Homework (due next class):
48 Comments
Turese Anderson
9/6/2018 10:27:28 pm
For this homework I read Nimona.
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Mariam Zagub
9/10/2018 09:50:03 pm
I like your analysis of Nimona. To add to your comment about the moral ambiguity and gray areas surrounding the central characters, I thought that Nimona’s ability to shapeshift was an extension of that gray area and ambiguity. I think it extends to the theme of not having everything be black and white, which may add to why the comic itself is so colorful.
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Olivia Fang
9/7/2018 12:44:00 am
I read Through the Woods for this homework.
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Abigail Magat
9/8/2018 04:25:53 pm
I also read Through the Woods and definitely loved the ambiguous endings. After reading your comment, I realized that I never noticed the different type of fonts and speech bubbles for each of the stories. You're right and now that I'm looking at them again, the fonts and different speech bubble styles do make a difference in the storytelling and the kind of mood it gives off during that particular part of the story. That's really quite interesting and good that you caught onto that.
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Oreste Turchetti
9/9/2018 04:31:27 pm
I noticed that about the palette too. I love how the book limited itself to mainly a few colors (red, black, white, grey, and blue) and was still able to accomplish so much with them. The fact that there were so few greens and oranges and yellows really made the art feel cold and unforgiving, which was perfect for the stories being told. In conjunction to that, the use of negative space really made a lot of the creatures seem so mysterious. My personal favorite panel was in the conclusion where the wolf speaks at the window. Just a little white and red on a completely black panel makes for a terrifying image.
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Ma. Rebeca Escamilla
9/10/2018 08:56:18 pm
I really loved the ambiguous ending for the stories, but sometimes I would feel frustrated because I wanted to know what would happen to the characters. I usually don't like to imagine what happens to the characters because I tend to think of dark and gloomy endings, but I feel that for these stories it would be befitting. I also believe that many of these stories could be adapted into films, but it would be best if the ambiguity is included along with an open ending.
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Mariam Zagub
9/10/2018 10:01:25 pm
I chose to read Nimona because I’m naturally drawn to colors and simplistic design. I really enjoyed the aesthetics of this comic especially because the amount of color was apart of a larger theme of fluidity and ambiguity that ties throughout the text. Because Nimona is the “villain’s” sidekick, their actions become morally ambiguous. This comic makes us ask ourselves what is and is not morally okay, especially outside of the context of law. Because Nimona is a shapeshifter, the ambiguity and gray areas extend to the physical and mental body, raising questions about identity and what anyone can encompass underneath what they present to the world, just like the comic itself is a lot deeper than what the surface looks like.
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Abigail Magat
9/8/2018 04:20:34 pm
The graphic novel I chose was “Through the Woods”, which I thought was quite interesting because after reading through all the different stories, I kept going back trying to figure out if the stories were somehow connected. When you look at the graphics of each of the stories, the woods are the most consistent aspect of each and the view of it never changes, so I thought that they might be somehow connected. I also noticed that colors were very much used, such as the color red and blue, to symbolize something ominous versus light. In fact, there was great emphasis on the color red. Whenever I saw a page with red on it despite not having words, I could tell that there was something going to happen. Red was also used as a form to tell time throughout the stories as well, such as the sunsetting, meaning that it was going to dark or night time soon.
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Olivia Fang
9/8/2018 06:39:20 pm
I also read Through the Woods, and I also wondered if maybe the stories would be connected when I viewed the table of contents. I hadn't thought about the woods being a sort of universal setting that connects each story, and sort of ties them together in a way. I hadn't thought about the usage of red as foreshadowing either, but looking back I do see it now and it's cool you noticed that. Onomatopoeia is definitely an important technique for the reader to visualize sounds and add to the atmosphere.
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Sean Tseng
9/9/2018 01:13:50 pm
I love your mentioning the use of red as implying action or time passing. I hadn't associated the color to those elements explicitly, but I remember being struck by the red overlay in a couple scenes within "His Face All Red" when I assume a gun was fired. Red is definitely a common thread throughout the stories, not only as a symbol of mortality but also a color both compelling and repulsive in its role in representing the monsters of the story. It's an especially apt color choice in that way, almost parallel to the way we as readers are both drawn to and horrified by the grotesque. Great observation!
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Gordon Hu
9/9/2018 11:21:43 pm
My favorite use of the color red in Through the Woods was in "His Face All Red". There were a couple times in the story where Carroll would illustrate the exact same image three times, two in her normal style and the middle one in a red tint. I saw this as a sort of "blood rage" moment, where the character loses control. It shows impulse, and it also demonstrates the temporal nature of that impulse. There is certainly a sense of apathy that the main character feels, as he states after he murders his brother that "I was given my brother's animals, and I slept, dreaming of nothing." His general cluelessness as the reader's representative combined with the fact that the third image returns to its previous hues really heightens the intensity of each scene where red is used for this purpose.
