Homework (due next class):
45 Comments
Turese Anderson
9/14/2018 08:40:56 pm
The comic I chose to read this week is Akira, because I recognized the name. However, to my disappointment, the comic lacked the iconic motorcycle slidey shot in it (you know the one: https://cdn.rideapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/akiraskid.jpg ).
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Russell Lee
9/15/2018 09:06:54 pm
Thank you for your post. I also read Akira. And when I was reading it, I didn't pay too much attention to the paneling. Reading your post clarified a lot of what I was seeing and how it affected my comic experience, like the action trapezoids becoming more common when scenes become faster and more action-packed. I think trapezoids are used because it's a shape that draws more attention than the standard paneling, rectangles, but not too awkward of a shape, like a hexagon, for paneling. And the action scenes in those trapezoids fit the paneling perfectly. I don't know, who knows.
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Joshua Mouledoux
9/17/2018 05:43:58 pm
I also read Nimona last week and Akira this week. I agree with your point that the two had contrasting artwork. Not to say anything about the pace of either story, but Akira has a lot more going on in each panel and a physically quicker pace within the narrative. I had to rewind a few times and reread a section because it moved too fast and I didn't realilze fully what had happened.
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Cassiel Chadwick
9/15/2018 09:50:47 pm
I read Fell. Gotta say, not my favorite comic - but ya can't love 'em all, right?
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Oreste Turchetti
9/16/2018 11:45:01 am
I felt the same way about Fell. It plays in very neatly to the down-on-his-luck detective trope. The dialogue when Rich meets Mayko in the bar is something I've heard in a ton of shows or books. She immediately recognizes he's a cop, and he responds with "Is it that obvious?" Just not very much about it felt unique. The story has been done before, and arguably it's been done before a lot better.
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Cassiel Chadwick
9/16/2018 08:40:16 pm
Absolutely. Half of the "everyone has secrets" bits feel like they were cribbed straight from Sherlock Holmes, and everything else just has a bargain-basement-noir vibe. Not much to love here. :C
Turese Anderson
9/16/2018 01:24:27 pm
I skimmed a few pages of the comic after reading this, and I agree. There were at least two pages in a row formed entirely of the same three-deep stack of identically sized and shaped rectangular panels at one point, and, coupled with the sometimes fuzzy, hard to read art style, didn't make for the most aesthetically pleasing experience. It kind of reminds me of a critique of the web comic Ctrl Alt Delete, where the author tried to do serious scenes, but without abandoning the four panel 'cartoon strip' layout of the previous comedic strips in the same comic, and thus had his attempts at being emotional fall flat.
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Ryan Askew
9/17/2018 03:28:39 pm
I'm intrigued by your reading of Fell, because I happened to like it, sometimes precisely because of, but also in spite of the reasons you mentioned not liking it. Like the fact that it feels dreary. I think that's the intention, as it reflects the setting of Snowtown. I'm curious if you read all of the Backmatter? At one point he explains an interesting technique to make the nine-grid panel framework he chose to work within more dynamic. I'm also not sure what you mean when you say clarity is compromised in issue five. The timing and transitions in that scene seemed clear enough to me.
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Jesse Ou
9/18/2018 01:40:29 am
I have to agree with you on this one. Personally I enjoyed this story, but there were quite a few flaws. Fell was so overly dramatic and cliche in his choice of words to the point where it occasionally felt ridiculous. The transitions were choppy and the flashbacks left me confused as they weren't clearly flashbacks. The art style was fitting but needed more polish, and the story felt unfinished.
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Russell Lee
9/15/2018 10:04:49 pm
I read Akira for my reading this week.
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Cassiel Chadwick
9/16/2018 08:35:16 pm
Interesting observation about the kids! I'd never considered that it might be a thematic choice, not just worldbuilding.
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Stacy Fernandes
9/16/2018 10:03:13 pm
Hey Russell!
