Blog Repost- Shaun Tan- The Arrival

The arrival by Shaun Tan is a very personal approach to the characters feeling of isolation in a foreign land. The story is told through snapshot drawings of everyday life. Everything from the food that is eaten, to the different fauna and flora that can be observed in this place. Not only does Tan portray this feeling of alienation, but he also makes the reader feel the same way; the animals have some resemblance to earthly creatures but even they are highly stylized. This feeling loneliness is also being experienced by the reader.The rendering of the work is phenomenal, when I see the mythical creatures mixed with magical cities, and I am immediately awed. Even the language that is posted on boards in the piece looks like alien hieroglyphs.
Tan portrays the differences even in the cloud formations.He immerses us in his environments, so that we too might be awed in the same way as the characters in the book.In a way Tan portrayed the character as loosing his identity in this new world. Personally, I think these pieces represent the United States and all the prospects she has to offer, in saying this many of the customs are different and a culture shock is immediately noticed, in this instance I speak from personal experience.In certain scenes he shows the character as tiny, so as to further the feeling of insignificance, to where some of the birds are even larger than him. Tan has to communicate through sketches due to an obvious language barrier.
By showing flashbacks of the characters family, we the reader have a tendency to feel sad for him and share his feelings.Things in the city look surreal and promising, yet daunting at the same time due to his cultural obstacles.Even the very physics of his existence seem to be off, he doesn't fit in. This is most easily seen when there are ships in the sky going beneath bridges.Everything is larger than life, everything looks mysterious and industrialized.He does however get used to these unusual settings and adopts some of the strange creatures. Each moment of his life is documented so as to accustom himself to his new reality.In the end he his family joins him in his new life (presumably in New York City). The drawings in this book are spectacular, the essence of his surroundings are personified for the viewer which makes the read all the more enriching.The composition, lighting and value is really beautiful all around. This is really a magnificent work of art.

When I am King and Electric sheep comix

When I am King
This is an interesting little work of art, the use of very simple shapes and colors is utilized.The format for me is also very interesting in that it is one direction the entire time, which is a different approach to the way Scott McCloud sees comics going. Multi directional and with many simultaneous events taking place.I think this one directional approach is direct and immediately readable, which is a different approach to many other comic artists that I have been exposed to this semester. There are no fancy dynamics or interestingly broken up spaces, what you see is what you get and that, in my opinion is the greatest attribute of a work such as this.





Patrick Farley- Electric Sheep Comix
Honestly, I don't know where to start with this piece, the imagery and special effects are unlike anything I've ever seen before. The characterization is very realistic and visually interactive with moving shapes and scenes etc.The idea of apes and our progression to humanity is an interesting mental journey. The idea of carnal nature is brought out by the fantasy world of the woman in the piece. My favorite part was when there were various organic elements, bacteria,veins and fish etc move across the screen.I'm interested to see what other artists are exploring this media option. I guess the message this piece brings, is that despite our advancement as a species, we still have very primitive understandings on certain subjects.

The Meek

The meek

I had not been exposed to web-comics before this class, after reading Meek my horizons have been expanded from an artistic point of view. The story is of a naturalist girl who is looking for her grandfather. Along the way she is chased by loggers, who haven’t had much female interaction, and as a result of their needs, they try to capture her. She however knows how to move around the jungle unseen. She asks for help but time after time she is disappointed. The artwork in this piece is great, the colors are really interesting, earthy yet mystical in some way. The organizing of graphic spaces is also very effective. For me one of the best characteristics is the characterization. The compositions are dynamic and the creatures are unique looking. 

