Week 14: Octopus Pie

Hi! We have finally reached the conclusion of the comic class! We talked about the future of comics, such as webcomics and anime-influenced cartoons. Nowadays, since almost everyone is exposed to manga and anime, it is very common to see their influence show in Western cartoons and comics such as Avatar, Steven Universe, etc. I like to call their style hybrid.

Anyway, I haven't been following many web comics before, so it's actually refreshing to read them this time. I started reading Octopus Pie, and so far, I am really enjoying it! The main character, Eve, is easy to relate to. She's in her early twenties, lives away from her parents, and serious. She reminded me of  myself. Meanwhile, her  roommate, Hanna, is a complete opposite of Eve. She's a druggie, easy-going, quick-tempered, and impulsive. Their clashing personalities brings a lot of tension to the table, but deep down, they appreciate each other's companies. There is something satisfying about seeing their friendship blossom.

The nice thing about webcomic is the instant gratification I get when I read the punchline. Almost each page has some kind of punchline that either encourages us to read the next page, or leaves us snickering at the irony of the situation. In Octopus Pie, each page often help lead us to the next page at a relaxed and comfortable pace. It doesn't force us, things just fall in place. Which is why this webcomic is fun and easy to read!

Speaking of the future of comics, web comics are not that new. However, the Japanese has found new ways to enhance the online experience. For example, there is an ecchi manga series that often include fanservice like panty-shots, bouncing boobies, and everything sexy. The online version of the manga is interactive, so the readers can click at designated areas to trigger some kind of reactions and animations. For example, clicking on a character's hair will make it flutter, while clicking on her chest will make her shirt button to pop, and reveal her jiggling cleavage. Please don't judge me for doing that, I was simply curious! :). I can't post the link to the manga, but I am sure that there will be more to come.

All in all, I can see greater interactivity when it comes to reading comics in the future, and the line between watching and reading something will blur. Maybe, the only difference is pacing, where the reader can still pace their reading speed to their liking, unlike films. Cool!

Transmetrolopolitan!!

1) Are there any prominent symbols in the story? If so what are they and how are they used?

There are various symbols of consumerism in the story. They come in the forms of huge advertisement billboards and fashion accessories. It is easy to spot those things the moment Spider returned to the city. In contrast to his home up the mountain, the city is crammed with advertisements that encourage people to spend their money on sex, drugs, or beauty. On the other hand, the city inhabitants are mostly dressed in very loud outfits and tons of fashion accessories such as headphones, piercings, etc. In short, they are dressed in excess. By placing these symbols everywhere; in the cars, in the office, on the streets, we get a sense that everyone in the city is at the mercy of those things. The strange gadget that most people wear on their ears, and are connected to their neck, hints that they are at the mercy of an external force.

2) What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you are able to connect.

Honestly, the story and characters did not appeal too much to me, but I can definitely connect with the need to consume. Surprisingly, I connect with the man who works in the toll gate. In that cramped toll room, we can see miniature car figurines on top of his computer screen. The first thing I thought was, "Hey, I used to spend my hard-earned money on overpriced anime plastic figurines!" Those plastic figurines are pretty useless, mostly meant to please the eyes (or for some other people, for self pleasure). They are very expensive and collect dust overtime. Yet, the moment my favorite characters are made into pretty figurines, my heart skips a beat and I immediately reach for my wallet. It's like an addiction!

3) What changes would you make to adapt the story to other medium? What medium would you use, what changes would you make.

I can see this working out as a movie, especially because of how much information are crammed within each frames. The chaotic nature of the city can be amplified through the use of sound and quick succession of cuts. I will definitely keep the graphic colors and grittiness of the comic intact. However, I will change the characters' clothing, just to keep them more up to date and relatable. 

Week 13: Fables

 

The Super Hero genre is something I don't read a lot, mostly because of my lack of interest in fighting-centric comics. On top of that, it's pretty hard to relate to those super buff superheroes performing those superhuman feats. Well, at least that's my impression of a stereotypical superhero anyway.

So this week, it's nice to see more variety in the superhero genre.... and I decided to read Fables because they have beautiful covers that are illustrated by James Jeans (and later by João Ruas)! Anyway, Fables is really cool as it reimagines what fairy tale characters will be like if they are to live among us. Who would have thought that Snow White can govern an entire town so well? And who would have thought that Bigby, the Big Bad Wolf, makes for a fine detective? It is very rewarding to spot familiar and beloved fairytale characters interact and solve their problems in a witty and satisfying way.

However, the most important thing is how different they are from the stereotypical superhero. Most, if not all of the Fables characters have some kind of power. Their powers are unique to their backstories, and it is just so cool to see Bigby transform into a giant wolf at will. The fact that we are already familiar with most of those characters' origins makes it easier to accept their super powers. Moreover, they also have issues like marriage, money and love, all while juggling their jobs and hiding their true identities. All in all, most of the human characters look just like any normal people. Unlike the stereotypical superheros that dress in spandex bodysuit and wears a cape, they dress like everyone, depending on which time period they live in. They are very easy to relate to.