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Oreste Turchetti
9/16/2018 01:48:29 pm
I read Watchmen for this response.
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Javier Arias-Romero
9/16/2018 11:29:13 pm
Hello Oreste,
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Stacy Fernandes
9/16/2018 09:51:17 pm
Comic: Akira
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Atlas yuen
9/18/2018 12:32:28 am
I agree with you that the characters could have been developed more. Often times it was difficult for me to distinguish between more of the secondary characters, and had to keep flipping (clicking?) back to double check who they were talking about.
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Mariam Zagub
9/18/2018 12:20:12 pm
I like what you said about the character's lack of development; I thought that was interesting. It is true that it looked like they were simply engaged in action and movement and the external rather than the internal, but I think that was done purposefully. I think that the lack of internal development and beneath the surface engagement was a result of the environment they were living in. They're in a destructive and chaotic environment that doesn't give them the time and space to develop as people and I think this emphasizes how fast paced and scary that world is for all of them.
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Jonathan (Jay) Truong
9/18/2018 05:27:53 pm
I agree 100%. They utilize a lot of big and bold action lines, action scenes, and great artwork, but it's all in place of actual character development or story. The movie didn't really handle this well so I was hoping the comic would have more to say, but it really didn't.
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Javier Arias-Romero
9/16/2018 11:20:59 pm
Comic: Watchmen
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Abigail Magat
9/17/2018 08:53:37 pm
I also read the Watchmen and I didn't mention it in my own post, but I also thought Rorschach's point of view was ironic. For someone who is quick to judge humans for reasons that human beings can't control, he is the same way. He continues on to talk about the impurity of humans and that they should be wiped out because they are just mere pests in the universe, yet he is a pest himself by creating trouble and roaming around aimlessly to pursue his own agenda. I felt that this character had such a god-like mindset that it blinded him from seeing his part in the destruction of human society as well. He makes himself judge and jury when it comes to his interaction with humans, using this to justify his violence, yet these acts feed into the normality of violence itself. He's just weird, but very interesting in my opinion.
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Tiffany
9/17/2018 11:24:54 pm
I agree with both of you on how strange Rorschach is. His personal philosophy seems kind of bitter and resentful as he feels people have gone soft and can't hold to their principles, but his own principles consist of being a self-appointed regulator against what he deems unlawful. The hypocrisy of arbitrary evil seems to slip him by; he doesn't seem particularly driven by moral obligation, he seems driven by hate and rage from another period of time. There also isn't a lot of context so far through which to elucidate his character, so I assume it becomes clear in later issues where his spite comes from. What an interesting fellow.
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Ryan Askew
9/17/2018 03:00:08 pm
I read Fell this week. In contrast to the other's perspectives of the comic shared here thus far, I really enjoyed this series. Sure, some of its elements feel formulaic, even predictable at times (panel pattering, genre/character tropes, etc.), however, I think it's important to keep in mind Ellis' self-imposed restriction to create a 16-page comic. This fact arguably limits the kinds of panels that can be used to tell a cohesive, self-contained story. Everything is necessarily condensed, and these creative decisions are explained in the Backmatter, which I also loved. These prose segments offered at the end of each issue were a welcome surprise, allowing me to gain insight into the creator's lives and thought processes, and I liked reading fan reactions to this story as it developed. I'm reminded of Chuck Lorre's title cards here, and I think it's a great way for artists to build community around their work and interact with fans.
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Joshua Mouledoux
9/17/2018 05:39:41 pm
I read Akira for this week's homework.
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Monserrat Lopez
9/17/2018 08:46:47 pm
Hi Joshua,
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Monserrat Lopez
9/17/2018 08:38:45 pm
Comic: Akira
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Sean Tseng
9/18/2018 06:21:50 am
I especially like and agree with your analysis of the colors and their progression in setting the atmosphere and tone of a sequence of events. In the beginning of the comic, I found myself looking for identifying features to indicate the central narrator of the story, and the red of Kaneda's bike definitely drew my attention that way. I think it's a great show of the fact that seemingly passive but clearly deliberate choices can have a great impact on engaging the reader and directing their attention in a medium that might not be able to strictly dictate what parts of the scene are consumed in what manner or order.
