Week 6: Underground Comics

So the Underground comics are super interesting. I was really impressed with their honesty and gritty, yet silly nature. I read some of the Tijuana Bibles and thought they were kinda cheesey (not that porn these days isn’t) but they’re still interesting because they’re historical and in comic form, which lends to their ridiculous nature.

I also read Gay Comix, and was really happy to see that they were honest, non-stereotypical stories written by ACTUAL gay people. I enjoy reading about LGBT characters and was a little shocked that these stories were being told back then. I mean, even today those kind of stories are not main stream. But I guess that’s what happens when people are just putting their stuff out there, regardless of what mainstream “acceptable” comics are doing.

Another thing I loved about these comics were women’s stories. The story in Tits and Clits about the woman who was paying men to have sex with her after misinterpreting a conversation about prostitution was hilarious. It communicates that women, despite what our culture seems to think, actually ENJOY sex. Who knew? I was also very impressed with the stories of lesbian relationships in Tits and Clits as well as Gay Comix. Thank GOD we weren’t subjected to yet another straight male lesbian fantasy that degrades and over-sexualizes the women involved. It was very refreshing.

As for Robert Crumb, I like reading about his experiences, but I still get a really creepy vibe from him. He obviously loves women, but he expresses it in ways that tend to make me uncomfortable. I think his art has something to do with it. He’s a skilled artist but I honestly think his art is gross-looking! I know he’s this huge amazing artist but that’s just how I feel!

All in all, I think the comics from this era are so important because they tell it like it is. They don’t sugarcoat anything and it captures a generation of people in a specific time in history. The stories being told are unique and represent real people, whether they be homosexual, women, drug-addicts, or all of the above. Power to the people. 

Week 5: Eisner & Thompson

Excerpt from a Naked Man comic. Very old. 

This is a little embarrassing, but when I was in high school my friend and I drew this comic called "Naked Man". Basically it was just some dumb text message story we had made up about a naked dude that runs around having sexual adventures with a boy at a Catholic school. We posted it on the internet and had a small following. One day, while showing a family member my work, my mom came across the webcomic. She approached me that night, in tears, asking me why I would ever want to "lead people astray" by writing a story that lets people think homosexuality is okay. And how did I know enough about sex to draw pictures of it? Why did I have to use swear words and take His name in vain? How did I think this makes God feel? I told her that we were just messing around, and it doesn't mean anything. As punishment she took away my tablet, keyboard, mouse, and watched me delete it from every site it was on. 

My mom is super Christian and I was raised that way too. But as with most kids that are pushed into a religion, I soon quietly rebelled. I'm not sure if I'm at the point where I can say I'm an atheist, but like Thompson, I think the part of me that used to believe is gone, or at least damaged. 

Reading Blankets is a really personal experience for me, because I can relate to much of what happens to Thompson. His upbringing especially. I went to church camp, I memorized bible verses, I sang the songs. The people were fake and the environment was cliquish and hostile. And a good deal of that contributed to my disdain for organized religion, and Thompson's as well. However, I didn't have the traumatic childhood that Thompson had, and so didn't have a fervent need for God in my life. Its rare to see someone that still holds on tightly to Christianity during their teenage years, and lets other people see it.

When I first read this story, I couldn't put it down. I thought Craig and Raina's relationship was so passionate and even thought they were good for each other. I remember being disappointed when he told her it was over. Upon my 5th or 6th reading of the book, I can see now that there was nothing there in the first place. She needed him for moral support and he needed to experience her. I think a lot of what he portrayed about Raina was idealized, like she was some beautiful, unknowable creature to be worshipped. When really, she was just a girl with a messed up family life that needed a shoulder to cry on. A friend. 

I could go on for a while about Blankets and Thompson's other work, but I'm going to stop here before I write and essay. 

Week 4: The Comic Book

I was shocked to learn about the censorship of comics. Out of all the media that should be censored, comics? Really? Probably one of the most harmless mediums possible. God forbid the children enjoy reading something. Speaking of which, the notion that comics are meant for children in the first place is strange. I think of them as for all ages, although some should definitely be labeled as "for adults" (like that ever stopped anyone). Nowadays, there are comics for every age, every genre and every walk of life. However, I find that most people (non-art school people) still think that comics are for children and shouldn't be taken seriously. Or if they’re Japanese comics, then they think its just porn.

I mostly read Carl Barks' duck comics. I loved them. I can see that they’re clean and simple and aimed at kids but honestly anyone with a sense of humor can enjoy these comics. They're hilarious, charming, and just plain entertaining. Even if they're just ducks. The same goes for Tin Tin, which is really pretty intriguing and exciting. The art is elegant and colorful, and suits the story perfectly.