I was invested in the story too, so I decided to go ahead and read all the way till volume 14 (Fables:Witches). And my, so many things happened!! Characters died, fell in love, had offsprings, betrayed one another, and became big damn heroes. The foreshadowing is done well too by slowly building us up towards the epic battle with The Adversaries. It's just so cool to see characters that I thought was good turn evil!

So, to sum up this rather messy blog entry, I just want to say that Fables is a cool twist of the typical superhero genre. It has familiar characters that I actually care about, and their evolution throughout the story excites me. The plot is imaginative and does a good job highlighting the characters powers and abilities. Yup, it's cool!

Week 12: Comics By Women

 

I have always liked reading/ watching stories told from a woman's perspective. Firstly, the female characters are relate able as they are often less idealized, physically or behaviorally than what we are used to seeing in the mainstream media. Secondly, those stories often highlight issues faced by women, such as balancing work, household, sexuality, ambition, social expectations, and the list goes on. The female characters are not portrayed as shallow beings who serve as some kind of token, trophy, or sex objects. What those female authors and artists do is to show us, surprise surprise, that women are just as human as men.

With that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised by how This One Summer exceeded my expectations. For a start, we see girls and women with varied body shapes, some can even be considered not ideal by some society's standard. Yet the characters seldom commented on their physical appearances, and the story does not revolve around that. Unlike many stories that emphasize on women dreaming about having the "perfect" body, Rose and Windy never took that too seriously. Sure, Rose is hinted to compare her body with Jenny's voluptuous figure. Also, both of them talked about the sizes of their breasts humorously. However, the book doesn't dwell too much into that. Instead, it concentrates on recreating the anxiety and naivety many girls felt as a teenager.

Rose went through a lot during that summer: Dealing with a gigantic tension between her parents, feeling emotionally isolated from her depressed mom, having a crush on a jerk who happened to impregnate a girl who secretly cheated on him, being uncomfortable around Windy's lesbian aunt, and discovering that her mom miscarried while swimming in the sea. That's some heavy stuff for a fifteen-year old to deal with! Thankfully my teenage years are not as dramatic. However, I can definitely relate to the vulnerability of liking someone and being lonely. Also, the nostalgia is strong during moments where Rose and Windy bond over horror-movies and swimming.
The point is, This One Summer is a graphic novel that is rich in sensory devices.

The art is lovely and expressive. Everything feels so organic and alive. Obviously influenced by manga and Spirited Away, many panels are dedicated to illustrate the scenery, mood, and atmosphere of summer. My favorite scene is when little Rose and her mother were swimming in the lake. The brush strokes delicately show the illusion of water that glides against their body, and bring us to the depth of the cold water in this particular panel:

Though I am not completely sure if being a woman has anything to do at all with the art-style, I wonder if it contributed to the gentleness and delicacy of the line quality found in This One Summer.

To wrap this up, I really enjoyed my experience of reading This One Summer despite what many people complain as a lack of story. I see no problem because it feels like a slice-of-life type of story, which I happen to like. There is also the revelation near the end about how Rose's mother lost the baby and her reason for disliking the sea, on top of the mini drama about Jenny's pregnancy. There are enough tension to keep the story going. Most importantly, the story focuses on Rose's and Windy's friendship; how it develops and how they show support for each other. The meat of the book is in the journey, and considering how vividly This One Summer captured those moments, this is a very nice read!

Week 11: Comics as Contemporary Literature

When I hear the word "contemporary", I think about edgy and new..... like a modern art. I also think about nontraditional narrative styles. As such, Sandman Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman fits the bill pretty damn well!

As written in my older blog post, I started reading The Sandman series. Sandman Endless Nights is like a spin-off that focuses on the Endless: Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delight/Delirium. Each chapters tell each of the Endless' stories and the art style shifts accordingly. While all of them are cool and beautiful on their own, the one that stood out for me was Despair's "15 Portraits of Despair."

 

It is crazy! Each page is filled with grotesque imagery of what despair looks like or feels like. How do you portray absolute pain, helplessness, loneliness, and regret? How do you portray something that slowly, but surely gnaws into your heart and mind? "15 Portraits of Despair" does just that. There is no fixed layout or structure in terms of paneling. They are spread or squeezed haphazardly, as if someone shook the entire page violently. Sometimes, the illustrations are somber and lonely, sometime they are filled with rage and confusion. The little amount of texts help bring some coherence and narrative to the chaos. However, upon reading them, they too only add to the sense of despair. While Despair's chapter is not as crazy/ confusing as Delirium's, Despair's is by far the most emotionally charged one. 

