Both The Spirit and Contract with God are really outstanding reads as well as incredible pieces to look out, and that's what I love about Will Eisner's work. He doesn't take story lightly, and so the writing for his comics always turns out extraordinary. If story is intense and suspenseful, Eisner tells it in a way that is gripping and compelling, if the story is morose or melancholy, then he write's it in a way that moves the reader immensely.
In Contract with God, each of the stories are written in a way that really opens up the lives of all the different characters, we see them thrive, we see them fall, and sometimes we see them commit atrocious acts. The way Eisner moves us through their lives really reels us in, and I loved it so much I inhaled it all in almost just 5 minutes.
I think that Eisner is brilliant in the way that he prioritizes story over art, I think it really says a lot about him as a person, as well as an artist. I've seen so many beautiful movies and shows that looked absolutely incredible, but the writing was so bad that it killed what could have been a wonderful thing. Eisner values writing, and it really shows in his work, it's obvious that he didn't have an ego that many individuals, companies, and studios have today where visuals are the golden child and the script gets put on the back burner. He realizes the need for a harmony between the two to really create something meaningful.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
The Comic Strip
Out of the several comics we were given in class, I really enjoyed the work of Winsor McCay best of all. I found both Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend and Little Nemo in Slumberland to be beautiful comics, especially in comparison to other comics of the time that we looked at like Krazy Kat. Not that I disliked Krazy Kat, I thought Herriman's work was funny and entertaining, but I think that McCay's strips were more a lot more appealing to me visually, as well as from a storytelling view.
I found the characters in McCay's strips very interesting and leave you wanting to delve into their lives, especially so with Nemo in Slumberland. This goes back to my last entry on Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics on the subject of readers identifying with simpler characters, and I believe this is exactly what happens when reading about Nemo's adventures, I mean they really giving you something to latch onto. He's also very cute and innocent, and so of course the reader is going to be concerned about him and so they become inthralled and keep reading.
An artist whose work I've been following for a long time has actually been working on visually developing the Little Nemo in Slumberland story as if it were going to be an animated film, and its really really great stuff! I had never looked at the original strip for this class and I think it's interesting looking back on it with all the things I know now, I'll link it in the bottom!
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
On Understanding Comics
Something that McCloud talks about in Understanding Comics that really resonated with me was when he touched on the subject of the reader projecting themselves onto the characters. This is something that I haven't ever really thought much about, but when McCloud contrasts characters that are realistic vs ones that are plainer and more cartoony it makes so much sense. Because of the lack of detail in a plain face, readers tend to add their own features subconsciously with out realizing. Sure even with a detailed character a reader can still sympathize based on experiences and emotions, but when we can actually read a comic that seems to literally be us it's a completely different experience.
McCloud goes on to say that's why we identify with cartoons so much in our childhood, which I completely agree with. I would much rather have watched Scooby Doo over any live action children's show any day, because it felt easier to latch onto those simple characters and project yourself onto them and their adventures. I didn't care about the live action characters who's actors were the same people you saw on other stations or movies, that ruined the magic for me, all I wanted to know was who the Creeper turned out to be and what Scooby was going to do next.
He also says that if who the character is matters less, what they'll say will matter more. I think this is an outstanding way to think about it, and it makes so much sense. It makes me think of why I enjoy reading comics by one of my favorite current artists Emily Carroll. Her characters are so simple and plain looking, making it so that when they go through their lives whether they encounter tragic circumstances or a somewhat happy end, we can project ourselves onto what they are feeling because the reader can easily put our face onto the features of her characters.
Here is her website!
http://www.emcarroll.com/
McCloud goes on to say that's why we identify with cartoons so much in our childhood, which I completely agree with. I would much rather have watched Scooby Doo over any live action children's show any day, because it felt easier to latch onto those simple characters and project yourself onto them and their adventures. I didn't care about the live action characters who's actors were the same people you saw on other stations or movies, that ruined the magic for me, all I wanted to know was who the Creeper turned out to be and what Scooby was going to do next.
He also says that if who the character is matters less, what they'll say will matter more. I think this is an outstanding way to think about it, and it makes so much sense. It makes me think of why I enjoy reading comics by one of my favorite current artists Emily Carroll. Her characters are so simple and plain looking, making it so that when they go through their lives whether they encounter tragic circumstances or a somewhat happy end, we can project ourselves onto what they are feeling because the reader can easily put our face onto the features of her characters.
Here is her website!
http://www.emcarroll.com/
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