Today in class we discussed the topic of: Underground Comics. This has probably been one of my personal favorites. Underground comics is a great example of a rich sub-culture and one that consists of very passionate and devoted followers. The sub culture of comic books explores areas of interest that very few mediums would have ever considered before the popularity of the internet.
Sex, drugs, lust, nudity, violence, racism, religion, etc are all very taboo subjects, when being handled delicately, which underground comics used to fuel their own personal success. The sub culture of comics used these different topics and themes and pushed them to the extreme. The opening showed sex in various panels, along with nudity and violence. A lot of the underground comics showed all of them combined in the same issue. The underground artists were not afraid to explore the medium.
In class we discussed the use of drugs and psychedelics, which were often popular amongst the underground comic genre. Various underground artists, would try to represent the feelings and emotions experienced during drug use, sex, etc, through the comic book medium. Some artists were heavy users of hardcore drugs like lsd, and heroin. However, this honesty and pureness to their work provided an experience to the viewer which is rarely felt, through media which has been heavily censored by corporations and various censorship committees.
Dr Atomic was the underground piece that I had a chance to look at in class. This was a really hard one to put down. One of the more important notes to make about underground comics, lies in the mastership and execution of the medium. A lot of the work which came out of this field was extremely well done. The artists were amazing artists who explored amazing ideas. Dr. Atomic is a great example of this. The panels flow very interesting and are amazingly well drawn. One never finds himself having trouble becoming immersed in the action and following the zany character, who is Dr. Atomic. Besides the pure aesthetics of Dr. Atomic the content also fit perfectly into the underground comic culture. This particular issue dealt with the irony of uneducated social classes, who pass judgment and show discrimination towards other groups with different opinions. This issue also touched on the absurdity of the media and the news networks, prompting Dr. Atomic to build a spaceship which would take him off of earth. Awesome!
Underground comics are a goldmine for anyone looking to think [outside of the box.] The topics and issues explored are not for everyone, but there is also something for everyone if you dig deep enough. The culture is very strong and the popularity of this comic craze has only grown with the development of the internet and the availability of information on topics that are not considered main stream or normal. These comics feature some of the most interesting and pure explorations in any artistic medium and have indirectly helped pave the way for a lot of the "crazyness" which has become the internet and popular culture today.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Comic Book
Today in class we talked about the comic book. I had the pleasure to read Action Comics #1. Why is this comic book significant? Action comics #1 is the piece that introduced Superman to the world. I have heard about this issue before, but never had the chance to read it. I think a lot can be said about this issue and has more than enough substance to deserve an entire post.
Superman clearly paved the way for the future of superhero comics. This iconic character brought a new formula of the mythical hero to light, and did so through the use of the comic book medium. One can quickly see in today's society the impact Superman has had on us culturally, by taking a click glance at the box office. Lets see.. in the past two years how many blockbusters have been produced, which have had superheros as the main protagonist? The answer is astounding: three spidermans, three batmans, two hulks, two fantastic fours, three xmens, two ironmans, a catwoman, and the list goes on... amazing, and what can we attribute this to? Profit and Action comics #1.
This comic shows a much different Superman, than the one of today's standard. Instead, the first superman reflected a lot of qualities of the ideal conformist, who believed in providing safety for the police and serving men of political stature. In class there was the discussion of the creators of superman: Jerry Siegel/Joe Shuster, who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. The first superman dealt with several common issues in the first pages of his existence, one of them being domestic abuse. It is apparent that the creators put a lot of their own personal concerns and love into the man who became superman.
Why was Superman such a success? A lot of his success can be attributed to the timing of his birth. World War II was raging and it superman provided an icon and symbol for the american soldier. He represented something the average American could attribute to become, and someone who people ethically and morally responded to at the time. The good guy standing up against the powers of evil and restoring order to the universe. This characteristic paved the way for hundreds of superheros who followed the man we know as superman. However, this trend did not last for ever. The arrival of the anti-hero eventually paved way for a new hero, which a much different nation related to years later, after Superman had clearly been established.
On a more trivial note, Superman also had undeveloped powers in the first Comic. He did not have the ability to fly and was not as evidently super as he is represented today. For instance, when he would need to get from point a to point b: he would simple run and jump! Yes, he would jump super far to transcend different heights and traverse the urban landscapes. Not nearly as exciting as flying?