Superhero comics…are not my cup of tea. I think a lot of it has to do with my hate for Marvel and DC comics, but I find them to be pretty dull. I didn’t get a look at many of them since a lot of the links were broken, but I’ll admit I’m not too crazy about them anyway. 

Week 3: Newspaper Comics

My experience with newspaper comics is a bit limited, but I've always liked Zits and Get Fuzzy. I think Little Nemo and Krazy Kat are MUCH different though. I can't really imagine them being in a newspaper, they seem like they belong in books. Speaking of Krazy Kat, it was Krazy. I could not understand what the hell was happening in half of the stories, and the speech was super bizarre and was really hard (but fun) to sort out. But despite all that, they were somehow charming and cute, even if the drawings were pretty scraggly. Something I was wondering about though, Krazy and Ignatz are both guys? Right? I mean, who knows, but I saw that Krazy was referred to as a he and thought that was interesting. 

I’ve always liked the Little Nemo comics since we studied them in Art History class. I think they’re really simple and funny and so colorful! I can see this being more of a newspaper comic than Krazy Kat, but it still seems really high quality by today’s standards for a weekly newspaper.

I love Peanuts, its everything a newspaper comic should be. Its cute, hilarious, and is humble about its own greatness. All the characters are different and iconic in their own way, and come together to play off each other’s differences to great comedic effect. My family and I always watch the movies at Halloween and Christmas and laugh the whole time. Whenever I get a newspaper, this is one of the strips I’m glad to see is still around. Although I feel like they’ve gotten a little less funny.

Calvin and Hobbes is something I’ve always wanted to read, but for some reason, never get around to it. Including this time! I’ll have to try harder to get a read on that. I know everyone loves it and it looks super cute and fun. Another day!

Week 2: Scott McCloud: Understanding Comics

As someone who has a special place in their heart for comics, Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics is the best tool I can think of for teaching others, and yourself, the reason why comics (or the graphic novel) are important and compelling. I've always known that I love comics, but reading this book helps me understand why I love them, and provides further proof that this is a high art form and is intended for all audiences in all walks of life. And I think it gives comics enthusiasts, artists, and writers the articulated ideas they need to explain comics to people who haven’t yet experienced them.

The discussion I found most interesting was about how we perceive ourselves in our minds compared to how others see us, and how we can accept a simplified versions of ourselves and even gain more insight into the thoughts and feelings of these abstractions despite their simplicity. 

I was reminded of a show on Disney Channel that I watched when I was in elementary school called Lizzie McGuire, about a 13-year old girl’s life and times. One of the things I really liked about the show was the animated alter-ego of Lizzie that would come on screen so we could experience her inner thoughts about a situation she’s in. Literally, it was the little voice in her head, the concept that Lizzie has of herself. This cartoon character was very simple, just some lines and shapes. Yet it represented her true self, and the feelings and emotions she doesn’t necessarily show to others.

I think all of us have this little cartoon version of ourselves that we see in our heads as we go about our day, but I hadn’t read anything that discussed this phenomenon until Understanding Comics. When McCloud talks about seeing yourself in cartoon characters as opposed to more realistic images, I start to see what makes them so appealing to me, and others. It makes it easier to accept and experience any kind of world that is presented to us. The simplicity of a cartoon becomes a vehicle for the messages a story is trying to convey to an audience. Very cool!

Week 1: Shaun Tan's The Arrival

I read Shaun Tan's The Arrival, and having read some of his other works (ones with words) and was really surprised at how different it was from things like The Red Tree or The Rabbits. The artwork in the other stories I've read have been geared more towards children/all ages and accompanied by simple text. 

The Arrival was definitely more serious than the aforementioned stories, and part of that is due to the lack of words and the effect it creates. The story reads more like a storyboard for animation, or a shot-by-shot breakdown of a scene in a film. The action is usually clear about what’s going on in the story, but without accompanying narration it can be a bit of puzzle to try and understand what Tan is trying to convey to the audience.

On the bright side of that, it requires the reader to spend more time with the illustrations, searching for meaning in the images rather than reading and understanding, then moving on to the next panel. I also found the scale of the “panels” to be useful in determining which was the most important information, and which were meant to be read more quickly, or at which speed the events were taking place. I also found his use of the slight color variation, (cold grays, warm grays, sepia) to describe emotions, time of day, and even past and present very clever and successful.

After reading his other stories like The Red Tree and The Rabbits, it was interesting to see him do something more sequential than large illustrations, with a more serious tone than The Lost Thing (another story of his that features paneling and text). The lack of words did not hinder the story and if anything just encourages a second read and a closer look at how you’re interpreting the information.

I enjoy wordless narratives from time to time but am usually worried about whether my interpretation of the story is the right one, or if the author’s intent was totally lost on me. But I think stories like these are meant to be up to the reader’s interpretation, which is pretty cool. It must be interesting as an author to hear what other people got out of the story.