Discover Top Posts Tagged with #comic essay

Sayaka Presenting Intrusive Thoughts and Impulsive Behavior

this took so long- my final for comic history class

#madoka magica #puella magi madoka magica #sayaka miki #intrusive thoughts #impulsive #mental illness #analysis #madoka analysis #comic essay #comic #fanart #fan comic

#art #artwork #comic #comic art #international womens day #comic essay #essay #I wrote this for class

okay I finally finished I’ll stop annoying you guys but here’s the final product if you want it my comic book essay!!!!

Champion of the oppressed: The Weaponization of Comics

What is a hero? Is it a divine role predetermined at birth or rather a position any person can rise to if pushed the right way? The question of the root of heroism has been debated for millennia from today back to the first human who dared to oppose a mighty mammoth. It compels us to wonder, what does a hero stand for? Or better yet who do they stand for? The art of story telling through comics has been around for as long as people have been able to draw but comics became mainstream in the 1830’s through 1850’s. These comics had no mention of heroes, much less the modern superheroes of today. These comics were oftentimes political in nature. The gilded age of America, marked by political corruption and yellow journalism featured comic strips and political cartoons which would often mimic and humiliate issues and leaders covered in newspapers. The first credited comic book The Yellow Kid in McFadden’s Flats has been credited as a collection of reprints of the political cartoons newspaper strips. The modern superhero comic of today wouldn’t appear until the 1938 with Action Comic No #1 famously named, Action Comic #1. Superman, complimentarily named, is considered widely to be the first superhero. He made his debut on April 18, 1938. The character Superman, also known by his alias Clark Kent, is a first-generation immigrant whose parents sent him away from a dying planet as a baby. He has powers due to the Earth’s yellow sun and uses them to help people. They covered issues such as gangs, mobsters, political corruption, and Nazis. These were conversational topics at the time, and led to the change in public perspective on them. These conversations led to a superhero comic boom. This would lead to the formation of the modern comic company: Detective Comics, more famously known as DC comics, who in 1947 made a solo run of the first female led superhero Wonder Women. This also would also inspire the creation of Marvel comics. Marvel comics features Spider-man, a highschool boy who gains great powers and even greater responsibility trusted upon him because of these powers, Captain America, a poor civilian who, after gaining powers uses them to fight against dictators and becomes the symbol of the United States, and The X-Men, a group who faces discrimination for their mere existence, and fight for a world they can be accepted in. From the 1800s, it was clear, comics are political in nature,and the existence of comic books is a political act in support of the oppressed. This is due to 3 very key reasons such as why comics were made and by who, then what comics make us feel and think about, and finally, what comics inspire us to do.

Who needs a man faster than a speeding bullet? Who needs a comic hero? Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jewish immigrants, long before Pearl Harbor which convinced the United States to finally join in the war, debates on whether the United States inaction was an action of compliance and whether the United States should fight for freedom beyond their state lines was becoming increasingly popular. Action comic No. 17 was published during those years and features a villain that is never specifically stated to be a Nazi though nearly identical to the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. Soon after this comic, they would say in full transparency ,through the look magazine "How Superman Would End the War" and future Action Comics issues throughout the war time exactly what Superman thought of nazis, "I’d like to land a strictly Non-Aryan sock on your jaw, but there’s no time for that!". Superman was also used to prompt immigration tolerance he encouraged kids to keep their school "all American", while this phrases may seem hostile to immigrants at first, Superman explains further what it means to be an American, “…and remember, boys and girls, your school – like our country – is made up of Americans of many different races, religions and national origins, so … If YOU hear anybody talk against a schoolmate or anyone else because of his religion, race or national origin – don’t wait: tell him THAT KIND OF TALK IS UN-AMERICAN. HELP KEEP YOUR SCHOOL ALL-AMERICAN!”. Speaking of America, the famous symbol of all things American, Captain America created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, first comic issue was seen punching Adolf Hitler in the face before the United States entered the war. Later when the United States did join the war Captain America followed them. Issues where he would fight overseas against enemies were also shipped overseas to allies to create an increase of morale. Captain America led to more money for the war by encouraging the buying of war bonds. Though Captain America has never stood as just a tool to the American government .In fact Captain America has replenished his position multiple times in protest of the government. In issue #332-#350 he tells us what he really stands for, "I cannot represent the American government; the President does that. I must represent the American people... To become what you want me to be, I would have to compromise that dream... abandon what I have come to stand for.My commitment to the ideals of this country is greater than my commitment to a 40-year old document.”.