In conclusion, everyone should have the opportunity to experience the birth of Superman. It is really interesting to see the qualities and essence of the character distilled into the very first pages of his existence, but like many comics it does just that. The idea and clear characteristics of Superman can be felt by the reader from the very beginning. The success of Superman has had a huge cultural impact on today's society. We would not have the movies we have and the heros we love today if it were not for the success and importance of the iconic Superman.
Superman clearly paved the way for the future of superhero comics. This iconic character brought a new formula of the mythical hero to light, and did so through the use of the comic book medium. One can quickly see in today's society the impact Superman has had on us culturally, by taking a click glance at the box office. Lets see.. in the past two years how many blockbusters have been produced, which have had superheros as the main protagonist? The answer is astounding: three spidermans, three batmans, two hulks, two fantastic fours, three xmens, two ironmans, a catwoman, and the list goes on... amazing, and what can we attribute this to? Profit and Action comics #1.
This comic shows a much different Superman, than the one of today's standard. Instead, the first superman reflected a lot of qualities of the ideal conformist, who believed in providing safety for the police and serving men of political stature. In class there was the discussion of the creators of superman: Jerry Siegel/Joe Shuster, who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. The first superman dealt with several common issues in the first pages of his existence, one of them being domestic abuse. It is apparent that the creators put a lot of their own personal concerns and love into the man who became superman.
Why was Superman such a success? A lot of his success can be attributed to the timing of his birth. World War II was raging and it superman provided an icon and symbol for the american soldier. He represented something the average American could attribute to become, and someone who people ethically and morally responded to at the time. The good guy standing up against the powers of evil and restoring order to the universe. This characteristic paved the way for hundreds of superheros who followed the man we know as superman. However, this trend did not last for ever. The arrival of the anti-hero eventually paved way for a new hero, which a much different nation related to years later, after Superman had clearly been established.
On a more trivial note, Superman also had undeveloped powers in the first Comic. He did not have the ability to fly and was not as evidently super as he is represented today. For instance, when he would need to get from point a to point b: he would simple run and jump! Yes, he would jump super far to transcend different heights and traverse the urban landscapes. Not nearly as exciting as flying?
In conclusion, everyone should have the opportunity to experience the birth of Superman. It is really interesting to see the qualities and essence of the character distilled into the very first pages of his existence, but like many comics it does just that. The idea and clear characteristics of Superman can be felt by the reader from the very beginning. The success of Superman has had a huge cultural impact on today's society. We would not have the movies we have and the heros we love today if it were not for the success and importance of the iconic Superman.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Comic Strip
Krazy Kat, a comic strip series by George Herriman is a great example of the power the comic strip possesses. Krazy Kat is a perfect example of the creating emotion and connection to a simple representative art style, which easily communicates to every reader. However, simple is hardly a word to describe the complexity and creativity that goes into each frame of the Krazy Kat Series.
Through further investigation and analysis of just a few strips of the Krazy Kat series, one can quickly start to see the deeper workings of the strip. For example, further analysis of one of the Krazy Kat strips revealed various deeper psychological and personal themes represented by Herriman. The idea of race and movement that affected Herriman's life showed up in several examples discussed in class.
One of the most interesting realizations I had during class was the effectiveness these simple comic strips have on an emotional level. It seems the simpleness of the art form and quick ability to make a personal connection to the characters, quickly entices the users mind and helps transport the reader into that world. This is interesting to me as a game artist, who's primary goal is to immerse the player into a world different than the real one.
On a final note, it was enticing to talk about the "essence" or primary theme of Krazy Kat, that being the cat chasing the mouse. One of the great aspects about the comic strip, whether is be: Krazy Kat, Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, etc. is the continuation and seemingly simplistic method of conveying a certain: mood, theme or idea in every strip.
Through further investigation and analysis of just a few strips of the Krazy Kat series, one can quickly start to see the deeper workings of the strip. For example, further analysis of one of the Krazy Kat strips revealed various deeper psychological and personal themes represented by Herriman. The idea of race and movement that affected Herriman's life showed up in several examples discussed in class.
One of the most interesting realizations I had during class was the effectiveness these simple comic strips have on an emotional level. It seems the simpleness of the art form and quick ability to make a personal connection to the characters, quickly entices the users mind and helps transport the reader into that world. This is interesting to me as a game artist, who's primary goal is to immerse the player into a world different than the real one.
On a final note, it was enticing to talk about the "essence" or primary theme of Krazy Kat, that being the cat chasing the mouse. One of the great aspects about the comic strip, whether is be: Krazy Kat, Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, etc. is the continuation and seemingly simplistic method of conveying a certain: mood, theme or idea in every strip.
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