Manga: "Buddha (Vol. 1)" by Osama Tezuka

I feel like I've seen other works by Tezuka before or at least his work has been influential to other works that I've read. Overall, even though I get a little confused by the story, I really enjoyed it and found it very entertaining. I will say some of the immersion in reading the story is lost by the English translation that is more modern-day slang words, but I do understand that its also to make it more relatable to younger readers. I did find it interesting that Tezuka illustrated the head monk, Master Asita, having a pack of cigarettes and food hidden in his robes that hints that the book was more modernly written and as a little inside joke. Even though I only know a little about India and its history, I found the mixture of Japanese manga and historical Indian culture and stories to be really refreshing. The art style is also very unique but I enjoy that is it very clear and easy to tell where the environment is as well as the characters being very easy to identify.I also noticed that this book read from left to right, or at least the layout of the comic's panels allows for American readers to easily digest the information or understand the situations. The use of action and motion in panels for fights was also really fun and enjoyable to read, and I felt a lot of the impacts based on drawings alone. If I find the other book volumes, I would gladly read them!

The Wide World of Comics: "Persepolis"

It's easy to forget how much we can people of privilege in the United States, and while I try to stay informed with international news like BBC and Vice News, its very easy to forget that the world outside the states is incredibly different from what I've come to know here.

After reading "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, I was plagued with these thoughts, but I was also incredibly surprised to read a comic of such a mature caliber so easily. As we had discussed in class, many countries outside of Europe were not confined by what children could read and not read, and they're also were able to spread their demographic beyond children and also expand to adults when it came to comics. A small side note, I was also intrigued when Satrapi discussed her comic book versions of complex beliefs and ideologies that she would read every now and then because it only seemed to heighten the gap of how different my childhood readings were from that of a child outside of the states.

Overall, I really enjoyed the simplicity of the comic style and illustrations, as well as Satrapi's narration of the story to help explain or describe things I didn't understand. The way the novel is written and drawn also made me realize that the comics were truly for anyone and everyone to read. It wasn't confined to the genre and languages of children or made too graphic that youth would be scarred from reading it. It was simply a story for any person to consume, and I think that's the main reason I kept reading despite sometimes begin unable to relate fully. I also feel like it helped me expand my worldview on what life can be like for international students, and how greatly the lives of American youths can differ in both good and bad ways.

It did make me a little depressed to realize that, we as a country and the flow of information is controlled and distributed, have not allowed our generations to be able to grow and acquire knowledge as freely when we favor conservative lifestyles and prefer to restrict what youth learn in order to maintain old-fashioned values or to dictate the image of our country to the young masses.

Stereotypes in Comics Part II: "March"

Alright, there was a lot of readings this week, so I tried to get through as much as possible of "March," as well as the article "Comicsgate: How an Anti-Diversity Harassment Campaign in Comics Got Ugly—and Profitable" and the small comic "What Do We Mean When We Say “Toxic Masculinity?” I'll briefly give my thoughts on each and then address my opinions on the use of stereotypes.

"March" was a graphic novel that I found incredibly intriguing, as I've found most historical graphic narratives to be easier for me to digest and process. It's a topic that I don't believe has been discussed enough in school curriculums or in general, as segregation laws and the mistreatment of African Americans will most likely be a stain in which this country can never truly remove, but certainly cover-up. In truth, it becomes harder for me to read stereotypes these days unless they are completely and utterly exaggerated to prove the point.  I felt this way in "March" as I know there were historical stereotypes against African American people, but most of those stereotypes aren't commonly brought up in context today. 

The "#Comicsgate" article was more familiar to me, and while I didn't associate the contents of the article with stereotypes at first, I can see how female comic workers can have stereotypes created about them even if the stereotypes are absolutely not true or accurate. In this instance, stereotypes were created to try and push women back out of the comics industry or to tarnish their reputation by men who feel that they are not allowed in the industry.