The comics of yesterday didn't only fight political wars but also political misinformation. DC comics ran in 1993 the AIDS/HIV awareness ads. These include multiple dc characters confronting people who were spreading misinformation about aids. One comic went, "Here are some fast facts. You can’t catch AIDS from drinking after somebody -- or from any kind of casual physical contact.""It was just a joke, man...""Well -- “jokes” like that are never funny! They make people afraid of AIDS -- and prejudiced against those who have it!AIDS is a scary thing -- but the only way to overcome our fear is to learn the truth about it! Be careful -- but be informed!..." and followed the tagline, "You may think it's not your problem,think again." Marvel took the issues headfirst with the X-men. The X-man were already a group of outcasts whom society deemed as impure or a disease which reflected the hate that homosexuals were facing during the aid crisis but Marvel expanded on that idea. In X-Force #18 published in November 1992 the Legacy Virus. This virus would only target mutants and cause their powers to act uncontrollably until it ultimately kills them. This virus was used to cause a war between the two groups. This was so similar to what was going on in the AIDS epidemic that it was a clear metaphor for homosexuals suffering because of aids. This is not the only marginalized group that the X-men represented, the creation of the X-men was centrally inspired by the civil rights movement. This was shown by the beliefs held by the characters in the face of oppression. Charles Xavier, head of the X-men was inspired by the beliefs of Martin Luther King in his creation while on the opposite side of the coin Magneto was inspired by Malcom X's beliefs. While Magneto is often framed as dangerous for these ideals, mutants and humans can't coexist, he does have real motives for this. Stan Lee spoke of this himself saying, "It’s totally irrational, patently insane to condemn an entire race—to despise an entire nation—to vilify an entire religion. Sooner or later, we must learn to judge each other on our own merits. Sooner or later, if a man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance.” These comics help bring awareness to the everyday people who suffer from discrimination.

The hero that covers the most human issues is Spiderman. Spiderman, known as Peter Parker is a normal teenage boy who gains the powers of a spider by being accidentally bitten by one. This simple superhero resented with readers as he covered issue of wealth and providing for people, “One of the central themes of Spider-Man stories produced during the Bush era is that corporations have so stacked the deck against financial upward mobility, and so decimated the American middle class, that Peter will never rise to a position of wealth and power unless he sacrifices all his ideals in the process, and becomes a de facto member of the Bush Administration” This average person perspective on issues shown through comics help not only bring awareness to issues but help people feel seen. Mentioning comics that relate to an unseen group, Wonder Woman brought a whirlwind of change with her comics. Introduced in October 1941 through All Star comic #8 She was meant to be a symbol of feminism for women to attach to. She was created by psychologist William Moulton Marston and with help from a fellow psychologist Elizabeth Holloway Marston who was also his wife. She was inspired by 1910 women suffrage movements. Though this decision to make a female superhero didn't pass unnoticed in the larger misogynistic 1900's. The National Organization for Decent Literature blacklisted this comic because of Wonder Woman not being "sufficiently dressed" and was often criticized by women as well for the inappropriate way she was treated. Nonetheless she made a monumental move in headlining her own self-titled ongoing series, Wonder Woman #1, in Summer 1942. Her comics were a place of controversy and inspiration to young women and men and encouraged them to see each other as equals which was an unpopular concept at the time. In 1985 , George Pérez, Len Wein, and Greg Potter wrote the comic issues Wonder Women. Her comics didn't stop there they covered issue of sexism, race, and even contrival topics like rape. They described the race of amazonians as women who in a past life faced oppression against men and died unfairly from their cruelty but have now risen and became warriors. This retelling of the amazons gives a beautiful reason for the existence of the race and makes the entirety of the Wonder women story increasingly more of a feminist tale.

