Will Eisner's: A Contract with God

A Contract God was amazing! I was instantly captivated by Eisner's sick sense of humor. The novel became a little intense at times, but nothing unbearable. It is definitely not a children's comic, which for me was a great contrast as it lacks the whimsical and somewhat "foofy" elements that were in the previous comics we had been reading. Eisner's illustrations with the ink was fantastic and perfect his sense of humor and the story it really gave the drab and unhappy vibe a great look. 

The great mini-stories that all seem unrelated come together brilliantly. Everything has a life lesson. I did also really enjoy Eisner's break from traditional comic book structure by removing the bounding box and placing the text immersed either in the ink work or closely corresponding to it. 

Art Spiegelman's: MAUS

This really hit home for me. My grandparents are both Holocaust survivors and after growing up listening to their stories and visiting Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, Israel; Maus had a huge impactfull read for me.

I really liked the illustrations and how Spiegelman used cats and mice to illustrate the Nazis & Jews. Mostly because I hate cats hahaha.

After my grandparents stories and growing up hearing about the Holocaust and studying it in my high school and on my own free time, MAUS provided another enriched experience about how WW2 affected everyone in Europe and the families destroyed.

MAUS is a new favorite literary find of mine and I really want to thank you for making this a mandatory read.

Craig Thompson's: Blankets

WOW! What can I say? This graphic narrative really did not resonate with me. I know it is based off Craig Thompson's own life and experiences but it was way to "foofy" for me. The overemotional "stuff" I think really got in the way. The narrative itself was very well written, but the more life changing and real world problems such as a somewhat abusive father, being forced to share a bed with your brother and a problem I personally have is religion being overbearingly forced upon a child. Especially to the point, that Craig feels terrible for masturbating as it literally eats away at him and his relationship with God and Jesus.

I did however really enjoy the goofiness and wacky illustrations. The illustration style really did fit the story perfectly, again however I did not care too much for the story. It dragged on way too long.

Little Nemo & Krazy Kat

As a child I have seen Little Nemo in Slumberland in both Hebrew and English and both are quite fantastical. [I say both because since they are the same movie, the translations have a bit of a difference in there meanings.] I loved the movie the surreal imagery always astonished me. I am really happy to know after reading a Little Nemo comic the layout and panels are just as fantastical.

I really enjoyed Krazy Kat, I do not have too much to say about it other than it seemed to me to be a precursor to Tom & Jerry. I am not really a fan of the style used but the story was very "cute" I would have to say, the simple situations the Kat always found himself in, were drawn perfectly for the story.

The Arrival: Shaun Tan

I found the Arrival very interesting at first I really got a sense of what I understand as the "American Dream." As we follow a man to make his way in a foreign country and the hardships he had to face. At the same time I got a WW2 vibe from the comic. The giants destroying towns for what I understand as just for the hell of it or their beliefs.

Through the horrors cast by the giants I still got along more with the man's journey to a foreign country. As often travel to foreign countries by myself. I really got the feeling that Shaun Tan had experienced the same as I and illustrated it beautifully. For me the comic read more as storyboard rather than a comic. The series of illustrations eluded to an animatic. Though illustrations were wonderfully rendered.

Scott McCloud's: Understanding Comics

THIS WAS GENIUS! To drive home the point of comics and to truly understand comics and how the read them in the language of comics was amazing. More than the format of the comic book, I really loved the point of how we can relate to comic characters even when they are simplified even to an extreme. As a Motion Designer, everything we do, the goal is to simplify simplify simplify. McCloud even suggests that the more we simplify the better!

This was an amazing read and I believe that at least every incoming freshman at Ringling should read this comic, because it makes storyboarding, illustration and even graphic design make much more sense on a base level of understanding.

Class 01 - In Class Response

Page 01
Crazy witch lady standing casting a spell on a man who fell to his death down a flight of stairs. There is also a rooster standing at the witch's feet looking up in admiration at her


Page 02
Again we see the witch this time standing of a girl who appears to be sleeping or dead on a table in a small wooden room. The rooster is still standing looking up at the witch's face. 


Page 03
This page we see the witch again dressed in a robe of feathers just as the previous page with the rooster for a head; looking down at the same girl presumably six feet under ground in a coffin. And a Greek/Roman Statue looking down on the girl as well.


Page 04
This scene we see a larger rooster appearing to be yelling at someone with a girl either in pain or dead on the ground in front of them as well as on the counter top behind them in an important looking room filled with arches and statues.


Page 05
We see a girl apparently dead on the bedroom floor wrapped in bed sheets spilling blood amongst the floor. The rooster standing with his head up on the mattress and what appears to be man holding his arms up victoriously in the doorway.


Page 06
The same man from the doorway appears to be be dead or hanging on a wardrobe door this time. There is a woman looking back at him not looking terribly heart-stricken and the rooster is standing in the robe again peering from behind the wardrobe.