Web Comics and Why you should read them

I think I mentioned a bit about how Web Comics can be similar to Underground comics in the way that the artist is in control of the comic. Webcomics are much easier to make now as there are free/cheaper sites that can host the comic. The main thing is trying to keep up with it as it takes time and the author must be committed to telling their story. And now these web comics are getting support from crowd funding sites such as Kickstarter and IndieGogo to get physical book copies and many other rewards for fans.

One of my favorite web comics is Ava's Demon.

It's something i've been following for over a year and had the honor to meet the artist/author behind it. It's an interesting concept with beautiful designs and characterization that is still running. In fact, the first book has just ended and a new book shall be starting now. Also, there are a few short animation sequences with simple movements that I love as it incorporates skills that I have learned and loved with a beautiful illustration style. I highly recommend for everyone to give it a look!

Another one to read is Cucumber Quest.

I haven't read it in a few months but the kickstarter campaign is ending soon for Book 3. It's adorable and clever from the get-go. It tells you exactly what's happening and what will happen in the first few pages and plays on the idea of a child becoming a hero and the journey they must go through. Characters are constantly telling the main character to become the hero when he just wanted to go to school for magic, while his sister is skilled in sword fighting but gets pushed away from the title of hero because she is a girl. It's also just filled with countless hilarious moments such as the bottom page.

"Superheroes"

Ok, this really isn't about the typical superheroes most people know. This isn't superman, the flash, captain america, or wonder woman.

This is Watchmen.

You probably have seen the... interesting movie version of the comic. I appreciate it way more now but I remember seeing it with my Dad when I was mid-teens and wouldn't watch anything with too much cursing, violence, and/or sex scenes. Rather, my dad didn't want me to see movies like that, but, I was uncomfortable with nudity and sex in film. Anyway, we were both so excited to see the movie to see a Man's "Blue Diddlies" as my father still likes to call it. Yes, my dad did cover my eyes during some of the scenes. But all that aside, we all know The Comedian made the movie.

Anyway, the creation of Doctor Manhattan was difficult at the time because he was fully nude. They felt it was helpful for his characterization as he has gone through a huge change in his life but still manages to keep some human habits and grow from them. But even in the comic it's not thrown in your face that he's nude.

It's just not your typical superheroes. They're all normal from the start that all have different looks on life and death. They aren't perfect. It's clear they aren't. Even the "perfect" Doctor Manhattan has his flaws, but, that's what makes it so compelling. The fact that we have these flawed heroes who bring different skills and ways of thinking together for what they feel is right. It's also clear what they stand for, even from the outside. Do you really think The Comedian takes things so seriously? (Who is much deeper than we actually see him as at first) Rorschach questions life but also sees it in multiple views. It's definitely a series those who love superheroes should read as it gives a different, more intelligent, look at the superhero trope.

Promethea #1

Promethea reminds me of Angela of Asgard, Xena, and Shera. All beautiful woman who can take care of themselves, have this mystical aura and fight for what's best in a sci-fi twist of a past. I say that mainly because of their locations have the feel of the past but I feel you can consider them still advanced for their time.

Which brings me to the point that I me having made these connections to other characters that I love, brought me back to a little girl playing pretend with myself in similar scenarios since, as an only child, was my escape from reality. So I felt a strong connection to the main character who wanted to write her term paper and was suddenly given the gift of becoming the next Promethea. I feel like as a cosplayer, it's something I deal with anytime I'm getting ready for a convention. The intense research I do on the costume of the character helps me prepare for the event of becoming a character I felt a connection to and love. There's the struggle, like the Smee, that tries to stop me from my work. I cry because my sewing machine gets jammed or when the bobbin runs out and I thought I sewed the whole section to only see an inch of it done. Oh and there are battle scars. The constant run ins with pins constantly scar my hands and legs with the slightest move.

So of course I would love to adapt Promethea tangibly. By that I mean it would be fun to do a stage performance as it required the use of costuming and still leaves interpretation to the audience. It's still visual but it would be fun to not give the background of Promethea so soon. In fact, I rather it show little Promethea wandering around before she meets Thoth-Hermes as an opening scene and go into the story of the next Prometha from there. Show the connection between the two so it's hinting that she will become her without giving too much of the backstory away. Then, when she transforms for the first time and fights the Smee, we start to learn the story of Promethea in pieces as we see her struggle with different obstacles in both lives.

