Literature of Comics & Graphic Narratives

Sep. 7 "Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Waterson      Reading Calvin and Hobbes again I remembered why I liked this comic series so much and it gave me a whole new perspective on why it is so lovable. The whole idea of it is centered around this young 6-year old's crazy imagination and what it is like to be a child. Calvin and Hobbes remind me of how important it is to remember that there will always be and forever be a little bit of childlike wonder in all of us. That one point is the main thing that makes me feel sad and disappointed when so many people forget what it is like to be curious, creative, and think outside the box. For me, that is what made the comic so memorable. Many scenes where he pretends to be Spaceman Spiff or try's to journey amongst the dinos in the past, the images become so vivid in detail that his imagination completely steers away from what Calvin's life actually looks like, it is his own little world. The comic is something that is not ...

Aug. 24 "The Arrival" by Shaun Tan       The Arrival by Shaun Tan is the perfect example, to me, of a visual narrative. Looking back on what I know I know a visual narrative is a story that is told primarily through the use of visual media. It can be told using media such as still photography, illustration, or video, and can be enhanced with graphics, music, and voice. They can also be combined together to create something beautiful. I noticed that in every image, on each page of the story, has a specific color, tone, and style that helps to resonate certain memories or experiences. For example, the sepia brown-gold tone you can clearly see helps to identify the scenery with day or afternoon, a calm and peaceful, happy atmosphere whereas the gray-blue-black tone resonates more with a feeling of uneasiness, worry, and trouble brewing. I even started to feel worried, I become concerned as I knew something happened, something bad. Each image also has a direct action...

Aug. 31 "Understanding Comics" by Scott McCloud       Reading “Understanding Comics” by Scott McCloud really helped me to see comics in a different perspective. In the comic it is stated, “…The more a cartoony a face is, the more people it could be said to describe!” is completely correct. When I read comics my eyes see what my mind imagines. Some comics are shown clearly detailed, others simplified and others are really simplified. The human mind is something that, even when given little detail, can make something completely different out of that image. We search for some sort of start and end, meaning, a purpose for that drawing or sense of identity. As quoted earlier “…something more is at work in our minds when we view a cartoon – especially of a human face – which warrants further investigation.” Our minds start to create our own character, and we start to question what we are really seeing, who are they, what are they, and what is their story? That f...