Promethea and Sin City

Alan Moore- Promethea

I must be honest when I first read Promethea, I wasn’t particularly taken by the imagery, and it seemed a little zingy. As I’ve read further into his work, I am more and more impressed by Moore’s genius in creating a short story with incredible punch and meaning. After watching the interview The Mindscape of Alan Moore, I was immediately struck with the kind of concepts and symbolism that I am naturally drawn to as an artist. I would consider myself to be open-minded with topics as large as the ones Moore tackles, however with that mindset I ironically became close-minded to his conceptualizations. Needless to say the tides have changed. The imagery, even though it is not particularly what I go for typically, works, beautifully. The way that Moore refocuses the audience to topics that pertain to us as individuals and indeed as a whole, in a tangible/physical and malleable realm such as ours is quite brilliant. The idea of greater consciousness and materialism is something that I feel has been swept under the rug. Through contemporary media we are willingly blinding ourselves to the idea of non-local consciousness and abstract concepts of that nature. Physical temptation is now considered in a new light by the way in which Moore delivers his message. The story I read was about a girl (Sophie)who passed out and was able to access this dream-state of knowledge as a result of coming across Promethea and route 32- the crossing point of physicality and consciousness. The idea of human mortality and the immortality of the soul in contrast are thought provoking to say the least. We essentially have become so consciously detached from universal ordinance, and as a result of poor judgment of freedom of choice that we have now condemned ourselves. Basically what I’m saying is I’m now a fan of Moore’s work and the depth to which his concepts/stories frequently reach.

Frank Miller- Sin City
I have read several episodes of Millers work as well as watched the movie. The illustration is amazing, the use of graphic shapes and abstraction of form is what increases the drama of the work ten fold. I can clearly imagine the characters, even had I not seen the movie. The wording in Miller's work is concise, unlike Alan Moore who tends to elaborate very clearly what's happening through wording. I feel that Miller leaves more to the reader its almost like he wants the reader to expose their dark-side to relate to the work. The composition, lighting and characterization communicates everything that is needed to be understood very quickly in these episodes. High contrast imagery heightens the tension of the scenes. This is truly a masterful collection of art and literature.

Alice in Sunderland

                                                                 Alice in Sunderland- Brian Talbot

This is concrete evidence that comics do indeed hold much literary value. Alice in Sunderland is an informative piece of writing that elaborates on the general vicinity of Sunderland, England. The work is very theatrical; most of the story is of a play setting, the actor, is also the narrator of the stories. Interesting historical facts can be learned from this piece. This piece is a great way to learn general knowledge of European history and significant figures, particularly within the English culture. The imagery is very fitting for the scene, these is transitioning in the story between the reality of the narrator and the events that are elaborated as part of the narrative. The juxtaposition of photographs and illustrations is very effective, at times I found myself double taking some of the images. His drawing style is articulated beautifully. The penmanship he shows is rich in texture and packed with emotional stimuli. The depth that he achieves is through deliberate and bold mark making is easily apparent. As mentioned earlier this piece is packed full of general knowledge and is accurate to actual historical events, I think the approach is beneficial to learning particularly from an illustrative standpoint. This communication that is vital to the success of illustrators in particular, however that cannot be narrowed to a single field. I feel that this work has not only put Alice in Wonderland into context but indeed other significant figures such as Shakespeare, Captain Cook, Ruskin, Churchill to name a few. The characters and contexts that are explained in Alice in Sunderland increase the richness of other popular works, as we now have a greater understanding of the cultural advancement. Something that is lost in contemporary art, particularly since the emergence of movies and the fictional qualities of these works, which are brought to light. I really enjoyed this work by Talbot, it is informative which I personally appreciate. The lineage and stories of characters (non fiction) fascinates me due to the anthropologic value of the respective character’s backgrounds.

Comics as contemporary literature

Daniel Clowes- Eight ball (Like a velvet glove in cast iron)

This comic is about a man by the name of Clay, he goes to watch a movie at a filthy cinema. Some sort of dominatrix type movie, the story progresses by him borrowing a car from an acquaintance, and being arrested for smelling like alcohol due to a drunken teller lady. Whilst he in the police car the officers spot a prostitute, have her way with her, only to find out she is some three-eyed alien who was the dominatrix character in the movie. The style of art is graphically striking, strong use of high contrast values, this creates a sense of dramatization and tension throughout the story, there value shifts determine whether the movie is being shown of whether it is a view of Carl. The simplified line work has an almost wood cut type appearance; in some ways the style reminds me of Rockwell Kent. This piece has a strange ending in that both suspects are released and the officers drive off. This is an interesting piece of literature nevertheless.

Love and Rockets- Hernandez Bros

The imagery in this piece is very informative for the viewer, the words add accent to the artwork. The story is about a promiscuous woman who has various relations with men; part of the reason is that she just wants to live life without having to worry about her children. She ends up with a serial killer who dies whilst she is with him. The organization of visual elements is simple yet theatrical by the use of high contrast even to make the mid value areas apparent. This work was a great way to learn how to have simultaneous happenings within a limited framework.

