I find that Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi truly lives up to the hype as one of the greatest graphic novels ever written. When I first came upon it in the 7th grade, I took a quick look at Satrapi's style: flat and almost child-like. It was because of this style that I passed it up before, but now I think its one of the many charming qualities of this work. Satrapi discusses growing up in Iran after the Islamic Revolution, and I found Satrapi's style very appropriate for the story; it is simple and transparent which gives a sense of innocence. As a reader I felt like a child trying to understand the complicated world and events that are occurring, just like Satrapi in the story. Thinking about it, its brilliant how the simple aesthetic of the work juxtaposes the complexity of Iran's situation. Though sometimes artistic style is uncontrollable and I'm sure Satrapi did not purposefully draw with any such intention, I find it all the more great how the visuals placed with the content subconsciously puts the reader more in Satrapi's childhood perspective.
The story was really enjoyable to read: the perfect mix between social history and personal experience. I am not familiar or educated about the conflicts in the Middle East, and I was young when 9/11 happened, and sometimes fell into the fear propaganda that sprang up. I am always looking to educate myself about Islamic culture and what has happened the past couple of decades. It was nice reading this story from young Satrapi's perspective was a way to guide the novice reader into some of the events that occurred and understanding a new perspective.
Part of what makes Persepolis so engaging is how personal it is. Satrapi doesn't only tell what happened; she also directs the reader's attention to what is significant. She titles her chapters with things mentioned in the chapters (Kim Wilde, Persepolis, the Cigarette...etc) that are symbolic of the chapter's essence. While pretty much all authors do that when naming their chapters, sometimes I find it not so successful. With Satrapi, I know she is very thoughtful about them, and it is fun to read the chapter and think back to why she named it so.
Dr. Steiling had pointed out how Satrapi's compositions sometimes reflected patterns. I thought that was an interesting point, considering how prevalent patterns are in Islamic culture. I thought that was a nice way to subliminally tie together some qualities of the story with the aesthetic of the comic.
These are some of the things that I like so much about Persepolis; whether Satrapi's intention or not, every element (drawings, content, meaning) relates to one another. There is nothing random about the choices, which make the experience of reading it all the more engaging and engrossing. I got lost in it and read it quickly in one go; it was one of the most enjoyable reading experiences ive ever had.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Week 5: Blankets
This week we started delving into the world of the graphic novel. I decided to read Blankets by Craig Thompson. I had never heard of it prior to this class. Just looking at the cover, I got this impression that it was going to be this really beautiful and sentimental reading experience, and it was. I love Thompson's style. He draws everything with simple black and white lines, but the different line weight he uses throughout his drawings looks almost like he is using a brush, which adds this beauty and emphasizes the delicateness of his drawings.
The story was probably one of the most touching coming-of-age stories I have ever read. I felt like he intertwined religion and his own experience in a poetic way, incorporating passages from the bible with illustrations of what he was doing in the real world. And sometimes intertwining unworldly religious imagery with him in the real world depending on how much his faith was affecting him at the time. I grew up in a nonsecular household, so the pressure that Thompson was under with such a devout family and the amount he looked to his faith was not something I completely understood. I worried that this would affect my understanding of the rest of the novel, considering how much it was an integral part of Thompson's life. But he illustrated and presented this aspect of his life in such a clear way...I didn't have to know anything about Christianity to understand his conflicts and struggles.
Thompson is remarkable at subtle and sensitive storytelling. While there are many excellent moments, the one that impacted me the most was how he talked about him and his brother's sexual abuse by their babysitter. In the very beginning, I remember this drawing of his brother. You had no idea of what context his brother was in, just a boy holding hands with some adult and looking back at Thompson. But the way Thompson drew his brother, with these unsettling big black pit eyes, had really hit me. I had no idea why, but just looking at the drawing made me uncomfortable, and I knew something was awry. When I had got to the point in the book where Thompson actually talks about the abuse, you saw the exact same drawing again, only this time you knew the context. I was so moved in that moment; how Thompson was able to foreshadow this dark part of the story simply by drawing two larger-than-normal black circles for eyes.
The story was probably one of the most touching coming-of-age stories I have ever read. I felt like he intertwined religion and his own experience in a poetic way, incorporating passages from the bible with illustrations of what he was doing in the real world. And sometimes intertwining unworldly religious imagery with him in the real world depending on how much his faith was affecting him at the time. I grew up in a nonsecular household, so the pressure that Thompson was under with such a devout family and the amount he looked to his faith was not something I completely understood. I worried that this would affect my understanding of the rest of the novel, considering how much it was an integral part of Thompson's life. But he illustrated and presented this aspect of his life in such a clear way...I didn't have to know anything about Christianity to understand his conflicts and struggles.
Thompson is remarkable at subtle and sensitive storytelling. While there are many excellent moments, the one that impacted me the most was how he talked about him and his brother's sexual abuse by their babysitter. In the very beginning, I remember this drawing of his brother. You had no idea of what context his brother was in, just a boy holding hands with some adult and looking back at Thompson. But the way Thompson drew his brother, with these unsettling big black pit eyes, had really hit me. I had no idea why, but just looking at the drawing made me uncomfortable, and I knew something was awry. When I had got to the point in the book where Thompson actually talks about the abuse, you saw the exact same drawing again, only this time you knew the context. I was so moved in that moment; how Thompson was able to foreshadow this dark part of the story simply by drawing two larger-than-normal black circles for eyes.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Underground Comix
This week we dove into the world of underground comics. Right off the bat, I was struck by how crude and crass the content was. For example, while reading "air pirates," Mickey was lamenting to the world why nobody would "fuck him." Later in the comic was the sick man's fantasy of seeing Mickey and Minnie pornography. I couldn't help but laugh, its so amusing how raunchy some of these comics were. Despite the fact that the artistry was not always the best, I find the whimsical line work appropriate for the crude content. The various visual styles most definitely lend to its messy, dark charm.
Intrigued by their unapologetic titles, I was particularly drawn to "Tits and Clits" and . This was one of the first times women really started making their own comics, and they truly depicted empowered females. It was empowering to the point where it seemed like satire. I don't know if the author was completely serious or joking when she created this...but it definitely was shocking how crude and unapollogetically blunt it was.
I could definitely see a difference in attitude when it came to this "empowered female" comic in comparison to the first edition of Wonder Woman. Several weeks back, when we were covering the first comic books to come out, I read this Wonder Woman comic that was published in the late 40s'. Despite featuring a female heroine when most of all other costumed heroes were male, it was apparent that the author was male, and that the times did not yet understand what it was like to have women equal to men. Meanwhile, I read "Girl Fight," where a woman named Fox is depicted having sex with both women and men without a hint of submission, successfully killing a jaguar to wear its skin, and joining an all female militia. The difference was astounding.
Intrigued by their unapologetic titles, I was particularly drawn to "Tits and Clits" and . This was one of the first times women really started making their own comics, and they truly depicted empowered females. It was empowering to the point where it seemed like satire. I don't know if the author was completely serious or joking when she created this...but it definitely was shocking how crude and unapollogetically blunt it was.
I could definitely see a difference in attitude when it came to this "empowered female" comic in comparison to the first edition of Wonder Woman. Several weeks back, when we were covering the first comic books to come out, I read this Wonder Woman comic that was published in the late 40s'. Despite featuring a female heroine when most of all other costumed heroes were male, it was apparent that the author was male, and that the times did not yet understand what it was like to have women equal to men. Meanwhile, I read "Girl Fight," where a woman named Fox is depicted having sex with both women and men without a hint of submission, successfully killing a jaguar to wear its skin, and joining an all female militia. The difference was astounding.
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