So, when I was growing up there was this animated television show that I fell in love with. I had not thought about it for many years, but when we collectively read Akira, all the memories came flooding back. It was called Star Blazers, and it told the tale of a heroic crew fighting to save the Earth from the… Read more →
Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home was the most depressing book I have ever read. Now that I have your attention, let me explain what I mean. I admit that before this class, I had never heard of this book or its author. Through my own research and reading, I came to understand its significance, and I came to appreciate the excellent… Read more →
As the semester here at Mary Washington continues to progress, and as we delve into more and more literature, we have come to an interesting point in the course syllabus. We are now attempting to define what a “comic” is, and how the term “graphic novel” came to be. Graphic novels, as a medium, have the ability to entertain us,… Read more →
Initially, when I picked up Lynda Barry’s book “What It Is,” I was not exactly sure what to make of it. Its scrapbook collage style was something I had not anticipated, and to be honest, I was not overly enthusiastic about reading it. However, the more I read, I realized that there is perhaps potentially more to Ms. Barry’s message… Read more →
In my first blog article, I wrote about the growing importance of graphic novels in the classroom. But, as it turns out, they can do so much more than simply teach history or English. They can also educate and help young children build self-confidence. A wonderful example of this is the graphic novel memoir, “El Deafo,” written and illustrated by… Read more →
I would like to focus on “The Super,” a short story in Will Eisner’s graphic novel, “A Contract with God.” As I talk to different people about this story, I am consistently surprised that most people do not realize that the real villain in this tale is the little girl, Rosie. It is at this point, before I begin my… Read more →
I can say confidently that through my childhood, the term “Graphic Novel,” was not a part of my vocabulary. To be honest, my first recollection of the graphic novel genre probably did not occur until the late 1980s or early 90s. This was well after I graduated high school. However, like many other teenage boys, if you ever found me… Read more →
As I walk around the Mary Washington campus, it becomes immediately clear that I am not your typical student. I am most decidedly not of the Millennial Generation. In fact, I am from what has been called the MTV Generation, or Generation X. I went to elementary and intermediate school in the 1970s and early 80s, and graduated high school… Read more →