What I found really interesting was the character Thoth-Hermes. Seeing their characters surprised me but when they introduced themselves I knew there was something intriguing about them. I did some research quickly to read about these mythical gods and found that Thoth is the Egyptian God of Hieroglyphics, knowledge, and wisdom. Also, Hermes is the greek god of trade,  travelers, sports, and the messenger of the gods. Eventually, two connected and became Hermes Trismegistus, or Thoth-Hermes as said in Promethea. So what is this connection? Both are gods of writing and magic. Similar to how so many writers adapted her into their literature and how when the main character reaches out and wants to know more about Promethea, eventually becomes the next incarnation by writing "I am Promethea".

Overall I think I could really get into the series and am interested in reading the a few more passages and maybe my next blog post will be on it.

Women in Comics

I decided to read Persepolis since I missed out on it a few weeks ago.

I found it interesting from the beginning. Simple black and white with a simplistic design. It was also full of information but didn't clutter the boxes as some comics tend to do. What I love are the titles of each section, which give a deeper understanding of the piece. Like the Bicycle section talks about revolution. What she means is that a revolution is like a bicycle in which it will stop if momentum isn't maintained.

As a biography, I enjoyed it. I don't care much for non-fiction work but it felt like I wasn't reading a biography as I connected to the story. Of course, I haven't been through everything she's been through but it still had elements that I could put myself into.

Comics as Contemporary Literature

I really enjoyed reading Asterios Polyp. I think most of my love came from the style of it. It felt well designed and went hand in hand with the story of an architecture professor. I especially enjoyed the page that broke down his figure into simple shapes. In fact, I noticed many of the characters seemed like different styles depending on their background and/or personality, such as the scene above. It really tells the story of the characters without bashing you over the head with it like many comics do to any "background" character.

Let's talk more about the above scene. We are drawn to the main characters in the middle but all the other characters aren't interested in them. As such a focus that clearly marks a change of moment, the reader is the only one to notice. Also, notice how they are in a similar style. It's the scene when they meet for the first time and the female character talks about how he intrigued her from the moment. His style has influenced her.

She is believing in him that she starts to gain a new look on life from him. That's what I found so interesting about it. There are more visual cues in the panels that really bring the story to life.

Intro to Manga: How amazing FLCL is

Besides being introduced to comics, I found love in manga. I can't quite remember what first brought me into the world of Manga but I was hooked. That's all I read for about 10 years. I read them occasionally now but with school I barely have time to keep up. I'm very picky, as I put the style/art before the story. I must feel attracted to it at first before wondering what the story is. Also, I like specific genres such as slice of life, action, comedy, and sometimes horror stories. It really just depends on my mood.

I re-watched FLCL as it is one of my favorite anime. Definitely something I shouldn't have watched when I was 9; but all I knew back then was Cartoon Network and Toonami. I even bought the manga when I saw it one time in Borders. Both volumes. I remember buying another series because of the mangaka. Anyway, I have to say the style of the manga is lovely quick pen sketches and even the story differs in a more mature but also very confusing and needs to be re-read a few times to uncover the story. There's a lot of deep thoughts and metaphors in the manga so I definitely say anyone who watched the anime should read the manga. Also, they leave the ending open. Not saying I hate the ending but it leaves you in a spot that makes you wonder what the future holds for the characters.

Haruko's character is practically the same but the whole ending I found way better than the anime. However, I still love the ending to the anime and the song in it. Instead of her fighting Atomsk and kissing Naota at the end before leaving, which she still does in the manga, the town is being destroyed by a robot controlled by Haruko. Things happen, "Rahal Haru-Hara" shows up and she makes out with Naota before leaving him with the vespa, in which he tries to ride it. Then it ends.

Eurocomics

Here's a short blog on what I read this week.

I immediately gravitated to Tank Girl. A punk story of a girl who lives in a Tank and dates a kangaroo man? For those of you who haven't heard of her: It's full of sex, violence, and humor. Also, the art is fantastic! I read Apocalypse, which can be taken as more of a spin off as it deals with the story of Tank Girl being pregnant.

