Skip to main content

Week Twelve: Comics by Women

I was really impressed by the comic Pretty Deadly, although I think the title could use some work. One of my friends from the Air Force used to be obsessed with Taylor Momsens band “Pretty Reckless” and I always used to give him a hard time about how teen-angst that name sounded..

In all seriousness the comic was awesome. I loved the art; the line work was expressive and detailed, charged with life and beautifully orchestrated. The colors were also phenomenal, and really added to the overall tone of the story. I also really liked how such non-traditional narrators were narrating the story almost like a fable. It seemed to allow for bending of the worlds rules – like having the vulture girl come in as an actual vulture in the first volume. I never would have questioned the legitimacy of a comic based on the sex of its creators, but its awesome to see such slam-dunk work out there in the name of equality. 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Week Thirteen: Webcomics

The greatest web comic I’ve ever read – and possibly the greatest web-comic of all time, is without a doubt Steve Lichman by Dave Rapoza and Dan Warren https://rapozacomics.carbonmade.com/projects/5313679 I think Steve Lichman is a great example of why web comics are so successful. The rough linework and simple color palate give it a personal touch, while the relatively short panel size make it quickly rewarding and easy to scroll through. It really feels like someone’s labor of love, that they come home to each night and scribble out when the mood hits. It also looks like something one of your friends might’ve drawn, and I think that makes the comic feel more personal and contemporary. It s simplicity also makes it feel more visceral, like all of its guts are right there on the page for you to see. Another thing that I think makes it so successful is the overall tone, and the humor and wit, that seem to seep out of every panel. It’s freaking hilarious, and I think that the hu...

Week Five: Body Talk

A Contract With God A powerful work of storytelling. Even with how little it visually showed and verbally explained about that time period, the simple yet effective storytelling techniques shed a powerful light into the world of the thirties.   The layout and information on each page stayed true to the essential items needed to convey the story at hand, while the expressions and designs of each character involved were perfectly fitted to that characters particular nature. The flow of the stories themselves was also really interesting. It starts off very regal and true, then gradually starts to slip down into degradation, whizzing past horrible defiling moments, building up into this final orgiastic climax, and then finally ending with one boy “Willie” standing on the edge of his balcony, pausing after being given his new set of family expectations, and reflecting on all that happened over the summer. Blankets I love how expressive and powerful Thompson...

Week Ten: Manga

Barefoot Gen was a really heavy way to begin this class. The perspective was both tragic and very humbling. It hurt to watch, but I’m glad that I was exposed to it. Even though the medium of animation doesn’t typically handle heavier topics like that, I think that the story accomplished what it set off to achieve, and was probably able to convey the story in a more palatable way than a live action version would be able to. I’ve always appreciated Manga, (my gateway to the world of manga being through FLCL) but I think its safe to say that my appreciation has been greatly increased, at times forcibly so, since my time studying at Ringling. Building on what Scott McCloud wrote in understanding comics, I think its ability to be so expressive through various levels of magnification and representation makes it an extremely powerful style, and one that is extremely adaptable, handling both serious and entertaining topics alike.