I first read Understanding Comics in high school, and the part of it that always stuck with me was on page 36 where Scott McCloud discusses how simplified cartoon images can make a reader see a reflection of themselves.
At the time in high school, my best friend and I were having an argument because she swore that she disliked all animated movies. As a future computer animation student this really annoyed me. Her argument was that because cartoons don't have real people, they're impossible to relate to. I disagreed with her. In fact, sometimes I found myself relating more to animated characters than characters played by actors in a gritty realistic setting, but I could never put my finger on why.
I think Scott McCloud's idea is really compelling. When we think about memories, we never get a clear visual right in front of us, but a fuzzy picture in our brains. If someday technology lets us transfer memories straight to a film, I think they would look very simplified and blurry.
When I'm reading a comic, the first thing I "read" tends to be the face. If it's a simple face, I can read the emotion faster. That means that I will empathize with the character faster. Comics with very simple styles tend to be things you can read quickly but still get a lot out of. Comics with very realistic and complex art styles, such as The Arrival, might take more than one read to get the most out of them. The Arrival was more about the journey and used atmosphere to put the reader in the shoes of the main character. If a comic uses too simple of a style, the reader won't be as invested in the environment the character lives in. It's all a matter of what style works best for a particular story.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Max Ernst
There is a woman dancing by a chicken.
In the next picture there is a giant chicken man along with the chicken who is at the woman's bedside.
Next, a woman is being lowered in a coffin while a naked woman watches in horror. I'm not sure which is supposed to be the woman from the first picture or if it is a dream she is having. Now there are two roosters.
The woman awakens in an unfamiliar room filled with statues of naked people. The rooster man is consulting with a hen beside him. Maybe he wants to marry the woman.
Next, it seems like the woman has killed herself in order to escape the rooster and the rooster man is screaming out in agony. Two normal chickens are at the woman's bed.
It looks like the rooster has taken off his suit and put it on the woman. Another woman looks shocked and I think the woman is dead. The rooster is hiding behind the dresser to make an escape.
Maybe the rooster wanted to become human or wanted to marry the woman.
In the next picture there is a giant chicken man along with the chicken who is at the woman's bedside.
Next, a woman is being lowered in a coffin while a naked woman watches in horror. I'm not sure which is supposed to be the woman from the first picture or if it is a dream she is having. Now there are two roosters.
The woman awakens in an unfamiliar room filled with statues of naked people. The rooster man is consulting with a hen beside him. Maybe he wants to marry the woman.
Next, it seems like the woman has killed herself in order to escape the rooster and the rooster man is screaming out in agony. Two normal chickens are at the woman's bed.
It looks like the rooster has taken off his suit and put it on the woman. Another woman looks shocked and I think the woman is dead. The rooster is hiding behind the dresser to make an escape.
Maybe the rooster wanted to become human or wanted to marry the woman.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Writing Assignment 1: The Arrival
The Arrival is able to tell its story without using words by following the main character and using emotion, actions, close-ups, setting and mood to show what he is feeling.
From the first page, we learn more about the character through close ups of the objects in his home. The object that we focus on is a family portrait. From panel to panel, the movement of the character shows that he is packing up to leave.
"Camera" movements are used from panel to panel. The most striking is when one panel will show a close-up of an object, and the next panels will "zoom out" from the object and show more information about the setting the character is in. For example, on page 16 the first panel is the family portrait, and the next panels move back to reveal that the man is on a ship.
Even when there is no dialogue, the expressions of the characters show what they are feeling. On page 38 the artist is able to show a conversation without using any words by using expressions and hand gestures. We can gather that the two people talking are having trouble understanding each other because the man in the hat has to draw up a picture to express what he is trying to find.
Since the story is about an immigrant, the artistic decision to leave out all dialogue makes sense because it puts the reader into the shoes of a person coming to a new land and experiencing the unfamiliar. Instead of explaining through dialogue, the story uses images that allow the reader to connect the dots of the plot.
From the first page, we learn more about the character through close ups of the objects in his home. The object that we focus on is a family portrait. From panel to panel, the movement of the character shows that he is packing up to leave.
"Camera" movements are used from panel to panel. The most striking is when one panel will show a close-up of an object, and the next panels will "zoom out" from the object and show more information about the setting the character is in. For example, on page 16 the first panel is the family portrait, and the next panels move back to reveal that the man is on a ship.
Even when there is no dialogue, the expressions of the characters show what they are feeling. On page 38 the artist is able to show a conversation without using any words by using expressions and hand gestures. We can gather that the two people talking are having trouble understanding each other because the man in the hat has to draw up a picture to express what he is trying to find.
Since the story is about an immigrant, the artistic decision to leave out all dialogue makes sense because it puts the reader into the shoes of a person coming to a new land and experiencing the unfamiliar. Instead of explaining through dialogue, the story uses images that allow the reader to connect the dots of the plot.
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