Week 7: Maus

As soon as I started reading this, I immediately thought of a monologue from the movie Inglorious Basterds. In this monologue, the German officer is talking about "thinking like a Jew" and how most Germans can't think like a Jew. The officer said that Germans think like hawks, like born predators. But Jews "think like rats", in that they pay up their dignity for survival and hide in the most unlikely of places. Throughout our discussion in class, it was mentioned how the father can no longer relate to his son. I feel like that that's happened because he has sacrificed that human relationship so that he and his son can survive. I read a quote once, "There's no condition one adjusts to so quickly as a state of war", and I think that there's truth to it, especially in Maus. When you're in that situation, you have to do anything to survive, including shut down your emotions.  Because once you're dead, you're gone forever, and even if you've lost a bit of dignity you're alive to tell the tale and build yourself up again.

Week 6: Underground Comics

Oh man, talk about letting it all hang open. I read in class a particularly raunchy retake on The Tortoise and Hare, where both animals are drunkard, angry characters who have a thing for a little bunny with swag. The language is much more adult, and though the style is still very childlike and there's cameos of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the tone is so much more mature. On a less scandalous note, I read another comic in class that involved very short stories with very simplistic drawings. What made me interested was that it was blatantly labeled as "adult content", and I was expecting something completely different from what I got: some very intellectual humor for adults, not necessarily adult. The only thing to properly warrant that warning was the occasional f-word thrown in for clear dramatic effect. I did chuckle a few times, and I was pleasantly surprised by the contents. It's funny how these two different comics are two very opposite extremes of the same genre.

Week 5: Craig Thompson's Blankets

These are the types of comics I enjoy the most. Graphic novels with emotion and excellent storytelling. Blankets in particular was very heartfelt and easily relatable. I too have gone through many of the same things that have happened in this story, and the whole thing is very personable. There was one seen in particular where he, uh, "has some alone time" and he mentions that whether we believe it or not, that was the only time he did that his senior year. That scene alone is very telling: in most religious sects, it is looked down upon to satisfy yourself in that way. He is in the process of venturing out of religious constrictions. Having feelings for this girl has given him the audacity to do so. It's so personal and in a way feels very raw and powerful, which makes it enjoyable to read.

Week 4: Comic books

I have always thought comic book reading to be a glamorous hobby that I would never waste my money on. Not to say I haven't read them, but comic books are a particular vein of sequential art that I never had too much interest in. And the reason is because I don't like the wording, nor do I like the style of drawing. I know that comic books are targeted toward children, but I feel that the dramatic style of the text is being forced down my throat. I'm being fed all the information, leaving no room for me to think and form my own conclusion. There's drama, but no suspense. I enjoy the superhero mythology, so much so that I've tried reading super hero comics just to experience those stories, but the way it is presented is still not enjoyable for me.