Literature of Comics & The Graphic Narrative

Art Spiegelman’s Maus is a deeply impactful and memorable work but by no means an easy read; stories of cruelty that we, as a society are capable of, never can be. The very first words I noted down for my response were “it hurts.” Though the tone of the narrative feels devoid of sentimentality, you can’t help but grieve with him, for him. For the suffering of his family and his own burden of guilt for not having had to suffer similarly; for the loss of the opportunity to reconcile with his father; for the loss of his mother, her story, and several other stories that will remain untold. With Maus , Spiegelman makes us confront the harsh reality of the Holocaust and the horrifying mark it has left on generations to come, while he himself attempts to confront the root and nature of his own sorrow. The crudeness of his drawings emphasizes the harshness of that/this world. He parallels his father’s story of the Holocaust with his own interactions with his father and m

1.     What is your reaction to the text you just read? I have to start by pointing out that I’m in awe of the artwork; the intricate imagery and vivid colors are absolutely gorgeous. Pretty Deadly starts off as quite an enigmatic piece. I kept grasping for meaning and familiarity, uncertain about where the story was heading but unable to look away. It really draws you in with its poetic narrative and fascinating characters. 2.     What connections did you make with the story? I often have a hard time maintaining an interest in westerns. But I felt quite invested in this one, and well-written female characters are certainly a big part of that.    The story has this fairytale quality to it that I also find intriguing. I love how it builds a mythology about the protagonist and makes use of this theme of a generational affect of wrongdoings. 3.     What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? I would love to see this story adapted into a m

I had no idea what to expect going into this having no prior knowledge of the underground comics movement. When I received this particular comic to read, I must say I was a little disappointed looking at the cover. I guess I expected the cover to look more mature- like it really did have offensive content inside. But of course, as they say, don't judge a book by its cover so I dived into it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Left-Field Funnies didn't seem to be offensive just for the sake of it. It seemed to present some genuine insights and criticisms about the 'hippie' movement and the intellectualization of the escapist ideologies in a satirical and crass manner. Not that I agree with everything being said, I do think it is an interesting perspective because I usually only come across a romanticized version of the movement in recent media. Especially because, from what I've gathered from today's class, underground comics culminated out of the movement

In reading Will Eisner’s A Contract With God and Craig Thompson’s Blankets , there are several similarities between their approaches to graphic storytelling that make themselves apparent; the most obvious one being, their autobiographical nature, and dealing with the themes of spirituality and God. A Contract With God presents a cultural memory and the harsh reality of the tenements in New York during the 1930s. Blankets is an intricate and earnest account of its creator’s coming of age. Both are not only beautiful works of art but also complex pieces of literature that don’t shy away from serious subject matter. Both Eisner and Thompson take a non-linear approach to the narrative but maintain clear sense continuity through emotions and actions, its almost cinematic. Thompson makes interesting use of transitional devices often used in film editing. That combined with his expressive use of brushstrokes to create flow and movement really makes the pacing in Blankets stand out.

A significant part of the immigrant experience is the struggle to find the right words to express yourself in a foreign language. And that is what makes The Arrival so special; it successfully communicates this experience without the use of words. Shaun Tan creates a universal language to illustrate this experience as a struggle that everyone is able to relate to, the struggles of being an outsider, a beginner, or a newcomer. It makes me reminiscent of the time I had first set foot in the States, most of my life packed in a 23 kg suitcase, filled with awe and uncertainty. Even in this fantastical world, Tan beautifully captures the most mundane details of moving to a different land; trying to navigate through an unknown environment, not knowing how to operate the simplest of things or where to seek help, attempting to establish a routine in all the chaos, confusion and alienation, finding solace in the company of others like you. We are allowed to experience this wo