Reading the short webcomic about "Toxic Masculinity" was also a topic I was very familiar with, as it has been more and more commonly addressed as well, and the world today is beginning to tear away the common male stereotypes that have created unhealthy standards and behavioral responses for men in society.

In terms of stereotypes being used in the comic, animation, and gaming industry, I do feel that these industries must rely on stereotypes to communicate an idea, even though I don't agree with the practice of it. I don't believe it is entirely necessary to tell a story, no matter how much better a story might read when using a stereotype. I think the use of stereotypes should be reduced in the sense of how characters are portrayed and designed, and that diversity and realism should be created not out of old stereotypes but based on people today and to encourage the normalization of people who don't fit under labels or stereotypes. I haven't been personally affected by stereotypes in the entertainment industries as far as I am aware, but I also must say that I haven't been able to watch many films or play too many games lately.

Stereotypes in Comics Pt. I: "The Fifth Beatle"

I was most encouraged to read "The Fifth Beatle" because of watching the animated film "Yellow Submarine" for the first time a little while ago in class, and I've honestly not been able to get "Eleanor Rigby" and "Nowhere Man" out of my head for a solid week at least. I'm also embarrassed to say I have little to no awareness of The Beatles and their history as a band but was quite struck by the songs I heard and thought this book might help introduce me more to the band.

At first, the beginning was a little abrupt with the contrast of The Beatles playing a concert in their earlier days juxtaposed with the beating of a man who I would later realize is both the main character and gay. But from there it was hook, line, and sinker.  Not only was the progression of Brian Epstein character through time fascinating, but the careful attention to the steady spiral into poor physical and mental health was almost like watching a match be stuck in slow motion. His character was conveyed with such bright and charismatic energy that was constantly shadowed by doctor's visits and quite mental spirals into dejection or loneliness.

It's no wonder how he burns out so quickly with the pressure, drugs, and societal norms. Still, the story was incredibly beautiful and moving despite such a sad ending to Epstein's story, and I found that I could profoundly relate to Epstein's sense of great longing for companionship (in the sense of sharing the wonders of life and being one's true self with another human being) as well as the heavy sense of isolation between the Brian the world saw versus Brian alone.

I also could gush for days about the incredible illustrations of this novel, especially it's the use of lighting and expressions to convey delight amounts of depth in mood or tones in each panel. I also felt that the captured likeness of the characters was very well done, and I found it to be incredibly immersive to see and recognize the characters with their real-world likeness.

Overall, the most intriguing aspect of this comic was not only the deeply personal sentiments throughout the novel, and how there was such a heavy stigma against gay people that was emphasized as well. Epstein's homosexuality was addressed multiple times in the story, even during the first 5 pages. He was beaten, belittled, and questioned about qualities he had that fell into the common tropes of what a gay man should be or act like. He had a high sense of cleanliness and fashion, did art and illustrations, was thinner, and overall showed little interest in women. All of these qualities were noticed by people he encountered, and while a few showed acceptance or indifference, most people made the instant assumption that he was a gay man and enforced the stereotype on Epstein, who took drugs and medication to try to suppress his true natures.

I was intrigued to see the stereotypes of the gay man in the '60s and '70s be addressed in this comic, especially for such a pivotal character for The Beatles and their career, and how the story didn't rely on Epstein's homosexuality to tell morals or motivate the progression of the story whatsoever, but rather include it for what it must of felt like for Epstein: a quiet but ever-present truth about one's identity that could not be erased or suppressed, no matter how many pill you take.

Maus

Overall, the book was very surprising. I didn’t have much of a premise of the novel other than it being about the holocaust before reading it, which is a genre that is hard for me to digest sometimes despite the event being so critical to understand. The most surprising part of “Maus” was not only the fact that the main characters were depicted as animals rather than human beings but the very personal nature of the film as a whole. I never felt like I was excluded from the conversation of the book because I’m neither Jewish or experienced the Holocaust, but rather invited in as a quiet shadow to Art Spiegelman as he slowly but persistent gathers the story of his family's experiences in the war. It was incredibly easy to stand in Art’s shoes and relate to his curiosity and even annoyance with his father. A small note, I thought it was extremely relatable when Vladek threw out Art’s old jacket because he thought it was too run down for his son to be wearing, and it made the whole reading so much more relatable.  My mom has also done the same thing in the past, but no nearly as abruptly as Vladek had, but it still reminded me of those moments.