Manga

Ranma- Rumiko Takahashi

Typically I’m not a fan of this style of artwork. However, in saying that, Ranma was certainly an enjoyable read. The cultural differences between American comics and manga really aren’t that far apart. Though the styles are different the layout and compositional elements hold a lot of similarity for me. I’m definitely a fan of the way space was handled in this work especially during action scenes and indeed scenes that are a little more intimate. The idea of arranged marriage is something that is probably unheard of in this country, however I could relate I that there is a large influence of Indian tradition in South Africa, who have similar customs to those mentioned in the story. There are some places where artistic license has been used to its full extent, by way of the nimble “kung-fu” panda character and sex changing pools. Though the concepts may seem far-fetched, it is still within reach for the reader to fill in the blanks and make the story more readable. I really enjoyed the way that Takahashi created dynamic compositions, full of depth and movement. The spaces are interesting by way of placement and varied shapes of the frames.

 

Buddha – Osamu Tezuka

The story of a boy who is sent south to find a mysterious man is very intriguing. The story entails the details of the boy’s travels, including his mother being kidnapped and is threatened to be sold. The style of this work is very interesting; I do feel that at times there were two distinctive voices of artwork coming through. One is more stylized and one more representational and rendered to a further lever. These contrasting styles create a sort of transition of the work. The usage of space and placement and shapes of frames is highly effective. This is a very fast moving coming with plenty of action and that’s the way its intended to be read, in my opinion.

Wide World of Comics

Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis

This work holds a strong theme of political unrest and social problems. The simplification in her drawings is awesome. The use of high contrast graphic images is really effective. The use of exclusively black and white holds symbolism in itself in that the message she is trying to deliver is very clear; there is no grey area to what she is saying in this work, especially in themes that pertain strongly to Eastern cultures.

Daytripper – Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba

First off, this comic blew my mind in terms of imagery, color, composition and the surrealism is beautiful. The brothers that created this piece were truly masterful, not only in imagery but also in the story line itself. The happenings in life no matter how large are small are shown in this comic. Scenes of life changing events such as new prospects juxtaposed with events like fights with a girlfriend, or simple appreciation of nature, really help to give the piece depth and create a truly immersive environment for the reader to explore. The stylization of the drawing is simple, yet highly descriptive; the particular message being communicated comes through strongly. This work will certainly influence my own pieces.

Stereotype and ethics of representation

American Born Chinese- this comic for me was a great change of pace. Everyday situations are addressed simply and directly. There is certain honesty and personality to the work, it is very easy to get into the story, simple school situations and making new friends are easy to appreciate, the clean, lighthearted nature of this piece is refreshing. The use of color is muted which also makes for a more soothing read (if I can put it that way). The use of space is simple and easy to navigate. There are no complex dynamics to the drawing, which I do love, but again the story was just aesthetically pleasing in its simplicity.

Stuck Rubber Baby Howard Cruse

I read snippets of this piece and was most interested by social, political and moral issues that were addressed. The technique used in the drawing is also distinctively different from much of the work that we have studied this semester. Interesting dynamics and layouts of the space make the piece more immersive for the reader.

Palestine by Joe Sacco

During my readings I looked at some work by Sacco, my other that the emotionally evoking story line, I was particularly drawn to his style of drawing. The depth that is achieved in his work is, for me, believable in its nature. They point of view is often unusual and highly effective. The placement of his text in negative spaces was also interesting for me. His use of font and breaking up of the page is also intriguing and on a personal level I’d like to adopt some of those characteristics to my own style.

