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.