Blankets

I absolutely loved this graphic novel. Despite the fact that I have a love affair with coming-of-age novels it was really moving in other ways. The main character, Craig was relate-able and he made it easy to care about him. He was so honest and mold-able. There is a raw emotion about youth that really captures me. I like that it didn't only deal with first love.

It dealt with growing up as sort of a wallflower, not really fitting in and constantly being picked on because of it. I was instantly drawn to him and cared about his feelings. It also dealt with a battle with religion and family. His parents were very religious and the type that taught to "Fear God." You see throughout the novel the direct battle he faces everyday with doing the "right" thing and not the wrong. He really lived in fear of hell and altered his desires and thoughts to insure he didn't commit sin. I really loved the relationship he had with his brother as well. He realizes that being forced to share the same bed really defined his childhood. He always had someone there with him, to share his fears and imaginative fun. In the beginning he seems to express disdain towards the idea and wishes he could have his own bed, but as he gets older he really appreciates the times he spent with his brother.

And of course seeing his relationship spark, sizzle, and eventually burn out with Raina made the novel really easy to love. Everyone experiences first love and most people think they will marry their first love. The passion and blind naivety that surrounds first love is really fascinating. It is the purest emotion most people will ever feel and when it ends it is devastating. Of course I was hoping their relationship would last and they would get married and have a white picket fence and 2.1 children, but that is just not how reality works. With the exception of a few percentage of people, first loves rarely last until the altar and I felt like I had to deal with that harsh reality all over again while reading this novel.

I did find it weird that the father walked in on Raina and Craig in a naked embrace and never said anything though. He must have been embarrassed or something because I'm pretty sure my Dad would have shot Craig if it were me. Then again I feel like really religious people tend to turn a blind eye to stuff like that. They're so easy to preach and judge but when it comes down to it I feel they are ashamed and embarrassed when they are confronted with sin. I really want to see what other novels the author has written and if there will possibly be a sequel because I was left wanting to know more.

Jack Cole and Plastic Man

I was expecting to really dislike this comic book based on the fact that it was an action/adventure type. I didn't love it but I also didn't hate it either which really surprised me. It was extremely easy to read and I found myself being amused at certain points. I especially enjoyed Woozy's character. He was so amusing and it was interesting that Plastic Man and him were friends. He was always getting into trouble and somehow helping Plastic Man in the process. I didn't particularly like Plastic Man's character because I found him very unrelateable.
Being able to relate to characters really helps reading and I figure that is probably why I dislike hero comics so much. The characters have all sorts of abilities that I find it really hard to relate to. I'm not sure I can really even make that statement because I've never tried to read a hero comic book and I do like the Spiderman movies and growing up I liked Batman but was never fond of Superman. I just feel like the stories set an unobtainable standard for young kids to try to be "super" or "invincible." Then again everyone needs a little escape from reality and that's where the stories really shine. There also always seems to be a moral that they are trying to push in these types of books and the battle with "good" and "evil" which I find to be irritating and misleading. It teaches that good will always triumph over evil which just isn't always true. Sometimes the bad people do win and that's just the sad reality of the world. I'm glad I read it so that now I'm not so close minded to comic books like these but I'm not sure it completely changed my opinion on them. The book I bought had articles intermixed about Jack Cole and I found those to be very interesting because they showed other kinds of art he was involved with and gave an idea about the style and personality of the artist.

Krazy Kat, Peanuts, Little Nemo

I read Krazy Kat, Peanuts, and Little Nemo; or should I say I tried to?

I might need to re-read Krazy Kat because I had such a hard time deciphering the actual typography that I got fed up quickly and stopped reading it. It reminded me of something I've seen in Looney Tunes but I'm not sure which came first. I was not a big fan of it, but maybe if the font was different I would feel differently? I did like the illustrations. I'm really trying to be open minded with comic books but so far I'm still not a big fan.

What surprised me was how much I enjoyed the Peanuts comics! For some reason I've never read them before and it's a shame because they're hilarious! I can't get enough of them and I keep trying to find more to read. I love the dry sense of humor and quick little witty statements. The absence of any adult figure is intriguing and I wonder why a lot of comics/cartoons in general avoid having any sort of prominent authority figures within their stories? Is it because they are not gearing the stories towards adults? I am really glad I chose to read these. I thought because of the minimalist line drawings I would not like it but that didn't bother me at all because the content is so strong.

I'm still iffy on Little Nemo in Slumberland. I actually ordered the DVD thinking it was the book so I was already kind of annoyed with it before I started. I wish I had known the backstory to Little Nemo before reading it because I had no idea how old it was or anything about the artist. I wasn't too fond of the simple dialogue.;It was very childish and boring. I loved the illustration though so I'm torn. I did get a chance to watch the DVD and it was quite scary but good! Going into class I really disliked Little Nemo but coming out after learning about the artist I started to see it differently.

So far my feelings on comic books have not been changed. They seem like mindless entertainment with the exception of a few. I much prefer thought provoking novels. I feel like when you add images the imagination and magic is kind of lost and the dialogue is dumbed down. I hope the rest of the reading list can change my mind. Nothing compares to "The Arrival" yet.

Understand Comics

I didn't hate Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, but I didn't necessarily like it either. While I did find it very informative I also found it quite repetitive. A lot of my preconceived notions about this book were wrong. I was not expecting this to read like a textbook, nor was I aware it was informational. There's nothing with being informational and there's definitely nothing wrong with gaining knowledge in any aspect, but it is just not what I was expecting.

A lot of people in class think the author is a "tool." I didn't get that at all. I found him to be extremely friendly and eager to help. His extensive knowledge on the history of comics as well as the creative aspects of comics was very impressive and I'd be lying if I said I didn't learn something because I learned more than I ever wanted to know about comics. However for someone who already believes in comics as a valid source of art, this book reads like a desperate persuasion. At times it feels like he is whacking you over the head with his opinions and forcing you to agree with him. If I were a skeptic on comics or had no idea what classified art and what didn't I would have thought this book to be a revelation, but since I already respect its presence in the art world I really was not that moved by it.

I really LOVED Shaun Tan's "The Arrival" though. I could not say enough great things about it! Besides its obvious spectacular illustrations, the message it conveyed was extremely thought provoking. As someone who does not read comics or graphic narratives much, I was really surprised how much I enjoyed it. I loved the concept of the foreign land; it could have represented anywhere and I respect that he made up a land instead of using one that is recognizable. What is so great about the imagery is the fact that it is unrecognizable to anyone who encounters it. It really shows a great sensitivity to immigration by not only making the characters uncomfortable and frightened by the strange land, but also making the reader uncomfortable and unsure and well.