Tank Girl, the person who seems the most unlikely to raise a child, is having a baby. If you want to know, she does have it in the end. Any guesses to what it looks like? I'll give you a hint: It's in her name. Yes, she gives birth to a glorious baby with a tank body from it's stomach down. If that doesn't make you curious on who Tank Girl is, just remember that there was a live action movie about her.

March: Book One

I was attracted to the style of the graphic novel at first. It's interesting and I feel it works well with the message they want to have. In the few pages I was able to find of the novel, Lewis wanted to desegregate Troy State. Throughout the comic, the idea of non-violence is repeated. It's a huge subject about any protest/movement. Movements are meant to be peaceful so showing no acts of violence makes a bigger impact.

John Lewis actually spoke at the March back in 1968. He was became the president of the SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee) and then the Congressman from Georgia. It all started when one of his staffers, Andrew Aydin, said he was going to a comic book convention. That prompted Lewis to talk about a comic book he was inspired by. That comic book was Martin Luther King Jr and the Montgomery Story. From that he learned about Rosa Parks and how to protest non-violently. I feel that's something we have gained, especially with the recent protests around the world.

Maus

I was already skeptical of reading this as the cover gives off a Holocaust look. It's kind of interesting way of showing it. First of all, It's a story of a story, not a form of propaganda as the graphic novel came out in 1980. A father is telling his son about his experience during the time and how he survived it. I find the simplistic style to really help with the story. The Holocaust was a dark time and to have something more "friendly" and open is a better way for reading on the time period. It has dark themes, of course, but is well handled.

The use of mice, a typical animal used in experiments, as the Jews and other animals such as pigs and cats as Nazis was interesting. Harmless mice that go about their lives and are soon faced with the horrors of the Holocaust. A lot of things are revealed on the father son relationship, as well as, his mother's suicide.

I read up on what made Spiegelman want to illustrate the Holocaust, as he wanted to do a strip on racism. It's interesting to see how the original strip wasn't as simple as it is now. He had some information from his mother to back up some illustrations but it wasn't until he learned more from his father that he was really interested.

Underground Comix

So first off what aren't underground comix. Some may think that they are the same as indie comics in which they are both not affiliated with a publishing company and the artist has full control over their story, art, and characters. They aren't kid friendly. Think about South Park: it's crude but has adult themes to it. That is what underground comix are.

I chose to read Dopin' Dan first, a comic set around the the army. It's crude with a simplistic design. Nothing extremely bad n the one I was reading, but with a clear stereotype of characters we think of when we imagine the military. The typical rough sergeant who picks on his crew and the pranks they play on him. There's some sexual reference but other than that it's just a bunch of jokes. Maybe I just didn't fully get it's humor or something. I do know that it wasn't my cup of tea.

Then I decided to read Fight Girls as I could already tell I was in store for something outrageous. Sure enough, it was women themed and included sexual encounters and such. I really shouldn't have been surprised. I mean there's a whole few pages in which Fox stabs a panther and uses it's skin as clothing (a simple bra and panties), chases a gazel for dinner and ends up getting captured by englishmen and one proceeds to have sex with her, or at least in the process of it, before she stabs him in the back. I will say that it does sometimes show the power of the female... I guess. Then I found the gem that is Speed Queen among the Freudians. I would like to quote simply quote my favorite line: 

"Dare you ask, landing yon phallic craft next to our monument to the great maleness." 

If that doesn't give you a simple clue as to what it was then you must not get it's genius writing. And of course, the writing isn't what the readers want. All the want is to see woman engaging in sex or any activity in skin tight to little clothing. Obviously both comix are geared to a male audience but, as said before, I guess some women may have read these. I mean the men in Speed Queen thought she was inferior but she got out of that situation... 

Eisner

I chose to read The Spirit, as I've heard of it but never read it. When I saw the cover I could already tell I was in for some great characters. And by great, I mean racist and stereotypical. The grumpy old man to the blonde vixen, to the black "monkey". Even The Spirit himself is just a rich, good looking white man. But to elaborate on the monkey aspect, the character is short, black, with ape like features; which I guess goes well with his grammar and role as a servant. The ones with the gorgeous oval lips. When I finally started to read it, I noticed my predictions to be true. I also noticed that he doesn't do as much saving. Someone else does an action to catch the bad guy while The Spirit gets all the credit. One can say it's like he's letting his "slave" do his work for him, as if calling him master wasn't enough. I'm guessing he's taking care of The Spirit's house, too.