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Abigail Magat
9/17/2018 08:46:06 pm
I chose the Watchmen for my graphic novel because I have never read it. Growing up, my friends and family members always talked about the Watchmen and carried the graphic novel around, but I never took the time to actually read it. What I noticed about this specific graphic novel is that there are lots of flashbacks or transition to another subject, which I didn’t catch quick enough. I had to go back and reread because it happens all of a sudden. But after revisiting where the transition happens, if you look at the panels itself, the way the character is pictured and the colors used, such as fading, you can tell there’s a gradual transition into a different scene or a distant time. I also noticed that the paneling for all the issues are very similar, with usually a 5-6 panels a page with the same size. Only if there is a particular scene being emphasized will the panel size be different.
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Judith Kim
9/18/2018 02:23:31 am
I agree with your points about Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan being an interesting character. I also questioned whether heroes do things because they are "good" or if they do things because they want to do the "right" thing.
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Stephanie Machuca
9/17/2018 10:03:26 pm
I read Akira.
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Tiffany Chen
9/17/2018 11:17:32 pm
I read Watchmen.
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Atlas Yuen
9/18/2018 12:29:56 am
I read Akira this week. One thing I noticed about the transitions were that often times there would be an establishing shot of all the buildings in Tokyo before moving on to closer shots where all the action/ where the storyline is. Otherwise, the paneling was pretty plain– that is, except for the action sequences, where the lines become tilted (forming trapezoidal boxes) to create a feeling a movement.
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Eric Hernandez
9/18/2018 10:21:31 am
I like your comment on how the color changed. It's something I didn't realize at first but came back to after I read your comment. Perhaps the artist is trying to portray the outside environment and mundane and blighted, while colors during action scenes suggest that the action is vivid and what gives the story and characters life.
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Jesse Ou
9/18/2018 01:33:02 am
Fell
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Judith Kim
9/18/2018 02:11:36 am
I read Watchmen because I enjoy DC Comics, but never got the chance to read Watchmen. The transitions that I saw the most were cuts between the past and the present. The panels are all formatted in rectangles and nothing breaks the panel lines. However, within the panels, transitions are made apparent by the use of different color schemes. The color palettes help the comic transition from places and time. As for the messages and allegories, I noticed that the comic plays with morals and the fine line between what is good and what is evil. Rorschach seems jaded by life, as he seeks to diminish all evil, but does so violently, causing the reader to question whether he is truly a “hero.”
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Sean Tseng
9/18/2018 06:16:00 am
For this week, I chose to read Akira. Like others, I recognized the name, which was a contributing factor in deciding to read it. I had also looked at the art styles and panelling of the other two comics, and I found I preferred the more Eastern style art and dimensional color palette in Akira over the hazy, blurred style and dull color palette of Fell and the classic Western style and saturated colors of Watchmen.
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Eric Hernandez
9/18/2018 10:15:52 am
I read Akira,
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Mariam Zagub
9/18/2018 12:15:39 pm
The comic I decided to read was Akira because I had already watched the movie awhile ago and I really enjoyed it. The comic was what I expected for it to be given the tragic storyline. There are lots of dark, muted colors and bleak looking scenes to tell us about what Japan looks like after the destruction. There are lots of lines that indicate fast, rapid movement throughout the comic because that is central to Akira's mobility. His mobility is in stark contrast to the controlled and chaotic world he's living in; his mobility is central to his character's desire for change and and overturn of the structures of power that reside in this space-time setting.
