Week 14

I actually discovered web comics back in high school when I was slowly phasing out of manga. Many of the ones I liked reading were actually Korean web comics, and I would either read them in Korean, or find translated versions of them. Web comics are actually very popular in South Korean, probably the same level of popularity manga has in the US, Japan, or any other exposed countries. I got into them because they had a variety of visual styles, and used color, compared to manga that tends to homogenize the facial structure and follow the same general aesthetic in terms of eyes, hair, rendering, etc with few exceptions or slight variations.

For this week, I chose to read Trash Mountain, a GIF web comic. I had seen web comics that utilize GIFs in certain situations, like for instance, there was one that was a standard scrolling horror web comic, but once you scrolled down to a certain part, a GIF takes over and produces a jump scare for the readers. This one however, had moving images in every page. I loved the interactivity of it, and the music in the background. Although I found the imagery a little noisy and hard to read, I appreciated the simplicity and almost low effort, meme-like quality of the comic. Over all it was a very fun experience, I can’t help but be excited for future possibilities with GIF web comics.

Week 13- Killing Joke Blog Response

What is the reaction to the text you just read?

            I had seen the movie before so I knew what I was in for. A thought I do have though in comparison is that the movie felt more impactful for me. Probably because the movie was an hour and a half in comparison to the significantly smaller portion of time it took to read the comic, or just because I had already seen it or I hadn’t read as closely to every single line since I had seen it before. It might also be due to the fact the movie has more capacity since it has the capability to bring in music as well which can be a huge factor for emotional impact.

            One thing I hadn’t seen before was the monologue in the few pages of the “ordinary” guy’s plan for Batman and his own future. It got me thinking there really could be and are people like this out there with intentions or thoughts such as this and no one could be wiser.

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

            I really connected with the aspect of the story where it took Batman’s forgiveness or even the thought of forgiving Joker beforehand in order for the two to have a bonding moment together despite their history. It made a lot of sense to me, since Batman is a vigilante and Joker is a sympathetic villain (to the readers in this comic at least), it would never occur to them to just sit down and talk. In fact, with crimes and a record as heinous as the Joker’s, it wouldn’t occur to bother to try being more empathic to the criminal; there is just the desperate urge to get him off the streets and under due process. Batman was able to get passed that and tried to talk through to the Joker as physical altercations and their usual banter was wearing thin.

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

What medium would you use?

I would want to turn this comic into a live action comic film.

I see a lot of potential for good cinematic visuals with the composition of the comic’s art. There is pretty much already a script and a story that is well structured, and the animated film proves that with its pacing and run time. The material of this comic is pretty heavy and dark, which is what I like to see in cinematic settings. With more relatable “real life” visuals and delivery, I see a well marketed, well executed live action film reaching more people and potentially making a deeper connection, as the message or content could be less digestible or impactful for some being delivered in a comic/cartoon format; especially in this currently rising trend of blockbuster action comic films. The changes I would make are in soundtrack, some changes to minor details like setting or time period so that I’m able to leave my own creative imprint on the product rather than ripping off the comic page for page and without ruining the property, and maybe making some of the events in the story even darker or impressionable.

Week 12

This week’s reading for me was Diary of a Dominatrix by Molly Kiely. I don’t know what exactly I was thinking or expecting going into this one based on the name, but that’s why I chose it. Being on the list for women’s comics, I thought I would find some profound insight or a twist that made it special. I don’t know if I just missed something or I don’t have the right mindset to take in certain insights but all I got from reading this comic was very sexual images and dialogue. Which I shouldn’t be surprised by, but I was surprised that it turned out to just be a literal diary of a dominatrix in comic format. I don’t know if it would be insensitive to say this or ignorant, but it really did just come across as erotica in comic format, or pornography. But if that was the case, maybe there is something to be discussed there I just don’t think about or relate to, like maybe women’s sexuality or something about the traditional role of women, etc.

Week 11

This week’s reading for me was Eightball. Unlike most of my other readings, that have all been selecting based on pre-existing notions or impressions, this one was completely random and new to me. I had never even heard of the comic or read a comic or anything in a style like it myself. As for first impressions of Eightball, the very first thing that popped out to me was the art style. It’s a very cartoony depiction but it’s not the typical cute or simple style as usually seen in mainstream media. Instead, this comic has a very disturbing feel to it, very similar to Joan Cornella’s work. Surprisingly, even within that comparison, although Joan’s work is known to be disturbing and ugly at times, its mostly for the content or subject of the comic, not the actual artwork itself. With this comic, I feel like though the message of Joan’s work might be more controversial or disturbing, the artwork of Eightball makes me feel even uneasier. I noticed there is a lot of emphasis and focus on the character’s eyes and how they were shaded, giving a dark circle effect on top of their strange head proportions. I’m sure there are many people out there that appreciate this comic and are fans, but I can’t get passed the art style enough to say I can enjoy the comic. There’s just something very unsettling flipping through these pages and seeing these faces on every one of them.

Week 10

This week’s topic was on Japanese comics and manga. I actually grew up reading manga and watching anime in my childhood and adolescence, so I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s reading. I chose to read Battle Angel Alita for the reading for a pretty transparent reason. I had recently seen the film adaptation for Battle Angel Alita and absolutely loved it. The visuals were amazing, the story was fun, and it really just sold me to another epic world. I wanted to see the original content it was adapted from, and maybe compare to see how true to the source it stayed. This was the first thought I had seeing the manga, as I’ve seen many anime to film adaptations that, although might have been a decent project had it been a standalone original idea, flopped because the fans felt betrayed when they strayed from the original source.  That was the case with Ghost in the Shell, Death Note, and many other adaptations of manga with an almost cult following. After reading the first chapter of the manga, I found many similarities and connections between the comic and film, enough to say I feel the film did justice for the comic. My only concern there is the fact that I watched the film first before the comic, as it may have influenced my decision.