Maus

Art Spiegelman has spoken to the world in a new light.This is truly a riveting piece of work, it is terrifying and enlightening. Bringing WWII and the atrocities of the Holocaust out into the open, it is deeply disturbing and yet lightened in some way.This piece of enlightening literature makes a particularly difficult time to understand a little easier, with the simplification of characters.The emotional weight the subject matter of this piece bears, would not be as readable, had the characters not been simplified stylizations of animals. After all thats all we really are especially in a time of war, when we separate ourselves from our humanity.The dialect between Art and his father is convincing, his father is very bitter from his past horrors, understandable and yet deeply saddening at the same time.The experiences that must have been faced by these people are unmatched by the average persons wildest nightmares.The story of Jewish desensitization and dehumanization is something that I find difficult to put into words.These events were not just an insult to the Jewish people but rather an insult to humanity and should be seen as such. People have become complacent to the possibility of such recurrences and that is a scary prospect for humanity. People from every walk of life have been indirectly affected by these events in some way and that is truly awful. Maus almost serves as a warning to humanity in that it show the potential beastly nature of humans. The experiences though separate were indirectly shared. The emotional turmoil of the prisoners is to be expected and most commonly the side that is seen. But the same applies for the other side unfortunately. The German officers entered this job as servicemen doing the right patriotic thing for their country and yet instead they became the inflictors of this cruelty by the order of a higher rank. The emotional turmoil they must have faced in their freedom must have been devastating. This is the reason that WWII was considered the first total war- it was a psychological war against the people too.The separation of people and race in these times was horrendous. People lost their compassion altogether in order to save themselves.There are however exceptions to the rule and kindness is revealed, Vladek had an old lady give Anja his letters, which is a slight glimmer of hope in the darkest of times.There was also a time when a lady and her family allowed Vladek and Anja into their home in the absence of her husband.Eventually they had to leave as the soldiers were coming to inspect the houses, however this compassion is unmistakeable. This book is particularly difficult for me to read in that these events hit close to home and they move me deeply. These innocent victims of greed and power experienced the most heinous acts committed by man on man yet, the necessity for this book is essential, I personally do not know if I could handle Vol. 2. Having said that, fantastic book for what it is communicating, the justifications for its high commendation are obvious. The moral of he story is vitally important for all people of the world to know.

Underground Comics

These comics were interesting to say the least, honestly I didn't know they even made comics with this type of adult subject matter. This seemed like a very raw, free for all, time in the comic book industry. Among my readings were: Mr Natural, Barefootz, Tits and Clits and Air Pirate funnies. There is a certain dark/cynical nature to these works in some ways. They definitely had laughable parts to them.The sexual nature was absurd and kind of ridiculously funny in some ways. One liners that you can't not chuckle at. Somehow things that were just not meant to be funny by their nature, became randomly comical in an off-the-wall kid of way.Strange and interesting times those must have been for the comic book industry.

A Contract with God; Blankets

A contract with God is an interesting story in its subject matter to say the least. There is definitely a more dark, adult overtone to this piece. A little too gloomy for my taste but interesting within the context for which it was intended. I love the style of drawing especially his use of rain and how it melts into everything. The overall theme is preachy in many ways, a man is tested until the death of his daughter, he changes and attempts to become who he was and then dies. A little unfulfilling in some regards, the artwork is great though (at times a little too loose for the serious subject matter), I also enjoy the dramatic lighting and dynamic compositions.
Blankets on the other hand is a little less heavy handed with the darkness and moral of the story.The idea of the world being viewed through the eyes of a boy is interesting. It is more personal in a way than in Eisner's work.I do prefer this approach by comparison.The artwork is what really draws me in. The woodcut/engraving stylized line is something that I have been attempting in my own work. The graphic imagery is very interesting and creates a certain dynamic. The actual layout of the graphic novel is interesting in that the grid is broken and the windows are a little more sporadic and compelling.

Tin Tin - In Tibet

This for me is by far my most familiar comic.Tin Tin has more of a British influence, hence my familiarity - Zimbabwe and South Africa being British Colonies are often exposed to European media as opposed to American literature. Tin Tin is always jam packed with action, even in what could be typically mundane scenes. There is a certain energy to this work that keeps the reader engaged.New characters and adventures are ever present in Tin Tin. Snowy in a way is the logical insight into the situation.He is really a person in the form of a dog, which is interesting.- an early version of Brian from Family Guy perhaps. Events happen in quick succession, there is no time to blink in terms of action. This piece is intended for a younger audience, it is fast paced and much like many movies today. The expansion of subjects and circumstance is something that is often observed in Tin Tin. Sometimes they can be a little long winded, this technique is in search of heightening the suspense and giving greater details about the character and their reaction to certain events. The characters and artwork is dynamic and believable which is another reason why I really enjoy Tin Tin.