On the other hand, Destiny's, Death's Dream's, Destruction's, and Desire's stories follow a more conventional narrative style. I can see why, as their focus is more on their actions instead of the emotions that they inflict. For example, Desire's story tells of a woman who desired the most handsome man in her village, who happened to be a womanizer. After making a deal with a witch and seducing the man into marriage, she finally got what she desired. However, by doing so, she no longer desired for anything as strongly anymore. After her husband's death, her life passed by quickly and rather uneventfully, until she died quietly. I take it that without desire, there is no purpose and excitement in life. After all, desire is what pushes people into the extremes. Desire for money, power, love, peace, or anything at all, leads people to take action. As such, desire is probably one of the most important driving force behind people's life.

Sandman Endless Nights is an awesome read, and it gives a fun glimpse of the siblings' relationships long before the main story took place. Believe it or not, Dream used to be pretty fond of Desire, and we even got a glimpse of Delight before she turned into Delirium! It is also nice to see Destruction, as he seldom appeared. Lastly, it is always nice to see comic/ graphic novel artists explore different styles of narrative. When done right, the result is so satisfying and memorable. In addition, this experience is something that can't necessarily be felt while reading a novel.

Week 10: Manga

It's manga week! Finally! And since I have read most of Osamu Tesuka's works, I decided to read something more recent..... Sunny by Taiyo Matsumoto. Like many people, I discovered his works through Tekkonkinkreet. While I don't always relate to his edgy stories, Sunny is surprisingly down-to-earth. It is about children in a child-care house, dealing with growing up without parental love. While the main character is a white-haired deviant kid named Haruo, each chapter shifts between different characters' perspectives.

 

There is a prevailing sense of loneliness throughout the book. The children only get to meet their parents three times a year, and some of them don't even have parents anymore. Their parents are also either too busy, neglectful, or uncaring about the children. One of the girls, Megumi, found a dead cat floating on a river one day. She started crying because she was afraid that she would die alone, her death unknown to people, just like the cat. It is heartbreaking to see a child as young as her have such dark thoughts due to a lack of love.

Despite that, we get to see how those children and the care-takers show concern for each other. At first, I thought that the care-takers were cold, calculative, and stingy. But they actually care for the children discreetly by watching over them, and picking up signs of distress. There is also an invisible, unspoken bond between the children despite their daily conflicts. When one of the boys' baby brother went missing, everyone searched for him. Unexpectedly, the one who went the extra mile and found him was Taro, a man with Down Syndrome wearing only his underwear. For the longest time, he was singing gibberish and acting rather strange. However, he was actually watching over the children and understood his surroundings clearly. The more I learn about the characters, the more I realize that I am too quick to judge people from their first impressions.

The art in Sunny has the same rawness and vitality that is usually found in Taiyo Matsumoto's works. It captures the nostalgic mood of childhood and the vividness of children's imagination.

 

I spent my childhood in Japan, and everything felt very nostalgic. The wooden floor, the quiet town, the cramped and lively interior, and the hot blaring summer: the art captures those things spot-on.

I have currently only read the first book of Sunny, I definitely plan to continue reading the rest! I am curious about how those children's relationship will develop, and if any of them can find some kind of closure about their anxiety. On a more personal note, I realize that I tend to gravitate towards works that depict loneliness.... There is something comforting about watching characters deal with their loneliness.....

Week 9: World Comics

We have finally moved on to comics from all over the world! I read Asterix, Persepolis, and The Bellybuttons. In addition, I watched the French animated film called "The Illusionist." There is something very different about European comics/ animation as compared to American comics. They dare to poke fun at controversial topics and some of them can be very bizarre. Many of them are also very blunt when stating ugly facts and truths!

Speaking of blunt and controversial, The Bellybuttons knows how to hit where it hurts. The story centers around three high-school girls: Kind and naive Karine, glamorous and dumb Jenny, and affluent and devious Vicky. Jenny and Vicky are the hottest girls in school, while Karine is considered by many to be too tall and unattractive. Jenny and Vicky backstab each other, attempt to steal Karine' boyfriend, and insult Karine. Despite that, three of them somehow continue to stay together in this abusive relationship. They are frenemies!

Despite the seemingly shallow story at first, the comic explores some dark topics. For example, despite Jenny's dumbness and carefree personality, she came from an impoverished family whose father was absent, and her mother an alcoholic. In order to fuel Jenny's taste for luxury, Jenny would steal from shops as if it's nothing, something that even Vicky didn't agree to. Not to mention how Jenny treated animals as mere accessories, stealing a puppy simply because its fur color matches her shoes' color, and stupidly drag it to its death by tying its leash to a speeding motorcycle. Vicky on the other hand, suffered from an inferiority complex despite her beauty, wealth, and intelligence. Her older sister insulted Vicky on a daily basis, and her controlling parents always saw her as less than perfect. Once, Vicky fell from the third story and was hospitalized. Nobody cared enough to visit her, except Karine. Vicky realized that all the manipulating, back-stabbing, and selfishness left her all alone. Even the nicer character, Karine, was not without fault. There were moments when I honestly thought that her extreme naivety and unawareness caused her to be such an easy bullying target.

