Web Comic Review: Blue Milk Special

Hey all, here's another post for ya!  I'm going to talk about yet another one of my favorite web comics, Blue Milk Special written and drawn by Rob and Leanne Hannah.  It combines two of my favorite things, comics and Star Wars!  It's a parody comic of the original trilogy (the better trilogy).  In between movies they slip in some sub plots, like the Christmas special (which I know we'd rather forget) and a graphic novel.

The art is cartoony, but not because the artists aren't skilled; you can still tell who's who.  It plays into the idea that this is a parody, not a serious comic.  If you look at some of the other artwork they've done it's quite good.  And it shows in this comic too, despite the fact the figures are simplified.  Backgrounds aren't blank or solid colors, but hint at the world around.  Of course we all know it, but it adds to the comic to see it.

The writing itself is very funny.  When I was going through the archives to catch up I was laughing the whole way through.  This is one of those comics I turn to when I have a bad day and it cheers me up.  They play off the story itself, but also the culture that comes along with Star Wars.  The nerds, George Lucas, and all the lore.  Some jokes may go over your head if you're not a hard core fan, but most will be enjoyed if you've seen the movie and know the pop culture surrounding it.

Bottom line is, if you like Star Wars and web comics, you're going to like this comic.  It's fun to read and good to look at.  Luckily they haven't gotten all the way through the entire trilogy, they're still in the second movie, so you haven't missed everything.  I encourage you to check it out: www.bluemilkspecial.com

Web Comic Review: Questionable Content

Hello all!  Here's a post for you.

So, one of my favorite web comics that I read is Questionable Content.  It's written by Jeph Jacques and started in 2003.  A big reader of web comics himself, Questionable Content started out as a hobby; he only updated a few times a week.  But in 2004 he quit his day job to update the comic five days a week.  He is now one of the most successful web comics out there.  It's easy to see why.

I literally read all the archives in one weekend.  It was incredibly addicting.  Even though his art is very primitive and cartoony in the beginning, it works.  The jokes are good, though you need to have a knowledge of pop culture and the indie scene.  Even though I don't listen to a lot of indie music, I still enjoyed the humor.  It's a bit sassy.  But what also adds to the comic is the fact that the art gets better as you go along.  It's fun to watch his work progress and grow.  The characters are still cartoony, but backgrounds appear, shading, and proportions are more realistic.

The art isn't the only thing that gets better.  As the comic goes along the characters become more three dimensional.  Faye starts off as a snarky girl with anger issues, but becomes a strong woman who is trying to deal with some very serious and very real issues.  The story also becomes less of a discussion about music, and more into a intriguing dramedy with lots of interesting, real characters. The thing that keeps me coming back to this comic is the fact that even though it's a comedy, it doesn't always end like a comedy.  I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say relationships don't always go they way you wish they did, and it's not always bad.  I do get sick of those cliche endings, and even though there are some of those, there are also plenty of real ones.  People don't get together, they fight, they move on with their life, they do stupid things they regret.  It's one of the few comics I feel is actually realistic.

Of course, it helps that this comic just happens to take place in a town near where I live.  I love getting those little in jokes he sticks in that only the locals will get.  Some of the places he mentions I've been to.  But even if you don't live anywhere near the apartments of Questionable Content, you'll enjoy it.  I say start from the beginning, you'll get a more well rounded view of the story and characters.  Though, if you didn't want to go through the 3000 plus worth of strips, and not read them all in one weekend like I did, you can just jump in the beginning and you'll catch up quick.  Please give this comic a read.  You won't regret it.

So, if you know the comic, let me know what you think by leaving a comment.  Or if you don't, and start because of this article, let me know what you thought of it.  Thanks for reading!

Just Some Rambling...

So, it's been a while since I've posted on this blog because I really wasn't sure what I was going to use it for.  I think I've decided to use it to vocalize my love of comics.  Part of what inspired me to use this was the blog Girls Read Comics Too (here's the link, I highly recommend it: http://girlsreadcomics.com/).  It's a group of girls talking about comics!  I thought I'd add my thoughts to the massive amount of thoughts out there.  I don't really care if I get a lot of views or followers, this is just me talking about one of the things I love the most, comics!  Hell, I'm majoring in Illustration so I can make comics myself.

Anyway, I guess to get the ball rolling I'm going to talk about one of my favorite comics, Sandman, by Niel Gaimon.  This is one of the comics that changed my view of comics.  It made me realize the potential of the medium as a whole.  Not only is the writing excellent, but the art as well.  The line and the use of lots of shadow adds a magic and mystery to the comic, which reflects the nature of the comic's namesake, Sandman, or Morpheus.  Gaimon digs into themes about identity, greed, power, and so much more as the comic goes on.  It's late, so I don't have time to go into a deep reflection of the whole thing, and I may do that at a later date, but if you are a comic fan, or a Niel Gaimon fan, I highly recommend you read this series.  It may be 12 books long, but so worth it!  I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't read it, but Death is by far one of my favorite characters of all time.

So, I'm going to try and update this blog every week or other week depending on the amount of work I have.  If you'd like to follow me, please do!  It'll help motivate me.  Or just stop by and read whenever you feel like it.  Also leave comments.  I like to know what other people think.  Just keep it civil and respectful.  Remember, everything on the web is permanent.  Thanks for reading, check back soon.

