The Mini-Comic as a Group Project

Let me start by saying that I absolutely hate working on group projects for many of the reasons we mentioned in class: I usually like to come up with my own ideas so I can remain interested in what I'm working on, I don't appreciate it when others try to take on a position of authority, and the final product resulting from such group work is usually not so great in comparison to tasks taken on individually. I remember having to write a group research paper on animal life in Asia a couple semesters ago, and despite the fact that I tried to make that paper as stylistically uniform as possible, different sections still felt very disconnected, and we ended up with a B.

That being said, the mini-comic is a much more appropriate assignment for working in a group context. My reasoning for this is that there are a number of elements that come with constructing a comic book different enough from one another that they can be taken on by different people and brought together at the end without creating a sense of disconnect. In my group, for example, which consisted of two people, we both collaborated on the story we were trying to tell, I took on the task of creating the artwork, and my partner completed all the lettering. These final two tasks were performed individually but did not create a strong sense of disconnect because they are different enough from one another that they did not clash in any significant ways.

That's the beauty of multimodal group projects. If people are responsible for their own modes within that project, the sense of disconnect becomes weaker. Other groups had a member responsible for shading, and even lettering and the actual words of the story could be taken on seperately from one another. For these reasons, I believe the mini-comic was probably one of the most successful group projects of which I have ever been a part.

Mini Comic Art

So I figured that representation would probably be the most difficult part of creating our mini-comic on George Washington saving America. This was due to the fact that we needed to incorporate a lot of characters that are easily recognizable in the media at the present (Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, George Bush, and Dick Cheney). I do not consider myself to be an especially talented artist, so I was definitely concerned when I offered to do all the art for the comic. However, I think I came to a decent solution that ending up giving the comic additional visual meaning in a good way.

I looked up a number of random political cartoons on Google images and based my drawings of these characters on those political cartoons. I feel that the fact that the characters are based on their depictions in previous political cartoons really comes across when paying attention to the artwork. Since political cartoons, 90% of the time, critique political figureheads in a major way, the way they are represented in our mini-comic gives the reader an additional sense of critique on these characters. The fact that Gerge Washinton is drawn so simply in comparison helps make this more noticable. And of course I had to make Rupert Murdoch look a bit like Hitler, because he deserves it.

Stuck Rubber Baby: Page Layout

Again, as I continue to read Stuck Rubber Baby, I am so glad we are done with Alan Moore and back into the realm of the realistic. The emotional impact of Cruse's novel is almost as great as the impact Blankets (one of my new "favorite books" on facebook) had on me. Then again, maybe that's because I've been listening to Tupac's "Changes" on a regular basis for the past few days. Anyways...

The way that Cruse lays out some of his pages is fascinating. I believe the opening page of chapter ten (p. 76) is extremely well done. In the background of the page's upper left corner there is an image of Toland looking in at Russell Park, his back to the reader as if he is trapped outside the park, which represents a fight against prejudice, but wants to be let in. In the foreground of the same image is another picture of Toland, this time his face visible to the reader. While this second image of Toland also displays the same sort of longing to be on the other side of the fence, the fence also obstructs his image and gives the reader the sense that Toland's sexuality acts as an entrapment. Directly below this image is a third image of Toland, this time in his present state telling the story directly to the audience. This third image of Toland is placed in front of the fence acting as the younger Toland's cage, representing Toland's eventual capacity to come to terms with his sexuality and escape the feelings of entrapment it causes him. Overall, the way Cruse works with the two images of the fence and the multiple images of Toland in such a symbolic way emphasizes they way that multimodal texts can use images to create additional meanings. Well done, Mr. Cruse!

Stuck Rubber Baby- First Impressions

Again, this is the sort of graphic novel I think I prefer- the kind that focuses on realistic situations and personal issues at an intimate level. I read Howard Cruse's "Acknowledgments" at the end of the novel, and I was surprised to learn that the book is a work of fiction. The realistic quality of the situations in Stuck Rubber Baby is enhanced by the detailed manner with which Cruse describes his characters and their interests, and I assume it would be easy for any reader to think they were reading an illustrated memoir. I have to give major props for that sort of intricacy.

The reading is a bit slower, as the lettering is small and there's a lot of it, but I have to admit I love the way Cruse chooses to bold certain words in almost every text bubble. Just as a poet might use meter to emphasize certain words within a line of verse, Cruse's choice to make certain words bold works to enhance the overall meaning taken away from a single bubble. Maybe I'll elaborate on this using a specific panel for my next post...

Now this is more like it...

I have to say that reading through two of Allen Moore's graphic novels right in a row was a bit of a chore. After reading Blankets, which was one of the more enjoyable works I've ever read for a class at U of I, entering the world of politics and super heroes was sort of a downer. Maybe I just find it easier to relate to things that pertain more obviously to the actual world, cognitive estrangement aside. While I can see how V for Vendetta is easily related to some aspects of America's current political state, I have to say that my deep interest in politics and even some political "conspiracy theories" related to the CFR, New World Order, NAFTA Superhighway, and Security and Prosperity Partnership make me interested in how a country allows itself to become a fascist state, not the problems with fascism itself.

But along comes David Collier's Portraits from Life, with its intense focus on actual personal histories, and I am enjoying the reading again. My favorite two portraits thus far have been of Ethel Catherwood and Grey Owl. Not only have I not heard of these individuals before, but their stories are fairly interesting. My interest in these stories mainly stems from their endings. Collier's depiction of Catherwood at the end of the first portrait is good for a laugh because it seems strange that someone who made such a seemingly profound impact on the world of track and field would become a bitter recluse. I found it similarly funny when Grey Owl punched a man in the face and stated "I'll show you who's a fucking faker!" While these individuals represent important aspects of history and made impacts on the world, they still have their own personal problems to deal with. They are not perfect, and their imperfections are what make them interesting.