Really, even the side characters went through very dark moments, such as the most popular guy in school, John John. All the girls assumed that he was hot, but he always wore a helmet to hide his face. So far, I don't know how his face looks like, but according to Karine, it was very very disturbing. Also, when he got into a traffic accident and lost his awesome motorcycle as a result, the girls stopped liking him. Apparently, the reason why the girls loved him was because of his bike. Lastly, an ugly outcast named Murphy would manipulate Karine to love him, otherwise he would hang himself in the loo, or jump down a cliff. Eventually, he found a girlfriend whom he thought was even uglier than him, but used her as his sexual release. Just a reminder, they are only high-school kids.

From what I have read so far, I get the message that life is not fair and your looks can either help you are destroy you. Despite that, people do get what they deserve, as we all know that karma is a bi**h. Essentially, it also explains why some people like Jenny and Vicky felt the need to be so mean. It doesn't justify their actions, but merely states why. It is interesting and refreshing to see those characters and their thoughts being portrayed so clearly and bluntly! Also, the art is very appealing. It is fluid and the use of curves add vitality and sensuality to the characters. A very fun and engrossing read!

Week 8 : Stereotypes

There are different types of stereotypes. Race, age, cultural, professional, and gender stereotypes. This week, I decided to look into gender stereotypes, hence I read the Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. The mainstream media in general tends to portray gay and lesbian people in silly and disrespectful ways. How many times have they associated gays with pink, flamboyant outfits? And lesbians with super short haircuts and punk outfit? In reality, the physical distinctions are almost not noticeable (unless they choose to show it, of course!).

Fun Home offers a blunt approach in portraying gays and lesbians. The author, Alison Bechdel, is lesbian, and her dad is gay. At a glance, both of them looked very unassuming and act just like everyone. Alright, maybe not really. Her father was crazy about antiques, was a control freak, and had many affairs with young men throughout his marriage. He was also cold towards his children, arrogant, and very selfish in general. I loathed him for almost the entire book, but Alison's more sympathetic portrayal of him near the end redeemed him a little. Despite his harshness and aloofness, he respected Alison's interest in literature, and bonded surprisingly well with her later on. Alison's attempt at illustrating her rather unusual family brings an interesting perspective to how it might feel like to have a gay father.

On the other hand, Alison experienced a rather disturbing childhood. The absence of her father during his affairs, the tension between her father and mother, and Alison's own sexuality was a lot to take in for her younger self. Worse still, her father's sudden death meant that many loose strings were left; no closure regarding her father's wrongdoings and the loss of a close bond that she painstakingly built with him. I personally find it hard to understand what exactly was Alison's impressions about her father, since her descriptions of him swung from cynicism to respect. Throughout the book, I sense that she disapproved of her father's affairs, yet at the very last page of the book, as her child self is jumping into her father's arms, it's obvious that she still loved him. This very page also almost brought me to tears because of how evocative and sincere it was. After all the troubles her father brought upon himself (having multiple affairs, buying alcohol for an underage kid, etc....) she showed us that he was indeed still a father.

So, to tie this up with how the mainstream media portrays sexual stereotypes, Fun Home gives more depth and reasoning behind people's sexual orientations. It does not glamorize or condemn, it simply states that the absence of a father, paternal tension, and family divide are painful. Seeing her mother suffer through her husband's affairs, having her father die suddenly, and feeling isolated from the rest of the family probably drove Alison to write the book.

Admittedly, I didn't get most of the literally references found throughout the book, and nobody in the book is very like able. Most of them have that grumpy and dead-eyed look constantly, and Alison's narration feels aloof. Shocking revelations were stated in a matter-of-factly fashion, leaving little impact. I did have to force myself to finish reading this graphic novel. However, what helped motivate me was a desire for a sense of closure that Alison was searching for ever since her father's sudden demise. And the book did just that on the final page, and I am happy.

Week 7: Maus

 

I kept hearing good things about a graphic novel called Maus, by Art Spiegelman, and it always slipped my mind to read it. Thankfully, this class reminded me of Maus once again, and I finally got around to reading it! Well, all I can say now is that I am really grateful for the experience, and Maus is very well deserving of its praise.