The average person may argue that comics are just for kids. That the colorful pictures of comically hilarious men or women in "super" suits punching the villain of the week has no deeper meaning, "...people tend to believe that comics are just for kids is the association of comics with childish things. Comics are often associated with toys, games, and other children's entertainment. This association creates a certain stigma around comics that makes people think of them as immature or childish." This argument is truthful in some aspects, comics are for kids but just as much as comics are for adults, The beginning era of comics targeted the young age demographic for good reason. The teenage years are the most susceptible years of your life."Teens are especially responsive to peer influence. That’s because their brains undergo changes that make them highly attuned to social situations. At the same time, the reward system in the teen brain becomes extra sensitive." The reason they chose this group was not only to sell their eye-catching toys but to instill morals into them. The teenage years are some of the most critical years when it comes to determining what belief system a person will follow as it is a time of growing independent thought, "Teens begin to reflect not just on what the rules are, but why they exist and whether they are fair. They start to consider who benefits from certain expectations and whether those expectations align with their growing sense of justice. This shift supports more thoughtful and independent moral reasoning, especially as they begin to understand that ethical questions often have more than one perspective." Comics wanted to take these years and to help them see new perspectives and what is right and wrong and how some things are more than those two labels. This is not to say that comics are only for kids and teenagers, these complex ideas of morals and belief are adult in tone. This conversation even when being told through colorful sketches are as compelling and important as things like ethical debates. Adults should read comic books as it helps them challenge what they believe in and allows them to consider that the world may not just be a bad place, that some kindness that would be called childlike is needed in the day to day of life to make it worth living. This argument that comics are just for kids takes away the value of the media. It isn't just a genre but a form of both artist and creative expression. A book isn't more of a book if a character is drawn to be seen or written to be heard. You can still tell us the same tale of love and life through the gaps between words in a novel and the space between panels of a comic.

I made a short comic essay about recent and not-so-recent tech trends in the Philippines.

If you're in Metro Manila, you can grab a copy @ PICOF this July 10-12, or you can read it online here

#graphic essay #comic essay #comics #non fiction #webcomic

Flamebird Analysis: The odd treatment of Bette Kane and her history/experience

Batwoman (2011-2016) #1

Okay so first of all, Kate; rude much?

Second of all... was Flamebird's costume really that impractical? Especaially when compared to Kate's costume.

While admittedly Flamebird's original costume was not exactly the height of practicality...

(Although she still seemed quite capable of holding her own in it)

Beast Boy (2000) #2

However she later does in fact get a more practical outfit which she also kickass ass in.

Beast Boy (2000) #4

And we do know that its Flamebird's second (more practical-looking costume) which Kate burns, as Bette ends up suiting up in her aforementioned spare after Kate fires her...

An interesting idea I have been pondering about the power fantasy is the contrast between Magnus and the rest of the superpowers we have seen so far is that we know where the source of their powers are.

With the atomics we know it is probably caused by the atomic bomb and the splitting of the atom hence their name and the fact that they are presumably human or at least post-human in some manner. There is of course the possible theory that their powers are gained from the divine due to Valentina's arrival happening at the same time.

'Valentina arriving punched a pinhole between her gaff and ours, and heaven is leaking all over the shop'. - Jacky Magnus, 1978

With the Extranormal enities we know that their powers come from both heaven and hell respectively, with Valentina (presumably) being sent down from heaven to be reborn as a human child (does this mean she technicaly killed a child?) and Eliza made a deal with Hell to be their representative on earth through magic taught by another member of the pyrimid.

'I have all the powers of hell at my fingertips.' - Eliza Hellbound, 1989

But with Magnus we have no idea where his powers come from and how he gained the knowledge he has to such a level that he can become a superpower in his own right. He's not an extradimentional entity, he's not an atomic, so what is he? And how did he gain the knowledge he has?

'But I knew folks would keep on trying...' - Jacky Magnus, 1978

This highly implies that all knowledge of magic is somehow derived from him in someway, which from what we have seen is true with those who practice real magic being called Pyramid and due to Magnus starting the Pyramid, where did he learn it from?

