Literature of Comics & Graphic Narratives

Oct. 5 “Maus” by Art Spiegelman      "Maus", I have to say brought a new perspective to my attention. This comic is so strongly simplistic in its style that it seems to appear like a children's novel but actually carries a darker meaning. The comic is a story of what once was peace leading up to sadness, loss of hope and something we should never forget that happened so long ago. It really surprised me to see that Spiegelman happened to use his own father's experience for this comic. The Mice (Jews) in the comic parallel him and his father in a way that brings some sort of invisible connection with the reader. Personally, with me, I felt a sudden connection once I realized who these characters actually were. The characters become that author and his personal life. He wants us personally to have a connection with him and what better way to create a style that catches your attention in its smooth simple strokes and pacing without even realizing this is major. "M...

Oct. 12 “Underground Comics”        Looking through some of these comics it became sort of uncomfortable and very vulgar is some detail. The style can be very blunt in its content in trying to convey what the world is like in a negative light. Characters that are involved show a sense of not caring, no moral value, and a rude nature and personality. The title this type of genre or style is given now seems to make more sense in realization. The title "Underground Comics", referring to the word Underground, no wonder the content seems to match up with its genre. It's a genre that is so disturbing that it has to be hidden away in a place where its only "Adult" material. Occurring themes seem to appear here, such as the blunt sexual themes and sexual subjects of focus. The author puts this theme out as something he wants the audience to focus on. Mainly the audience and author do not give a crap what people think about what they see or include. Underground Com...

Sep. 28 “Mr. Natural” by Robert Crumb      “Mr. Natural” was something I never expected to be so disturbingly true in its context. The author gives the character Mr. Natural a very crude, very blunt, and disturbing personality. His character is someone that spews many pithy observations that are sadly, and generally the truth. The things the character says is mainly to be so blunt about his opinions on the evils of the modern world and the salvation to be found in mysticism, and natural living. Even though Mr. Natural has a straight way of talking, it can get him into many amounts of trouble. The design given to him by Robert Crumb seems to be a little similar to a shepherd or a prophet in the sense. He is seen with a big white beard and long cloak. The thing that makes me feel uncomfortable is just the amount of strange sexual obsessions Mr. Natural seems to have. He is just a really strange man that frightens people with the truth making them feel dumber than some pe...

Sep. 21 “A Contract with God” by Will Eisner      Will Eisner’s work in “A Contract with God”, really focuses on the elements of frustration, fear, disillusionment and powerlessness some people face in their everyday lives. A fascinating thing is that he bases each little story off his own memories of certain individuals, even himself. Someone he barely knows he can [G1]   even take and make a whole story based off what little he knows. The whole set of stories has an amazing sense of impressionistic memory. Impressionistic memory meaning memories that are based on or involve impression as distinct from expertise or fact. Eisner also seems to emphasize the urban setting, that surrounds the tenements, with very monochromatic colors. It becomes more dramatic, lonely, and the audience such as me becomes a part of the story. I begin to wander through his experiences with him and it becomes unsettling and in no doubt disturbing at some points. Each frame, I have n...