Maus is a pivotal work that not only highlighted the struggles of the Jews during the Holocaust, but also showed the negative mental implications among the survivors long after the WW2 was over. Maus stood out because it neither tried to sugar-coat the tragedies of war, nor glorify the survivors of the Holocaust. As we can see, though Vladek was extremely resourceful and resilient, the major reason for his survival was through bribery and trickery. He bribed people with food or gold, and tricked his way through his temporary jobs as a shoe-repairer and tin-worker. In addition, Art didn't paint a very favorable depiction of Vladek even after the war was over, showing him to be anal retentive, racist, and stingy. But not all is lost here, as Vladek clearly cherished his son, Art, and still treasured Anja (albeit at the expense of Mala's sanity). In short, Art was not trying to say that his father survived the Holocaust because he was a good person. Yes, Vladek was very intelligent and strong, but he also had many flaws. He debunked many people's belief that only truly good people that deserve it survive the war. Nobody really knows.

What I appreciate about Maus is how it lets the readers be their own judge when it comes to deciding who is right or wrong. Although our impression will undoubtedly be affected by Art's portrayal of the characters as different animals (that Art admittedly, was pretty confused about), the effect is counter-balanced by how similar their bodies are. All of them have human bodies, roughly similar in size. Though the Germans looked more menacing, they did not tower over the Jews too much (this contrasts with how many artists tend to depict the bad guys as very large beings, physically). Art did not force his opinions; he tries to be as objective as possible by carefully stating the facts. And this allows us to reflect and connect with the story on a deeper level without being influenced too much by the narrator's personal opinions.

And that brings me to the next point: Art's choice of simplifying his drawing actually enhanced the readers' relationship with the characters. The art at a glance, looks minimalist and cute (I really, really think that the mouse and dog characters look adorable!) (Okay, maybe not everything in this book is cute, such as the scenes depicting massacre). Most of the time, the characters' faces were depicted with mere dots for the eyes, and simple mouths (The mouse characters don't even have mouths!) Yet, their emotions are clear and resonated with me. This reminds me of what McCloud said in his book "Understanding Comics" about simple looking characters. The simpler the characters are, the easier it is for the readers to relate and project themselves into the characters. That is probably why I felt Anja's despair as her face contorted in pain upon realizing that everyone from her family died. The same can be said when they were smiling with their eyes. I also believe that the simplified art made it more accessible to wider age range of audience. The book deals with very heavy subject matter about mass murder, cruelty and racism, and the approachable art helps acts as a balance. (This reminded me of how Persepolis presented heavy and sensitive topics through simplified art too).

Lastly, I learned in class that Maus was one of the first few graphic novels that was widely acclaimed and accepted by the academics. It proved that comics are for adults too, and really, any kind of stories can be told in that form. Growing up reading manga (many are obviously not kiddie friendly), I always found the misconception about comics being only for kids to be flabbergasting and downright sad. As such, I am grateful of Maus' widespread success (despite the artist's guilt about reaping success from the sacrifice of the millions of Holocaust victims) and hope to see more comic books/ graphic novels/ mangas in the schools' reading list and treated with less prejudice.

Week 6: Underground Comics

Wow! So, we read a bunch of bold and daring underground comics this week. As the name suggests, many of them were rampant with racism, sexism, and other politically inappropriate stuffs.... But they were fun anyway! I am kind of reminded of the Gekiga movement, because those artists wanted to differentiate adult comics from mainstream family-friendly ones. These underground comics pretty much tell us that anything really goes. We can tell any kind of stories in the form of comics because..... why not?

Anyway, I read  Girl Fight Comics, and (pardon my language) Tits and Clits. Both of them have female protagonists and both of them are about women doing whatever they want. Girl-and-girl relationships are common, and men are often portrayed as immoral and perverse, sometimes no more than a thing for sex. Moreover, they often portray single women finding ways to deal with their sexual needs. While the snippets of stories appeared to be rather nonsensical and self-indulgent, they are strangely liberating. I can only imagine that in those days, women had even less rights compared to now, and were expected to adhere to even more strict social conventions. As such, these kinds of underground comics that depict free-spirited women must have raised quite a lot of eyebrows back then. Maybe, it will still do the same even now, considering how regulated publications and medias are.

Back to the comics, while they are crudely drawn and direct, I enjoyed their honesty and sarcasm. These women are not modest nor righteous. They want money and sex, lots of them, sometimes while balancing their role as a mother and wife. Of course, I am not saying that all women are sex-crazed, money-hungry, and scheming people. It's just that it is generally more frowned upon when females display such behavior, as opposed to men doing the same. These strong sense of anger and hunger for freedom are probably the driving force behind many underground comics artists. They want people to listen, and one way to do that is to amp up the shock value.

