Contemporary Comics

I did the reading of Asterios Polyp a fantastic little graphic novel, a bit of slice of life and remembrance. It was interesting to see Asterios move from being a complete narcissistic asshole, to a thoughtful and a person willing to open up to other people. It comes about when his wife leaves him and his apartment catches fire and he decides to leave everything behind and begin anew. In this he is force to reflect on the man he’s become. Which happens to everyone at some point in their live, we have to have the ability to reflect upon ourselves to truly see how we can move forward and better ourselves. The comic really moves in that way, bits and pieces come up from his life that he reflects upon and his dead brother, who is our narrator, tells us his own thoughts. The use of the dead twin is really quite interesting, it really makes me think its more of the man Asterios has yet to become, because he hasn’t broken down his own barriers yet. And once he begins to you here less and less from his dead twin. Once Asterios has completely seen what he was and now is, he returns to his wife. This for me was my favorite moment. We see him finally with the person he could not show vulnerability to. And yet he stands out in the cold, after walking miles to get to her house, just to really be with her. He lets her talk, he actually compliments here work and he actually looks at her and is with her. Even though the end is open ended, it is a proper ending, because this is the start of his new life. He is no longer the same man, nor is she the same person. They are two new people reuniting, like reincarnations; they get to start all over again. And hopefully get it right.

Japanese Manga

Japanese manga has become a major influence in today’s comic book culture. The reasons leave some old prudes puzzled, but there is something about the stories and variety that interest a range of people.  Japanese manga has such a ridiculous amount of variety, that to try and create a overlying genre, is just too boorish. If you can think of  a lawyer that secretly wants to become the world’s greatest chef, there is a book for that, if you want something silly like a world where you can basically eat everything and that there are super powered people that capture unique foods, you got a story. If you want a story of a pirate looking for the most envied treasure in the world and there are fruit that can give you super powers you have that. Or f you simply want a slice of life of a group of girls trying to make it through high school you have that. The point is, is that Japan is open to variety, and it brings in viewers because it isn’t just the same old stories we’ve heard hear in the west. There is also a willingness to allow fans to join in on the fun, with some artists’ style’s being easy to mimic. So fan art can be put out into the public eye and basically its free advertisement for your work. The overall culture of it being beyond the manga and anime, to it being about cosplay and online forums, brings a closer nit group of people who enjoy the culture of it. Even though in the west we have this with our comic book conventions, you see more Japanese characters cosplayed than American.

And I think that’s because, were so used to our superheroes, that who really wants to be one of them. They don’t really seem to go on adventures, they are serious most of the time, to us they become farther from a normal person. Where even in anime a simple high school student, teacher, dog, cook, lawyer, anyone could become the hero in their own world. That is what attracts readers and viewers is no matter how out there and weird the characters can get there is something that is still more grounded than in some western comics.  

Transmetropolitan

1.    Are there any prominent symbols in the story? If so what are they and how are they used?  One of the main symbols is the ability to transform yourself into something new and be accepted for it, like being transgender today. Instead it’s about people whom are transients, people changing their genetic structure into something alien. Also, the idea of living in a chaotic culture filled with uppers and downers that are used for you to get through day to day, Spider uses them for his work. Kind of like the pill popper of today. There is also the use of religion for ones gain and escape with Fred Christ, he uses his power for his gain and leaves his people frightened and alone.

2.    What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work you were able to connect with. Spider reminds me of Raoul Duke from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Spider’s cynical nature and use of drugs and violence, just to get to the story he needs. It feels like Spider is just Hunter S. Thompson thrown into an ugly future and he is just writing about his new life. An interesting bleak future of gonzo journalism.

3.    What changes would you make to adapt this into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make? If I were to adapt this into a television series, I would change some of the visuals to fit more into today, but not by much. Just a tone down from the wacky. The episodes would follow a story an episode and sometimes follow over the major story arc, kind of how X-Files worked. I would leave everything to practical effects with touches of CGI to keep it more tangible. The overall editing would follow at a snappy pace following the characters emotions and tempo, to reflect the comics overall tempo. The narrative aspect I would keep, but not over use, use it more and an introduction or conclusion to the episode.

European Comics

I read a wide variety of the European comics, some Heavy Metal, some Asterix, and some Blacksad. I really enjoyed what I read and could see that is the comic code hadn’t happened in the United States, we might’ve been where Europe is. The overall variety found in the European comics was very refreshing and the respect of how they are published in very nice packaging is very different from the United States. There is more respect for it as an art and isn’t seen as just something for children. This of course comes from Europe’s long time history for comics and them seeing it as a pastime for all ages.

The comic I enjoyed the most was Blacksad I love the flow and the….the….There is just something about it that makes me think of Elmore Leonard. Which is you know him, he has some kind of power to make you keep reading. As does Blacksad.. The story just makes you keep turning the pages, and the art is just cinematic, it just moves with you. I can just keep praising this comic, it makes me want to read more and get to know the characters and really have some type of connection. This is where I think the United States is now catching up too, is that stories about superheroes aren’t really cutting it. People enjoy easy stories, but are wanting more, they want an investment. Were wanting something that will hook, line and sink us into the depths of storytelling. The story could be any genre we just want something good and new. And I think its coming around and I think one of the companies that is going to leading this new wave will be Image, they have had a strong standing in unique comics, but are now starting to really get attention from their ongoing comic Saga.

So other companies may want to start re-thinking what they’re doing because Image is starting the next wave.   

Ethics

My reading of March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, was wonderful and saddening. Often times the representation of what happened during the civil rights movement is washed down, and funneled into a narrow view. The civil rights movement is still seen as a separate entity, we have a month to celebrate its history, when really that is segregation with in itself. The concept of putting a whole history, a movement in just a month is wrong, its part of American history and shouldn’t be separate. So, to stop myself from going on a tirade, about the separation of people through social institution, race and eugenics. Let’s just talk about this wonderful graphic novel. That is really the start of a much bigger story.

March: Book One brings you in quickly to who John Lewis is, through his childhood in rural Alabama. This really made me have an immediate connection with him. Lewis’ love for his chickens was my love for my cows. I too hated the idea of them being eaten, and I often talked to them, but didn’t preach. But getting to see how his sense of humanity was sensitive at a young age allowed me to see his transition into his manhood clearer. I could see how he just wanted the world to look upon African Americans as equals as people to be equally loved. This connection really drives the story and keeps you wanting more out of his story. I want to know what happens next, where does he go, how did he get to where he is in present time? The story just reels you in and you see with in the eyes of the abused, a love for the world that would rather cast them out than let them in. I want more, and I will read more, I’m very excited and will continue my reading.