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Sean Tseng
9/9/2018 01:06:14 pm
After browsing through the art of the three graphic novel options, I decided to read Through the Woods. Its beautifully saturated colors and grotesque depiction of certain scenes piqued my curiosity and drew me in. I found I loved the slightly varying styles and color palettes in which each tale is presented, and these contrasts do what I think lighting and pacing can do in film. They set several different atmospheres and tones within the stories so that the tales do not feel like the same long story, though they are also not disparate. There's a definite consistency but also impressive variation throughout the graphic novel that makes the collection a cohesive and endlessly stunning work.
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Turese Anderson
9/9/2018 03:29:14 pm
I didn't read Through the Woods (though it seems to be the most popular option, but I did find your note about what caused you to choose the comic you read rather interesting. Rather than going by the art, I chose to read Nimona because the short plot summary seemed the most interesting to me. These differing reasons for reading can help you look at what certain comics have done to have larger reader bases than others, or what attributes are likelier to draw in more eyes.
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Oreste Turchetti
9/9/2018 04:21:05 pm
I read Nimona for this response.
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Stacy Fernandes
9/9/2018 08:50:54 pm
Hey Oreste! I also read Nimona and thought that the art style was very simple. I agree with you in which the comic may do well if it were turned into an animated movie. I think that animation has more freedom to creatively show the quick transformations of Nimona rather than a live action film or show. I also believe that a short book series would be successful.
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Jesse Ou
9/9/2018 10:52:10 pm
Yeah I agree with a lot about what you said. The art is simple and conveys the story just fine. However, I differ slightly on the purpose of the art. Whether subconsciously or not, I think the author uses that carefree style to match the story. The fact that the art doesn't take itself seriously matches the way the story often doesn't take itself seriously. There are so many jokes laying about with self-aware jabs and quips even during serious plot points. I think your theme about friendship was definitely the author's intention. Often times in more cliche stories, friends are portrayed in black and white manners. Either they are like loyal lap dogs that give you the cliche power of overcoming anything, or they are portrayed as the most malicious backstabbers of all time. This story decides to do away with that and even makes fun of it.
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Angelica Montiel
9/11/2018 01:41:59 pm
I also read nimona and it definitely not what I had expected. I agree with you on the animated movie, I think it should be a short animated movie though. Not too long, but long enough so that we could see everything that was in the comic. I also really like how you described the friendships as them being seen in a 'realistic light'.
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Stacy Fernandes
9/9/2018 08:43:32 pm
Comic: Nimona
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9/10/2018 08:59:20 pm
To Stacy Fernandes,
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Jesse Ou
9/9/2018 10:34:13 pm
Nimona
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Russell Lee
9/10/2018 01:01:45 am
I really enjoyed your response.
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Gordon Hu
9/9/2018 11:10:55 pm
When I was deciding what graphic novel to read for this assignment, I looked up each work on Google Images. Through the Woods really stood out to me because of its visuals. There were a lot of negatives and contrasts, yet with only a few colors, e.g. red, white, and black, Emily Carroll's work sent chills down my spine and had me in goosebumps.
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Monse Lopez
9/10/2018 08:21:55 pm
Hi Gordon,
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Russell Lee
9/10/2018 12:53:42 am
How are things (motion, action, sound, time, dialogue) portrayed through the medium? What stood out? What was confusing?
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Michelle Nguyen
9/10/2018 09:47:26 pm
I also read Daytripper, and I didn't realize how important the cigarettes were used a theme until you pointed it out. I would agree that cigarettes are symbolic of "inheritance" of Bras' parents. Throughout the whole story, it is used as a device that many characters attributed to both Bras and his father, which I thought was interesting because if Bras' strained relationship with his father. Despite Bras hating the thought of becoming his father, he instead accepted his shared characteristics with him, which made for a bittersweet ending in the final chapter.
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Monse Lopez
9/10/2018 07:59:39 pm
Comic: Through the Woods
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Ma. Rebeca Escamilla
9/10/2018 08:47:52 pm
Through the woods
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Cassiel Chadwick
9/11/2018 05:45:57 pm
Yes! I absolutely loved the quiet way Carroll established 'hot' and 'cold' through color in ALHaC. She's not just giving us a sense of temperature (impressive in and of itself), she's -theming-. This is how you use a medium to its fullest. Every piece is an opportunity for storytelling.
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9/10/2018 08:48:11 pm
The visual novel I read was Nimona.
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Judith
9/11/2018 12:58:08 am
I agree with your point that the graphic novel started out very predictable. The simplistic drawings with elements of humor. A protagonist and a spunky side kick. But I was happy to see such good character and plot development as the story progressed.
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Michelle Nguyen
9/10/2018 09:38:26 pm
I chose to read Daytripper. What I think makes this visual novel stand out is its non-linear style of storytelling. The main theme that the novel deals with is death, but it is through death that the author then reveals the true theme: accepting death. This is reflected in Chapter 9, which had a profound effect on how I viewed death. The chapters that led up to Chapter 9 were confused to me at first, but everything started make sense as the chapters went on.