Though to be fair, as I read other underground comics, some of them appear to be crude for the sake of being crude. No real statement or message, just to shock and offend people with blatant sexism and racism. But then again, there is really nothing wrong with that because the readers have the choice to either not read them, or to be offended. The important thing is how underground comics created more diversity in the area, and how it dispelled many people's assumption that comics are for kids. Without the underground comics movement, it is hard to imagine the existence of edgier and grittier graphic novels that we get to enjoy now.

Week 5: Blankets by Craig Thompson

Hi! I read Blankets today, and yeah... it was a fun!

First of all, I really love Craig Thompson's spontaneous art. He drew the characters' body, face, and clothing tightly and neatly, yet he depicted their hair with rougher brush strokes (especially when the characters are in motion). The background art is equally expressive and atmospheric. The snow and wind, and trees, for example, seem to have a life of their own. My favorite panes are from the moment when Craig and his girlfriend are laying on the snow, and watching the snow flakes fall.

He captured the visual sensation of being overwhelmed by the millions of falling snow flakes perfectly, and created a surreal and serene atmosphere. Cool! It's as if I was there, up in the snowy hill!

Moving on to the content, the story feels very slice-of-life and coming to age. The events surrounding Craig's traumatizing childhood and painful adolescence periods crisscross one another, similar to the way our memories jump from one scene to another. This allows for a more unique pacing and helps us to understand the real implications behind his childhood memories. Moreover, some events are revisited (such as the ones about the caretaker and the scary dark room that his brother was forced to sleep in). They appeared to be a one-off type of event, however, they turned out to have influenced Craig's perception of growing up and deepened his sense of guilt.

Speaking of guilt, religion is a major theme in Blankets. Craig grew in a strictly religious town and household that condemned sex and being "different." He was guilt-ridden by his desire for Raina's body, for drawing a nude woman as a child, and for disobeying much of the religion's teachings. Though he didn't really find much closure at the end of the book (he couldn't tell his parents that he was no longer religious), he sounded pretty comfortable about himself. I believe that he was trying to say that one doesn't have to be imposed by religion, especially if he/she doesn't agree with the teachings. Being a devout follower in the said religion also does not automatically turn people into saints. After all, he witnessed so much ugliness and contradictions from the so-called religious people; many of whom have a mightier-than-thou attitude. 

Lastly, he portrayed his short-lived relationship with Raina wonderfully. There is a sense of visual rhythm during his happier moments with her; the generous use of curves, decorative designs, and nonrestrictive panels that flow like music. His life felt whole as he was embraced by her presence, and yes, we can tell that he was really happy. All of this contrasted nicely with the more angular panels and desolate background art after his breakup. He was lonely.

I can go on about this wonderfully illustrated graphic novel that is full of feels, but I guess I will have to go back to do work!

Extra Reading 2: A Drifting Life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi

 

I finally finished reading this massive autobiography of influential artist, Yoshihiro Tatsumi, and I am left with a tinge of sadness at how it ended. In a very Japanese-like fashion, the book wrapped up quietly without overstating things. Yet I feel strangely encouraged as he showed us that while dreams and passion fade over time, not all hope is lost if one continues to struggle and make sacrifices. Something is bound to come out from it, and in Tatsumi's case, he became the man who started the Gekiga moevement.  

I haven't read many Gekigas, the only ones I read are Drifting Life, The Push Man, MW and a few chapters of Samurai Executioner. However, I have read many adult-oriented mangas out there, which aren't strictly labelled as Gekiga, but were influenced by the Gekiga movement. What I enjoy about those mangas is how they don't pretend that life is full of roses. Yes, it is unpleasant, but as I see the characters struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel, my heart burns with excitement. That being said, I don't always relate to stories that revolve around male angst, or extremely gritty art style. Thankfully, A Drifting Life is easy to read, thanks to Tatsumi's approachable and appealing art. 

Perhaps, the most enjoyable portion of this emotional autobiography is around the beginning, where we get a peek of Tatsumi's family dynamics and his tireless pursuit of his dream. Tatsumi's brother, Okimasa, who hurt Tatsumi several times in fit of jealousy, grew to become the most supportive of Tatsumi's career as a manga artist. Their seemingly unfriendly mother turned out to be just like many other mothers, worrying about their children's well-being. Even their grumpy father, who had affairs and got himself in deep trouble financially, learned to carry on with life and supported the family. These human aspects connected with me the most, as compared to the hectic days of Tatsumi's adulthood later on in the book. 

Despite that, I did learn about how Gekiga came to be, how the events in Japan after WW2 influenced ordinary people, and how much Disney, American comics and films gave inspiration to the manga artists. Most importantly, I was mind-blown by the amount of work he and his friends churned out every month in order to meet the demands from several publishers. It puts my productivity to shame....but at the same time, that shows what it takes to be truly good at something.

That being said, A Drifting Life is an engrossing read (I could not stop reading it even while working on Thesis!) and one is bound to be reminded of their dreams and ambitions as he/she trudges along with Tatsumi through his struggle.

