longed for someone, who perhaps returned the feelings but could not commit. Everyone has felt out of place, everyone has either had that crazy family or known that crazy family.
Aspects of the story that you may not be able to relate to as well are still equally articulated. I for one have never had an internal religious struggle. I feel however completely empathetic towards the situation, because Thompson relates what it feels like so well.
I feel the closing line of the comic sums up its overall theme very well. Temporality is very confusing, but sometimes satisfying. This work really got me thinking about a current situation that is very personal. The ending not only made me let out a heavy sigh, it made me sad. However it was really good. Even when things seems to be set up perfectly, they don't always flow together in the correct manner. Just like with Craig and Raina's relationship. I have learned very recently that things are not always so easy or simple even if feelings are mutual. Blankets only served to reinforce this discovery in my mind.
Overall Blankets, though unusually long for a graphic novel, was a fairly quick read. The story moves really steadily and keeps you interested. You tend to find yourself getting lost in it and reading a couple hundred pages in a pretty short amount of time. I'm not sure exactly how Thompson does it, but he did it that's for sure.
The excellent art of course only helps drive a very simple and real story. Everything is so well articulated through the actions and emotions of the characters, the use of wordless frames, and the skillful way Thompson shows time passing.
The story seems infinitely relatable. I just feel like everyone has been somewhere along the lines of where he is in their life. Everyone has longed for someone, who perhaps returned the feelings but could not commit. Everyone has felt out of place, everyone has either had that crazy family or known that crazy family.
Aspects of the story that you may not be able to relate to as well are still equally articulated. I for one have never had an internal religious struggle. I feel however completely empathetic towards the situation, because Thompson relates what it feels like so well.
I feel the closing line of the comic sums up its overall theme very well. Temporality is very confusing, but sometimes satisfying. This work really got me thinking about a current situation that is very personal. The ending not only made me let out a heavy sigh, it made me sad. However it was really good. Even when things seems to be set up perfectly, they don't always flow together in the correct manner. Just like with Craig and Raina's relationship. I have learned very recently that things are not always so easy or simple even if feelings are mutual. Blankets only served to reinforce this discovery in my mind.
Overall Blankets, though unusually long for a graphic novel, was a fairly quick read. The story moves really steadily and keeps you interested. You tend to find yourself getting lost in it and reading a couple hundred pages in a pretty short amount of time. I'm not sure exactly how Thompson does it, but he did it that's for sure.
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