I was also more surprised to feel more comfortable reading this comic than previous Holocaust materials. My high school had us read books like “Night” by Elie Wiesel that only made me feel intense guilt and disgust about the events of the Holocaust because it was so detailed and I felt so terrible that humans could conceive such terrible things for one another. I don’t want to say that this book is watered down, because the events and concepts are not watered down whatsoever. I want to express that because the characters are depicted as animals and we are constantly experiencing Art’s side of writing the story, we are given terrible events and stories in manage doses that we can retain better and with less aversion, because the novel balances both terrible events with very human qualities and experiences. It allows me to want to continue reading without as much guilt or a sense of helplessness, which is what I normally feel (and should feel) when reading Holocaust memoirs.

The pacing of the story is also, I think, one of it’s greatest achievements. I never felt lost or overwhelmed by the amount of content as the first book progressed. I will admit that I wasn’t able to reach the second book, but the first was very manageable and conversational rather than a daunting un-ending amount of story. The story's natural flow between the past and present is incredibly tasteful and even when the present quickly removes us from the past storytelling, it still feels very gently and very much how our attention would shift in real life. I also want to mention that I appreciated that Art preserved how his father told the story and wrote the recounts word for word from his father's mouth. It's very easy to want to make sure that there is clarity for the audience, especially when it comes to dialogue and proper grammar, but it would have felt far different if Vladek had spoken perfect English without an accent. Instead, we can read it in our head exactly how Vladek would have spoken about it, and although I had to re-read a few sections, it made the story much more immersive and realistic.

Overall, I really enjoyed the first book and will move to read the second as soon as I am able because it was incredibly written. I also forgot to mention that this illustrated story felt, at least to me, very reminiscing of “The Arrival” in its personable qualities, but still more literal and grimmer. I will say, too, that a large reason why the story makes me want to read more is the fact that I’m reading a story within a story. Both Vladek’s history and Art's present contains stories that I desperately want to find the conclusion of. I root for the families as they progress, both past and present, and even though I feel like I could guess the endings of each, I’m still compelled by my love for the characters as well as finding the ending out for myself rather than letting it remain a mystery.

The Underground

I know we received a warning in class, but I truly still was unprepared for most of the content within the comics that I read. For the most part, I jumped between Zap, Arcade, Barefoots, and I also looked at Four Sketchbooks and Gay Comic. I also listened to most of the songs provided, but my favorite was Strange Brew while I read. I think it's safe to say, because of some of the content in comics, that it was hard to enjoy most of the comics even while being pretty immersed just because of my own personal tastes. (Gay Comics actually being an exception to this rule.) So I want to talk about what I did like about the comics.

I thought the art style and graphics linework was wildly energetic, and a lot of the illustrations were extreme caricature that had been pushed to the brink of stylization and exaggeration in order to depict a character's most important physical traits or to help stereotype characters in away. I found that especially in Zap and Four Sketchbooks. The drawings overall where what impressed me the most, and while I sometimes found some of the comic stories to be humorous or entertaining, I couldn't truly relate to any other comic other than Gay Comix.

Gay Comix was blunt and brutally honest about the gay and queer experience, and even though there were still parts of the comic that were a little... too much for me, I supremely enjoyed a lot of the storytelling and felt like these were glorified or romanticized stories that I can often see today, but rather the comic artist sat me down in their living rooms and simply told me how being queer was and how their life had unfolded. The best way I can put reading Gay Comix was that it was a conversation. One that I really enjoyed out of all the rest, and inspires me to keep reading it.