#image comics #the power fantasy #jacky magus #atomics #pyramid #indie comics #comics #essay #comic essay

I have some thoughts so I’m gonna share them, this time it’s going to be about deadpool and to a certain extent taskmaster’s design :]

Deadpool came around as a brainchild of rob liefield through and through and gives us an enormous amount of context as to why he looks the way he does. Liefield saw how easy it was to draw spiderman, with his simple face and colors and wanted that for his own work. Deadpool is decked out in pockets and weapons because those are the things his creator liked to draw most. Meta textually he was made as “spiderman but a jackass” and his color story agrees with that, he is Spider-Man’s colors but darker. (Also his katanas are a reference to snake eyes from gi Joe because liefield thought they looked sweet) liefield also really liked the teen titans which is probably almost definitely why earlier Deadpool had a lot in common with deathstroke, when you make characters you often tend to put traits you like from others into your own. The writer, nicieza pointed out this comparison and they came up with his name as an inside joke to that, Slade wilson- Wade Wilson

He’s about 70 percent red, 30 percent black with a a pinch of white and silver for accent colors. It’s a striking, recognizable palette. Iconic in its own right. It’s also just good on a baseline character level. Red is passionate and violent. It lends well to the grimy grungy settings that the character is typically set into. A lot of earlier comics used primary colors to differentiate protagonists from the rest, this was due to the limited amount of colors they could use and printing techniques at the time but slowly this expanded to a language of its own which I think is very cool. It’s why so many classic villains are purple and green and orange. It’s why morally neutral characters tended to go for a mix, in marvels case that would be the purple and blue combination.

When it comes to design, especially modern incarnations of Deadpool we can see what the character evolved into and the roles they play. For a look at a non Deadpool example, spiderman is designed on a page for movement above all else because that’s the power fantasy for the most part. Deadpool is not designed for lanky,swooping movement but he is a comedy character, his simple design makes it easy to “animate” him on a page. His simple iconography also help do the thing he’s mostly unique for, which is being beaten and chopped up. His design is segmented nicely so that when Deadpool’s arm gets chopped off and you see it you aren’t asking “whose arm is that?” It’s a large part of why he was and still is such a marketing powerhouse. Even his belt buckle is his face it’s a lot of fun.

Deadpool is truly a reflection of the time he was created, the early 1990s. It’s when comics started to trade the colors and silly antics for the most part for gritty characters and more transgressive plot lines. Think of how the joker changed and you’ll get the picture. I think it’s all really interesting when looking at his non intentional (now intentional) foil taskmaster. He was created in the 1980s, back when the printing color coding was still very much in effect, his first design is very toyettic, like an action figure almost. Campy but in a way that was taken seriously at the time. He had a skull for a face because they needed you to know he was the bad guy.

In contrast to Deadpool who has remained very consistent over the years, taskmaster will look different in about every run or series he’s a part of. He’s still recognizable due to his own color scheme and abilities but he’s not easy to draw. It’s funny from a meta perspective that the “crazy unpredictable” character is so much more consistent and almost boring for some writers because they just get his iconography and that’s it. Whereas the professional self preserving merc is constantly handled differently due to his many weird facets, like a quirky puzzle.

It’s funny that despite not being at all made for one another they still fit well. Taskmaster’s color story is explained by the comic color code but it’s also just clean looking. Mostly white with blue and accents of orange. Deadpool looks like he probably has that suit stained if that makes sense. The weapons they wield, the way they fight it’s all very fun. Taskmaster typically wields a two handed sword, a shield and a bow (along with other guns and weaponry) whereas Deadpool wields two katanas, two guns and a knife (along with other weapons) it can show you the kind of styles they fight with without you having to even read for the most part. Taskmaster will kick your ass and probably will win most fights but he’s pragmatic, he doesn’t like being punched in the face. Deadpool will throw himself at a fight and mash buttons till he wins typically because he doesn’t value his life even a little bit. It’s why Deadpool will typically win when tasky is fighting him because taskmaster doesn’t really wish to replicate a guy whose strategy is ?? And losing limbs is completely fine for him.

Honestly I love all the little differences and quirks between the mercenaries of marvel. Even ones not mentioned here. (Also side tangent I think it’s funny that both of them have been roped into spiderman series and media a lot for two different reasons which is funny. Spiderman as a franchise just kinda takes over other characters tbh. Deadpool is typically there because he’s popular but also his obvious contrast with Peter. People like the dynamic and I get it for the most part. Taskmaster is typically there because spiderman tends to be/ act young and he is a mercenary people can actually go “oh shit it’s taskmaster!” It’s also because he’s a teacher. Like the teacher role marvel comics typically. So there’s a power fantasy there)