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Luc Pogue
9/11/2018 05:48:15 pm
I read Daytripper as well and I agree with most of your points. I also thought that the non-linear format was its most interesting characteristic. Having the main character die at the end of each issue is certainly a bold choice, and honestly it was probably what kept me reading the most. If each story didn't contain that last panel with Bras' own obituary, I likely would've stopped reading, since it would've likely been a somewhat boring slice-of-life comic without much to keep the reader interested. If it were to be rewritten as a movie, do you think the writers should keep the scenes in which Bras dies? Do you think that would confuse and/or bore the viewer? I was thinking about how this could be portrayed in other forms of media, yet I can't really think of it working in any other form.
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riley robinson
9/11/2018 05:53:27 pm
I agree with you that Daytripper would work well in the cinematic medium. It's a good point when you consider not only the pacing, but also the original visual style of the comic. The framing, as well the use of light and color are two areas that would translate well from the page to the big screen.
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Stephanie Machuca
9/10/2018 11:39:43 pm
I read "Daytripper" for this homework :
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Judith
9/11/2018 12:53:45 am
~Nimona~
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Nicholas Michael
9/11/2018 05:55:10 pm
I like the theme you chose of things not being what they seem. I didn't include it in my response, but I realize that it was a prominent theme throughout the novel. I would say that Goldenloin also represent this, since he is seen as a hero but is really a far less likeable person.
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Angelica Montiel
9/11/2018 01:37:58 pm
2.Nimona was portrayed in a very cute way, but also got very dark very quickly. A rescuing theme was that nimona really did not want to be saved, or helped or cured. She had such a hard time accepting it when it was offered on several occasions. I noticed that being offered help is her weakness, because when she is pressured she turns into a beast, or into a very big monstrous figure.
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Tiffany Chen
9/11/2018 03:16:10 pm
I agree with what you observed on how Nimona despises being helped. I think what's interesting is that her character is introduced in such a way that readers love her first and then can empathize with her when her flaws are revealed, and I think that's a specific way Nimona's character is developed, as a choice of the author, because she wants us to understand Nimona. The opposite trope is a character that is set up as crowd favorite but not given enough context to be empathized with when they are revealed to be flawed; this also works in certain cases but I'm glad the author chose to portray Nimona the way she did -- it makes the character much more relatable and memorable.
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Tiffany Chen
9/11/2018 03:02:00 pm
Nimona: although I previously read this, I was two years younger then and was not looking for narrative/storytelling structure so in re-reading it I was able to focus more on those mechanisms
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Luc Pogue
9/11/2018 05:36:26 pm
For this week, I read the Daytripper.
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Cassiel Chadwick
9/11/2018 05:40:02 pm
I read Through the Woods for this - and gosh, what a ride. Two things stood out for me: first, the use of color (specifically red) to convey emotional atmosphere; second, the use of panels (or lack thereof) to convey the passage of time.
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Rawan Mohsen
9/11/2018 06:14:57 pm
Hi Cassiel,
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riley robinson
9/11/2018 05:46:35 pm
From this weeks selections, I chose to read the assigned issues of Daytripper. Even as someone entirely unfamiliar with the genre of comics and graphic novels, I was able to appreciate the harmony of the comic’s visual style and narrative elements. In my opinion, the overall visual style of Daytripper is reminiscent of the noir genre. There are many dark scenes, as well as up close up shots of the characters’ faces. The storyline, with its dark subject matter oriented around the recurring theme of senseless death, fits together well with this visual style. The way that Daytripper portrays things such as motion, action, and sound, as well as it’s arrangement of images in terms of continuity, gave the stories, in my opinion, a cinematic feel. For this reason, I think that Daytripper would translate well into the cinematic medium.
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Eric Hernandez
11/21/2018 12:02:39 am
Interesting that you mention the noir genre. After using this lens to analyze the comic, I realize that the storyline has a slow pacing with a very mysterious ambience. The protagonist looks jaded and smokes a cigarette which just seems to be so common for this genre. I did enjoy how the dark subject matter was portrayed in character behaviors and actions, the gloomy lighting, and senseless violence. I thought the author did a great job in world-building.
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Nicholas Michael
9/11/2018 05:51:27 pm
For this assignment, I read Nimona. I really liked the look of the novel; the illustrations were done with simplicity, but were still effective. The text in the speech bubbles also looked very raw and almost childlike, which added to the light-hearted feel of the story. Despite the tone, the actual subject matter of the story was quite dark. There were themes of good and evil, deception, as well as revenge. I think that this story could potentially translate to other media, such as film or even a TV series, but it fits best in the form of a graphic novel.
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Rawan Mohsen
9/11/2018 05:52:13 pm
The comic I chose to read was Through the Woods. This comic was very intriguing and the detail that was put in drawings were absolutely beautiful. It did not stick to the main way of drawing comics box by box to show time passing by but was very creative and had a different style on each page. I really enjoyed how the author showed suspense in their story and the dark theme around the comic overall contributed to the eerie feeling. In the story “His Face all Red” the author does not use dialogue or explain what is going on in some parts but through it you can still see what is happening and how sinister it is.
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Jay Truong
9/11/2018 06:08:41 pm
On Nimona
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Eric Hernandez
11/20/2018 11:59:00 pm
I read Daytripper.
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