I was really blown away by how moving "The Arrival" was by Shaun Tan. Not only was the piece visually stunning, but Tan really did a really amazing job of orchestrating the visual flow of the narrative by varying panel size, and the amount of detail/information in each one. I also loved his use of juxtaposed art styles. Both the historical and imaginative imagery creates an aesthetic that is simultaneously fantastically alien, and charmingly nostalgic. Another artist we explored this week, whose juxtaposed art styles create a world which is both alien and familiar is Jim Woodring. I've been a huge fan of his style and storytelling techniques for a while, and it was really refreshing to dive back into them both this week after reading Shaun Tan. I'm basically a sucker for line work and psychedelic imagery, so when I first saw "Frank" on the shelves i was immediately drawn in. Woodrings Line work seems to vibrate on the page, while his allegorical silent story lines absorb the reader or "looker" completely. There's something about the simplicity of Frank himself, that makes him feel more comfortable and familiar, and the world in which he inhabits more haunting and otherworldly. Like Tan, Woodring also does an amazing job at orchestrating the visual flow of the story, achieving both beats and pauses that make reading it, or looking at it, extremely enjoyable.
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...
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