Unlike painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, comics aren’t necessarily made of any one material. They are more of a collage. Bill Kartalopoulos, the series editor for The Best American Comics, wrote that “comics represent a conceptual strategy that can embrace all kinds of artwork into its method.” One of the best examples of the collage style in comics, and the most literal, is What… Read more →
In the world of science fiction there is almost no limit to the talent or abilities a superhero might possess. The word superhero itself has the power to conjure up many fantastical images and anomalies, and the characters who exhibit these qualities infuse the genre with a certain uniqueness and excitement. From an early age I’ve always been fascinated with… Read more →
Every culture has its old romantic hero. To name a few, Japan has its samurai, Europe has the Viking, and America has its cowboy. Although they all have their unique and interesting traits, the American hero stands a little bit apart from the rest. What makes the cowboy different is that he doesn’t fight for a lord, government, or silver.… Read more →
The relationship between the plots of Tales of the Black Freighter and the developments in Watchmen is one of the most interesting features of Watchmen. It was clear to me that the role of Bernie sitting at the news stand, where breaking news is related but doesn’t occur, was made to separate the pirate tale from the action while acting as a foil for… Read more →
Figuring out this blog entries title was extremely difficult if I do say so myself. BUT regardless of the difficulty it’s charm is comical, and cunning much like the work of V for Vendetta. I first heard/saw V for Vendetta a few years back when browsing Netflix bored one summer. To my surprise it turned out to be one of the most… Read more →
When looking to begin the creation of a comic book, many people don’t know where to look for the basics. Scott McCloud authored abook called Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art in order to help those looking to make their own comic books, delving into what makes them a unique medium. McCloud goes through the beginning of how to not only draw,… Read more →
Banned books are commonly discussed in schools across America in many different ways. Some schools read ‘banned’ books and discuss the controversy surrounding that book, and other schools discuss the next book they want to ban. However, when one talks about banned books, one probably does not think about a ban on graphic novels being taught. At least in my… Read more →
I noticed that there was already an article about Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, but this article will be touching on some other points. You may know that an animated adaptation for this graphic novel is coming up next year, but all we have for now are a few references to the novel and some scenes recreated in a few of… Read more →
I can recall reading Alan Moore, and David Gibbons, “Watchmen” when I was in freshman year of high school. It was one of the first graphic novels that I had ever read and I can honestly say it made me think more than I ever thought a simple comic could. One of the most entertaining things about Watchmen is how easily… Read more →
Watchmen isn’t the last word on the superhero genre. Neither is The Dark Knight Returns. Superhero comics aren’t just places for gritty “realism”, anti-heroes, and moral compasses damaged beyond repair. They can be full of wonder, optimism, and act as an escape from a world that is becoming full of darkness and evil without insulting readers’ intelligence. So if you’re tired of election ads or the 24 hour news cycle, here are some superhero comics that are… Read more →