Comic Strips

Little Nemo in Slumberland

In this piece Windsor McCay has made a brilliant recreation of the dreams of a child.The ideas are a simple portrayal of childhood adventures. The range of ideas is seemingly endless, McCay was truly a master of his creation.These travels through this parallel dimension never seem to have a happy ending,  rather a correlation of something happening to him in real life. Part of the humor is; that in life there is a constant challenge, whether you are in a dream or in reality. In a sense it shows that they are, in some form, one in the same. Nemo is faced with numerous challenges in this dream-state, many of them very dangerous e.g polar bears, falling. McCay portrays a certain charm in his work, the looseness of his style and playful line, is almost contradictory to the challenges Nemo faces in his sleep. This further shows how life should not be taken so seriously; there are many obstacles that come and go, take them with a pinch of salt. After all we read comics to escape reality in a way, so that we may enter the world of the character.

Calvin and Hobbes

This for me is one of the more familiar strips having not been exposed to American comics very much. The land of the child imagination and dreams-state seems to be a popular choice for comic strip artists.The lessons Calvin learns are often comical and ambiguous. The pretend world we used to live in as children is highly relatable. Hobbes is the product of Calvin's imagination, he is a stuffed toy Tiger. Everything is normal in seemingly intangible as it would be to a child and indeed to us all. A light hearted and warming comic strip for the whole family.

Peanuts

Yet another familiar comic strip, I would always find myself reading these comics in newspapers.The simple set up of the strip and the interaction of the characters is interesting. Peanuts is truly a universal comic in that I have seen it here in the United States, but also in Southern Africa (including Zimbabwe). Each character has a distinctive personality, regardless of their words. I have always thought this was intriguing, how comic artists could create this persona. As I have grown as an illustrator it is easy to appreciate how difficult this simple characterization is to master. Shultz maintains the character to their usual type actions so as to not confuse them, the personality is solely that character. This simple to read strip is enjoyable for any audience.The message is straight-forward and the characters are easy to read.This truly one of the most well known comics and it is easy to see why.

Understanding Comics - Scott McCloud

This video is truly eye opening and I agree with everything that McCloud had to say. The superficiality we apply to art these days is quite disconcerting, striving for the most striking and 'cool' looking image has removed the face and personality of the artist. Its all about the consumer and not so much about the creative, human intuition that was required to generate such an image e.g. Apple logo. Idea generation and readability is really the point of making an image, rather then just giving the viewer what they want to see, sometimes they should have to work a little; explore the environment that the artist has put forward.All too often we take the expedient route: we try to improve our work and technique faster than we do our concepts.The idea of virtual comics is fantastic, art can achieve a new dimension. Simultaneous events can be taking place which immerses the reader. The intrigue and depth this technique brings makes readability more stimulating, almost as if it were a 3D realm that we the viewer/reader are able to experience.

The Arrival - Shaun Tan

This beautifully illustrated picture book seems to capture the theatrical moment with breathtaking clarity.Words have a certain ambiguity whereas these images speak from the soul in a universal language. In this case silence is far louder than words.The story of a man entering a strange land and his only means of communication is through drawing; this idea fascinates me as a foreigner. Even within the English language there can be cultural barriers and misunderstandings.The drawings show immense structures with strange creatures and a different way of seeing and thinking.The feeling of not belonging within a certain environment is portrayed very strongly. By using universal human gesticulation the idea that Tan is trying to communicate is done so with ease. We familiarize with the character; we feel his detachment and loneliness.A simple image of a man looking at a family photograph says it all. As previously mentioned, this story is relatable on many different levels. This book is more than just a description of a man on a journey, but rather a metaphor designed to be understood by all.These are human emotions realized on paper, this is truly an inspiring book.

Ernst

In the first image a woman and a rooster are having what seems to be a face-off over a basket of eggs.The woman appears to be waving her arms in a flapping motion, in a way mocking the rooster. Meanwhile the rooster is upright and properly poised. To me this appears to be a switch of roll play.
The following image is of the woman sleeping whilst the rooster and a rooster man watch over her.The next scene is of two women who seem to have been kidnapped by the chicken people. In this switch of roles the birds are sophisticated, while the people are nude and objectified. As the images progress one of the  women is murdered by the fowls. Meanwhile other women are dancing and blissfully unaware of the lurking rooster man. This man seems to be ruling over the women in following picture, as the story progresses the people are afraid and hiding from the chicken man.
The rooster from the first frame has hired men to kill the women. The bird people are now controlling the humans and torturing them. Some of the humans side with the chicken people, these people wage war on other humans. In time it seems that all the humans have been eradicated and the rooster people are triumphant and all that is left is images of the humans.