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Michelle Nguyen
9/18/2018 05:26:42 pm
Hi Mariam,
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Ma. Rebeca Escamilla
9/18/2018 03:07:40 pm
I read Watchmen, and what I found most interesting was the alternate history of the World. The never-ending constant threat of war looms over the characters giving the comic an edge of violence and paranoia. In my opinion this gives the comic a gloomy view. Another topic I found alluring was the name given to the characters as well as the names that the characters give themselves. For example, Adrian Veidt named himself Ozymandias. Ozymandias is a name that is historically associated with rulers that decline due to their own grandiose notions of greatness. This alludes to the fall of Adrian, as he seeks to remake the world in his image, but he is murdered later on. Moreover, Dr. Manhattan’s name alludes to the atomic bomb project, which brought the end of World War II. This points to the power that Dr. Manhattan has over the world, his power is so great he could change the world if he so desired. In addition, another character would be Rorschach alludes to the Rorschach test, a psychological test to determine a patient’s emotional functioning. This is meant for humanity to humanity to be judged by the evils that they commit. In Rorschach’s journal he states “The abyss gazes back.”, meaning that the “abyss” of evil will judge humanity.
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9/18/2018 04:07:34 pm
I do agree with this comment.
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Luc Pogue
9/18/2018 05:57:11 pm
I also really liked the alternative world history presented by Watchmen. It very much gives weight to the power of the characters, and helps us see a connection between ourselves (and our world) and these heroes who now inhabit it. I think having Doctor Manhattan as a Cold War weapon for the US makes him much more interesting than if he were to simply fight an alien overlord or something-- the inclusion of history certainly keeps it (relatively) grounded for a superhero story.
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9/18/2018 04:00:58 pm
I've been reading Watchman.
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Michelle
9/18/2018 05:22:54 pm
I chose to read Akira because I have always wanted to read/watch it but never had a chance to. Moreover, as an avid manga reader, Akira has been known as one of the best mangas ever created and has been referenced numerous times in pop culture. So, it's great to actually sit down and experience an influential work of art.
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Jonathan (Jay) Truong
9/18/2018 05:25:17 pm
After having watched Akira, reading it was almost like looking into a mirror. If I was Akira and I was looking at myself in the mirror. The art styles jumped right off the page and into the screen, and there wasn't a lot that the directors removed or changed. In terms of paneling and art style, there aren't really any non-square panels to act as transitions. They do use larger panels to portray more important scenes or to showcase a piece of artwork in the story, but other than that, nothing. However, the transitions come from the artwork themselves, in that Akira loves using scenic transitions. One big area to the next, with huge onomatopoeic sounds or long action lines to reference motion and action.
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Luc Pogue
9/18/2018 05:54:09 pm
For this week, I read Watchmen. Like I've seen others comment, it's a graphic novel that I've heard much about, yet have never had the chance to read myself. Overall, I really enjoyed it-- both the art style and the story were really engaging. Though the paneling is somewhat traditional (mostly squares of varying sizes), the way that the authors and artists handled the transitions was really interesting. Often, there would be two stories or scenes happening simultaneously, and one character's narration would often arc over both scenes (like, for example Rorschach writing in his journal or the newspaper salesman talking about worldly affairs). The artists used separate color schemes to let us know which scene was which, and at which time (in present or past) the events were taking place. Not only are the colors and paneling sort of an homage to the "classic" superhero comics of the 40s, the story itself is sort of reliant on the audience understanding how superheros traditionally were portrayed in comics. Watchman takes the age-old story of superheros saving the world and flips it on its head, forcing our heroes to deal with very real problems like the death of a friend or cancer within loved ones. Watchmen also plays around with ideas of history, showing how superhuman "weapons" can change world events (like in the first issue, the Vietnam War is won by Americans). Action is often portrayed through red-tinged panels, and usually is split up between different story lines. Though action is certainly important in Watchmen, I think one of its stronger features is actually that it focuses equally on action as well as personal problems for the protagonists. In all, I really enjoyed the comic, and can see why it has become a classic.
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