Women in Comics: Mature Characters Stuck in a Boy's Fantasy

Hello all

It's been a while since I've posted on here. This blog started off as a part of my visual studies class, but I'm no longer taking it. So, I don't want to waste a perfectly good blog, so as my blogs name imply's, I'm going to be noting some thought of mine about topics I'm rather fond of, like comics, art, writing, music and karate. I hope you all enjoy the new look and new subject matter.

Now, all that has absolutely nothing to do with the title of this entry. What follows is an essay I did for my humanities class about Power Girl (a superheroine from DC comics) and how her comic illustrates how women in comics are portrayed today. Feel free to voice some opinions after you've read it. I'd like to know what other people think about this topic. Enjoy the essay!

Any contemporary woman struggling to strike a balance between being a strong individual and being sexy ought to try drawing herself that way. Through the years different media has labored with these contradictory ideas as well. Comics are no exception. Power Girl, published by DC comics, is a good example. The comic is about a female superhero in New York who is a cousin of Superman. In the earlier years of comics, women were often portrayed as the damsel in distress, or the dumb blond hero that wasn’t very powerful and was there as a love interest for the male lead characters. As comics have grown with the times, women’s roles have changed as well. Power Girl, who was first published in the 1990’s, has many progressive qualities. Female characters in comics are growing up and becoming more like real women in the writing, but the art is still stuck in a male fantasy.

Power Girl has strength, independence, intelligence and compassion. She is equally physically strong as her male counterparts since she has the same powers as Superman. She stops a space ship from colliding with Earth. She’s independent; she doesn’t rely on a male figure to keep her safe, or to love her. Unlike most male superhero comics, Power Girl has no love interest. She is also a power to be reckoned with in the professional world as the CEO of a new company. Through her company she recognizes that she can’t solve all the world’s problems by beating up the villain; instead she tries to help humanity address the energy crisis by investing in researching new sources of energy. Superman, however, is still focused on defeating Lex Luthor (his arch enemy) when he could also be promoting green energy or showing new research in his articles as a journalist. She is overcoming the male fantasy of individual accountability; for example, we’re hunting down Osama bin Laben when we should be trying to work with Middle Eastern countries to discourage terrorism. She also breaks the old stereotype of the “dumb blond” by working her way through tough situations with her brains, not just her brawn. When a villain called Ultra-Humanite has her completely trapped physically she uses her smarts to get out. She uses her freezing breath to escape, something Ultra-Humanite forgot. Power Girl also has some of the best female qualities. She is caring and compassionate with those she’s fighting and defending. When Ultra-Humanite is burned almost completely in a fight, her first thought is to get him to a hospital, not leave him behind. She has also taken in a young hero Terra and is raising her to reach her full potential. People look up to Power Girl; as she fights off robots one male onlooker shouts, “Kick their butts PG!” She’s not cocky with her powers like many male superheroes can be at times. When she’s injured and a firefighter helps her walk he calls her a hero and she replies “I can say the same thing about you.”

All of Power Girl’s good qualities can be over shadowed as you look at the art of the comic. She has been drawn with the “perfect” body; wears revealing clothes, and is often shown in erotic positions during fight scenes. Her proportions remind a reader more of Barbie; oversized breasts, perfect hourglass figure, and long fit legs. Her costume shows as much skin as possible. She has boots, but lacks pants; her figure-fitting white spandex has a one piece bathing suit style bottom. She has long sleeves and a high neckline, but a large hole is cut over her chest. One wonders how her breasts keep from falling out. She is also constantly illustrated as a sex object and she’s not much better than a pin-up girl when the images often show her undressing from her regular clothes into her costume. When Superman changes into his costume, he’s shown opening his shirt just enough to see his insignia for one or two panels. As Power Girl sheds her clothing she’s posed suggestively in at least two panels, one for the shirt, then the pants. In one panel a drunken homeless man is seen in the background celebrating as her clothing falls at his feet. In many of the fight scenes, where her physical strength is emphasized, she is often posed in an erotic manner. The angles look more like something out of a fashion shoot than a fight. In one panel she has been pushed to the ground by her opponent and as she rises, kneeling on the ground, he is reaching over her almost as if he was mounting her. There are moments in the dialogue too where villains hint at her sexual appeal. Utlra-Humanite who wants to put his brain in her body (which is erotic enough on its own) jokes that many men have wanted her body, “but I’m the one who’s going to get it.”Power Girl seems used to comments like this, and also to the fact that many of her rescued male citizens and readers tend to look at her chest rather than her face. “Ahem…eyes up here. How ‘bout a ‘thanks for saving my life,’ or at least a little smile?” she says with a resigned look on her face. If it bothers her so much, then why wear the costume? Of course, none of that is really her decision; it’s her creators and the editors of the comic. They seem to be focused more on sales rather than portraying real women, and sex sells. Though females in comics are slowly getting their clothes put back on since the “babe years” of the 1990’s, there’s still a long way to go. The unfortunate truth is that more men than women read comics, especially in the superhero genre, and comics with female leads don’t sell as well if they aren’t sexy. Perhaps more women would read comics if the characters and the art were more appealing to them.