Week 3: Comic Strips

Peanuts

I start with Peanuts because it holds a very special place in my heart. One of the very first animated cartoons I ever remember seeing was A Charlie Brown Christmas. This short film inspired me to delve into the comics with an appreciation and fervor that is only comparable to the Madeline books and TV show. Charlie Brown, despite being a giant woobie and all-around kick bag for many of the other characters, I find to be charming and good-intentioned despite his faults, making him extremely relatable. All of the children in Peanuts are relatable in one way or another, and most comics revolving around a bunch of kids at school with funny one-liners easily grabs my attention anyway.

Calvin and Hobbes

I never really read Calvin and Hobbes when I was younger, but I knew the precipice of the strip. I knew it was about a boy and his stuffed tiger, and I knew they got into all sorts of mischief. Reading it now, its very clever: you forget that Hobbes doesn't really talk or exist. He seems like a literal and very real part of the family, which I guess to Calvin he is. I like how the comic takes you sorta into Calvin's point of view and you get to fully experience Hobbes the way Calvin does.


Little Nemo

I watched the movie before I ever read the comics, and even then it was very very long ago that I watched it. But then I took History of Animation and learned all about Winsor McCay. Reading the comics whilst knowing the tediousness of how each panel was done and what it lead to, I was really impressed with how clean the art style was. It's an enjoyable comic to read and despite its predictability plot-wise, its never a dull ride, especially for Little Nemo.

Week 2: Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

At first this book's format confused me, despite how much I wanted to understand and learn from it. But after I was finally able to understand what I was reading, it became extremely helpful. I've been interested in creating a comic of my own for several years now, and this was the first book recommended to me. The concepts and ideas of how comics are interpreted and how they come about gave me some perspective and insight in how I want the comic I one day make to read.

It also amazed me how the book itself is a large, detailed comic.