Web Comics - Required and Recommended Reading

Required Reading:

HARK! A Vagrant!! - Kate Beaton

            When I stumbled across this web comic I found it really goofy, or rather "derpy". That sketchy silliness is totally up my alley for comedic taste next to politically incorrect humor. 

Each short strip consists of historical references and jokes. One of my favorites out of the ones I had read was a strip of Queen Elizabeth I and her exaggerated wardrobe. Now that’s not exactly what this particular blog is focused on, however I wanted to express my appreciation towards this comic.

Web Comic Recommendations:

Quantum Vibe by Scott Bieser and Zeke Bieser, January 2011

Quantum Vibe is a Sci-fi comic series based in the future during 2523 C.E. While each volume/ chapter follows an individual character and is named after them the story particularly follows main protagonist Nicole Oreseme. She looks to reshape her life after a sudden break up with her boyfriend Philbert. She works with Dr. Seamus O' Murchadha

Together they make studies on "quantum vibremonics" and research further on this scientific process. I’d tell more but I feel as though I would be spoiling too much.

The story has a variety of strong characters. Some of these characters are inspired and based off of real people ranging from politicians to YouTubers. They are mainly drawn in an American-manga-cartoon style of some sort. Many of the early strips are mostly black and white. The more current ones consist of full color pages. If you would like to check out this comic click the link here: http://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=1

In-Class Questions to the First Volume of Authority

     1.     Are there any prominent symbols in the story? If so, what are they? How are they used?

There are some symbols used in the story, one of those being of circle acting as though it were a cultish symbol. It seemed to be likely the symbol of the antagonist/ villain of the comic series. Speaking in terms of subliminal symbolism, I did notice that some of the super heroes look very similar to those of the Justice League of D.C. comics. Now that might just be an over analyzing that but it was something I did notice. Another symbol, which was talked about in a film shown in class, was the idea of superheroes as being a sort of shaman. They all hold this responsibility of acting like god-like beings while holding shaman-like traits. In a couple of pages, Jenny talks about the previous doctor encountering the “Shaman” and not being able to handle the encounter. Somehow this seems to symbolize that not every person in power can hold this spiritual responsibility

2.     What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.

Now with personal connections, I honestly had none. However as I stated in the last question I noticed a connection to the Justice League/ Friends. If you analyze the characters from the first volume we have Hawksmoor (a Hawkwoman-like spin off character), Jenny (who reminds me of a Wonder Woman with the British flag making up her outfit instead of a U.S. flag look), Angie Spica (a female version of Martian), and of course the obvious Apollo and Midnighter (Superman and Batman). I found these kinds of connections to be really clever and take me back to when I was completely obsessed with the original cast of characters these ones play off on.

3.     What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?

For me I honestly would not make a change, seeing as what the story is trying to do is play off of characters most of us have become familiar with and setting them into a more violent and dramatic situation, that being the situation of war. Now that being said, if that’s the point it is trying to get across, I would leave it as it is. However I can see this being adapted to a film or a television series. I think the only thing I would consider changing is making a couple of the names of certain characters like Jenny or Angie Spice to make it obvious as to who they portray and parody in the series.

Super Hero Comics - Hell Boy

Hell Boy: Savage Dragon by Erik Larson

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's… Hell Boy fighting Hitler? That’s right you heard it straight from here folks, Hell Boy verses "Lex Luther" version of Adolf Hitler. After he kills Hitler, the villains take his brain, which was preserved and transferred into an ape’s head. It sounds quite silly when I put it down on type. The comic takes a similar approach to the early superhero comics that carried anti-Nazi themes (the justice friends/ league verses hitler) and taken to a humorous level of sci-fi. While reading it was difficult to tell whether or not to take the comic in a serious manner or comedic. Then again though Hell Boy is known for meshing the two together.

One thing I can admire about the Hell Boy series is the blocky art style. There is just something about it that made the character’s image stick with me after only seeing a picture of him once in high school. However I do have to say that some of the surrounding characters seem to not fit in or match at all. Like Dragon he has a little bit more detail than Hell Boy and when they stand side-by-side Dragon sticks out. Though I wouldn’t say that he stuck out like a sore thumb. Something cool I also noticed is that the speech bubbles change when comparing antagonist dialogue and protagonist speech. When a villain speaks the bubble is very loose, stylized, and even jagged sometimes with a colored outline around it, while it remains a smooth circle with thin lines for the heroes.

I can’t say I’ve ever read a Hell Boy comic, but I grew up around a father who was super into him and I can see why. To be quite frank, Hell Boy is super badass! Not just for the edgy art style but his edgy personality. That’s something I can admire in a character.

Women Illustrators in Comics - The Arabian Nights

I felt like going for something rather simple and focuses on fantasy instead of something based on real life based stories in comic. I wanted to escape reality for a little while (like most media usually do). So I chose to peak into Arabian Nights which was illustrated by Lillian Chestney. This comic, clearly by the title, revolves around the collection of fables in Middle Eastern culture in particularly Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. In the beginning as well as through the comic, it goes over the origins of the stories and how they came to be written.

The style displays similarities to the golden age of comics. Using the color scheme, designs, and angles of super hero and classic comics. I think one of my favorite character designs in the comic is that of Scheherezade, the main character telling the story of the Arabian Nights to her father. This can be credited to her simple silhouette that shows of her hip to waist ratio (exaggerated for means of her design) and her color palette of whites, reds, and purples. She is easily remembered and recognizable. For the panels I can honestly say that the set up of the comic strips somewhat reminded me of the graphic novel versions of classics. These include the graphic novel of Hamlet, Pride and Prejudice, The Wizard of Oz, and Frankenstein. Which isn’t bad of course. I find it to be particularly good just for those who want something easy to digest reading. This can be good for those who have trouble focusing or for those who are more visual learners.

Contemporary Comics

Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot

            While reading this comic I have to say I was pleased with the style, set up, and its sub-genre. What most people might think of as slow paced and boring, I find to be interesting as a small taste of local history in Sunderland, United Kingdom. In more specific detail, the book goes over the history of a well-known famous theatre in the area as well as the historic origins of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

            The artwork was very unique and almost seemed to be constantly changing. When the narrator was transitioning into a ‘flashback’ or talking about a different time period something about the drawings would change slightly. Be it simple or with more detail than the last, it changes to visually tell the reader that the setting has changed without any text saying so. The same can be said when the fourth wall breaks when the author comes in to further narrate for the character in the auditorium and, of course, the reader. What’s even more humorous and pushes the fourth wall even further is when another comic is introduced within the comic. I found it to be very clever and funny. I would recommend this to anyone who either loves history or wants to learn history with some visuals to go along with it.

Day Tripper by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon

            I decided to read this briefly after reading Alice in Sunderland. I found myself to enjoy this comic a lot! It holds a captivating story, and a very precedent style.

The story revolves around an author. He self reflects and realized that over time his writings that used to revolve around subjects of life now are stories about death. The main character also recognizes that he lives under his father’s shadow as a fellow writer.

Now unfortunately I couldn’t read more than the first issue since the files of the other volumes are incompatible with my computer. I’m left on a cliff hanger dying to know what will happen next!