Extra Reading 1: The Sandman 1 by Neil Gaiman

 

I am pretty late into the game, but I finally read The Sandman (the first book)! My, it was dark, disturbing, yet enjoyable. At this point, I still barely know anything about Dream as a character. All I know is he is the one bringing dreams to people, and has immense power that goes beyond realms. Oh, he also has very stylish hair. Yet he spent most of the first book trying to retrieve the very power he was robbed of, and we learn the ugliness of humanity in the process.

This edgy graphic novel doesn't skimp on depicting human's carnal desires and sense of hopelessness. The wife of a seemingly happy couple desired to once again sleep with a dead body, as she once did at a mortuary under the influence of alcohol. A maniac on the run gained his hostage and the readers' trust, leading us to believe that he had been wrongfully prosecuted, only to betray us by shooting his kindhearted hostage at point-blank range once she served her purpose. A comatose girl who was asleep for decades finally woke up, never knowing that she had been violated and lost her baby in the process. Reading these shocking and dreadful portrayals made me pause and wonder if all hope is lost in humanity. Yet the story carried on, leaving me little time to despair. What I learned from this is that everyone have deep-dark desires that are usually not apparent when viewed from the surface.

Despite the dark overtone, there are some lighthearted moments too. My favorite example being Dream's showdown with Chronzon. In this battle of wits, Dream won by stating that hope is the most powerful of all, even more so than the end of the worlds. After all, what is life without hope? People dream of their ideal lives, and it is their hope of fulfilling those dreams that gives them purpose of life. To hope is to dream. 

I will definitely continue to read The Sandman, and see how the story develops! 

Week 4: Comic Books

Hi!! We finally reached a point where comics strips become comic books! Who doesn't love reading comics in the book form? It definitely helps with the flow of the story, and allows for longer and more epic tales. Anyway, I read two titles, one of them is from the Uncle Scrooge series, and the other one is "Barbie and Ken (1962)" (I didn't expect to find this one there!). 

"Uncle Scrooge, Land of the Pygmy Indians" is a blast from the past. I used to read Uncle Scrooge during elementary school (albeit the newer editions), and am pretty surprised that nothing much really changed. Uncle Scrooge is still despicably greedy, while Donald, Louie, Dewey, and Huey are still being dragged into Uncle Scrooge's quest for more riches. However, the newer ones have more dynamic paneling. Land of the Pygmy Indians has standard rectangular panels and pretty even pacing. Despite that, the art is appealing and expressive (the animals are really cute too!). A fun read overall.

Now, what really blew my mind is Barbie and Ken. I was mind blown by how idealized Barbie and Ken were, in terms of appearance, career, and lifestyle. Those little girls in the story boasted excitedly about how lucky and thrilling it was to spend their time with Barbie and Ken. They gushed over their perfect appearance, glamorous lifestyle, and well, just how flawless they are. While I am aware that this books is obviously meant to promote the dolls, suggesting to young girls and boys that buying the dolls is the coolest thing ever, I wonder if the same method will still work today.....(It is very probable that they will rise the ire of feminists all over the world).

However, I guess, the power of suggestion is still very apparent in today's advertisement, albeit repackaged in different ways. Toy companies like Hasbro commission studios to make cartoons, films, and game adaptations of their characters. They put the characters in engaging tales, suggesting that buying their merchandise is akin to experiencing those adventures. Children's brain is rich with imagination, hence it is logical for toy companies to use that as a bridge between the children and their products. What's more, that's how advertisements work for almost everything else, including those targeted for adults. Japan is especially good with personifying their products into cute/handsome characters and giving them relate able backstories so as to entice the customers into buying them. (Read about it here!)

Week 3:Little Nemo in the Palace of Ice by Windsor McCay

Hi! This week, I read Little Nemo in the Palace of Ice, by Windsor McCay. He is someone most of us know, because he is a pioneer in animation. Also, he is well known for his charming and whimsical art style, reminiscent of Art Nouveau .

Speaking of whimsy, Little Nemo in Slumberland is full of that. First of all, Little Nemo's adventures are set in his dreams, and that naturally gives rise to strange characters and settings. Moreover, it jumps from place to place often, disorienting the reader. After all, that's how most dreams are like; flashing between scene to scene. Anyway, back to the Palace of Ice, it is interesting to note that every panels is drawn in third person view. The readers are mere observers to Nemo and his friends' antics. While this technique certainly gives clarity to what is happening, it also feels emotionally distant. Flick and his new friend from the cannibal's island are constantly causing mischief and trouble, yet it is hard to fully experience the graveness of their act. We don't see close up shots of other characters' reactions, which usually help the readers to empathize with the characters immediately. 