Various Comics

It was nice to read about Jack Cole and Plastic Man as I have seen the character multiple times but never read anything staring the hero. Plastic Man is an interesting character in himself so getting to know some information him and his creator was something I enjoyed. However, I felt there were more I would have loved to learn about, but of course it's not a biography.

Now Tin Tin, on the other hand, I could read for days. It's in a simple style that I love with an interesting layout. A lot of comics I've read from the past have been very grid based while the panels in Tin Tin are not vertically aligned. I'm also a story kind of person, so quick stories aren't really my thing. Like Archie. It's the same characters but different stories that doesn't tie too much together. I feel I'm getting a full story from Tin Tin. It keeps me reading and entertained while continuing the story. You get a sense that everything is connected rather than snippets of his life.

Comic Strips and Little Nemo

Little Nemo has an interesting concept. It's like they took a child's thoughts and sayings and brought it to life, much like how some do these days with children's drawings. It's very surreal in which his dreams become his real life and his real life becomes the dream.

So one online comic strip I love to read is Hark, A Vagrant! by Kate Beaton. It combines a few of my favorite things: History, Humor, and Comics. These quick reads can get extremely addicting once you start. One of my favorite strips of the webcomic is the Gatsby ones located here: http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=259. What makes these so successful to me is the fact that these have historical facts to back them up with clever jokes within the words and visuals. It's that fact that they are almost inside jokes that you either get or don't.

Krazy Kat on the other hand I found humor in other ways. It isn't something I really was into. The accents do sometimes make it hard to read sometimes. What I found interesting is the use of a cat, mouse, and the side character dog. It seems like the basis for cat and mouse themed comics and shows such as Tom and Jerry and Itchy and Scratchy of the Simpsons.

Calvin is based on the child that's inside every adults mind that is struggling to escape. An example of this is that Calvin is very advanced for his age but still finds comfort to his imaginary tiger. Hobbes is the embodiment of a conscience and sort of like a parent figure by making sure Calvin doesn't do anything bad but still provides him with childlike imaginary activities such as Spaceman Spiff.

Understanding Comics

The face that this is a comic about the way of thinking in comics is already fascinating in itself. I found his idea on faces the most interesting. I agree that simple faces are more identifiable than realistic faces. Though I do love to see drawings and paintings that are realistic, shows like Regular Show and Adventure Time I find very appealing than reality shows. These shows don't really have a continual story that you have to watch every episode to get. It is simple and gets the message across with noodle like bodies with doted eye faces. These episodes can be just funny or something filled with emotion and truth that deal with society.

The best example is The Simpsons. A silly style with hilarious looks at the daily lives of the family and citizens of Springfield. Shows like Family Guy, Futurama, and Bob's Burger copy these ideas of life with serious issues we face in reality into a simplistic look. I grew up watching The Simpsons with my Dad since I was born and often find him yammering about how true some points are in the show. He identifies with Homer and so have I because of how the show shapes his character and how my dad embraces these quirks and messages into real life. I find myself identifying with Tina from Bob's Burgers not only for her love of butts but how her family treats her despite how awkward she is.

Comics do the same. We identify with their strengths and weaknesses and find ourselves looking up to these "Heroes" (and maybe even Villains) to see how they overcame certain obstacles. I remember seeing someone talk about how their little brother who was autistic felt a connection to Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy because "he didn't get metaphors, too". These characters aren't just entertainment value, but also parts of ourselves. We find it easier to understand because of its simple design and concept as characterization is easier to pick up on than "real life" shows sometimes.

The Arrival

Comics can be extremely powerful by the details and expressions that bring it together. Not every image needs words to drive it-- so why do comics use them as a device to create a story? Reading The Arrival by Shaun conveys emotion in over 100 pages to show the story of immigration. He travels a foreign land that is more welcoming than his haunted home, where his family still resides. He wants bring them to a place of solitude but first must jump the hurdles that block him on his journey. The people and creatures he meets on the way are unique and friendly. The creatures are more delicate, while the new world seems bright and full of hopes and dreams from how designed the structures are. It's interesting to see such a wondrous world expand. It was almost breathtaking. With the obstacles of finding a job to bring his family over, as well as a war, he is able to overcome them and bring his family to safer land.