Also absent are the sound effects like "WHAM!" "ZIP!" "SWOOSH!" "CRASH!!!" etc. There are so many things happening in each panels, many of which are meticulously illustrated, yet the world felt silent. I miss those sound effects in places where there is a huge impact. However, the silence works to its advantage during more mysterious moments, such as the part where the golden pillars from Morpheus' palace morphed into trees, and the red giants appear. It is surreal and eerie. Very nice.

One major hurdle for me while reading this was how crammed and tiny the written dialogues are. They are literally squashed in small speech bubbles, and made legibility difficult (especially painful for my sleep deprived brain)..... Whoops, looks like all I did was complain. But I am aware that Little Nemo is an early example of comic, therefore many other techniques which are commonly found in comics nowadays are absent. This goes to show how far the art of comic has come along. Little Nemo is charming and beautifully illustrated, with no shortage of fantastical settings. It is definitely a work of art and indispensable part of history...... Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I am less pressed for time, so that I can leisurely take in the scenery. Though, as the "Slumberland" in the title suggests, it is a great read before tucking in for the night. :)  

Week 2: Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

Hi! This week, we read "Understanding Comics" by Scott McCloud. What a great read! It manages to impart all the necessary information painlessly, while being inspirational at the same time (if only studying is this fun!). The very last part about how far each comic enthusiasts are willing to pursue the art is a good reminder about how like in many things in life, substance is everything. It also makes me wonder if I will ever be able to reach far enough to make any significant contribution in the great scheme of things.

That being said, McCloud explained that comics use different types of transitions between panels. Those transitions are:

1) Moment-to-moment
2) Action-to-action
3) Subject-to-subject
4) Scene-to-scene
5) Aspect-to-aspect
6) Non-sequitur

This is cool, because I have always wondered why Japanese manga and American comics felt so different, for reasons other than their art style. Turns out that the Japanese use more aspect-to-aspect transition, establishing the mood and atmosphere of the set, which often reflect the characters' state of mind. It is like breathing the air that the characters are breathing (Am I making any sense here? I guess not). On the other hand, action-to-action is more common in mainstream American comics. Not that it is a bad thing, but sometimes, I just want some room to breathe and not be bombarded by constant stream of dialogues and actions.

While being on the subject of aspect-to-aspect panel transitions, one of my favorite manga artists, Kiyohiko Kazuma (he did Yotsuba to! and Azumanga Daioh) did a wonderful job in portraying the mood and atmosphere of suburban Japan from the point of view of a child:

It is lacking in sound effects and colors, yet I can hear the tricking of the raindrops as they hit the concrete road, ceramic roof, and glass. Did you hear those grey clouds rumbling in the distance? Also, have you ever pressed your cheek against the cool, dry side of the windows' glass as the rain hits it from outside? I sure did........how nostalgic! Aspect-to-aspect transition can trigger powerful evocative memories, or immerse us, readers, into the wonderful world of sequential images.

Week 1: The Arrival by Shaun Tan

The Arrival, by Shaun Tan, is a masterpiece. I absolutely loved the breathtaking art, and its tale about struggling immigrants struck a chord in me. After all, I spent most of my life moving to several countries, and have experienced similar challenges as the protagonist. Putting that aside, I would like to talk about why The Arrival is a successful example of dialogue-less comic. Just like animated films without dialogue, there are some shared principles that many comics use too.

Firstly, there is clarity in action and emotion. It is easy to understand what the characters are doing or thinking, because of their gestures and facial expressions. We know that the protagonist is confused, as his back is bent forward, and there is a look of confusion in his face. In addition, the characters' silhouettes are clear. There are no distracting backgrounds, and Shaun Tan's mastery in creating visual contrast using value ensures that we see what is intended. 

Secondly, there are enough (or plenty) of panels that clearly show how the story unfold. In animated terms, I would say that there are enough "in-betweens." Moment-to-moment and action-to-action transitions make for the majority of the comic. For example, the very next moment when the protagonist landed on the new land, as many as six panels are dedicated to show him looking around and closing the door of the flying vehicle. It feels as though we are watching a movie, and it is in fact quite difficult to be clueless about what is happening.

Lastly, the story is relate able to many, and those with prior experience to migrating can grasp the situation quickly. Granted, readers who have zero knowledge in general history, and the struggles of the characters, might have a harder time understanding each actions and consequences. That is the reason why storytellers have to take advantage of the audiences' knowledge and expectations when trying to get their ideas across.

Overall, it mostly boils down to clarity, whether in depicting the characters' actions and emotions, or depicting additional information though the use of background. Let the actions tell, instead of words. Interestingly, there is still a hint of mystery in the story, such as the presence of the strange creatures. I am unsure of what exactly they are supposed to represent, or what they are. However, they do certainly add to the unfamiliarity faced by the protagonist in the new land.