Jake Matthews LMST340 Blog

  For this week’s assignment I decided to read Moebius and Jodorowsky comic series . This series is primarily about John Difool, a class “R” detective, and an artifact called the incal. Throughout the story chaos is unleashed across the galaxy, and different factions are hunting John down for the incal. Along the journey he meets new friends that help him fight the darkness. To be honest I found it a little confusing at times. Throughout the story we are introduced to new characters or factions every five minutes, undefined technology, strange lands, an unexplained galaxy, etc. It felt like I was missing something while reading this comic series. It was almost like starting a movie from the middle, or only watching parts of a movie. Even though it was a little confusing, I really liked this comic series! The experience was similar to watching a movie. There were plot twists left and right, suspense, action, and so much more! One thing I found hilarious was the people watching the n...

  For this week’s assignment I decided to read Andre The Giant Life and Legend by Box Brown . This comic basically covers how Andre Roussimoff became the famous “Andre the Giant.” To be honest, I thought this comic book was amazing. Before reading this, I didn’t even know that Andre was a wrestler! I just thought he was famous because of his world record height. I felt like this comic just scratched the surface of his life. I don’t really know much about Andre, but I felt like there was just something missing. From the information we get in the beginning, we understand he constantly gets bullied, and goes from rags to riches. One thing I thought this comic could have dived in was the bullying aspect. Andre basically lived a life of torment and physical pain. If we were given more information about this, I think it would have made him appear more humble. From the separate articles I’ve read, Andre was a really kind and humble person. In this comic I feel like we get hints of him bei...

   Assignment Points: 28      Attended all classes : 7                              Total 35

For this week’s assignment I decided to read MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman . One thing that really stood out to me starting this was “Write what you know.” Right away, I could tell that this was going to get really personal and emotional. Throughout this book we clearly see how Spiegelman almost absorbs his parents' trauma. When Spiegelman was growing up, in some way shape or form, he was always reminded about the holocaust. On page 201 we see how depressed Spiegelman really is in the comic strip. Frame by frame he talks about the death total during the Holocaust, his mother’s suicide, time flies, he rejects film offers and etc. Along with the dark illustrations the viewer can clearly see how depressed he is and how he's being haunted by the past. As I was reading this book, I was really moved by his rough sketches and ideas. When I was looking at his sketches, I could see the pain and anger within every illustration. One thing I found interesting was the way he utilized the red d...

For this weekly assignment I decided to read Zap Comix. As promised in the beginning of this comic book, it's a “Chock Full of surprises!” Right away the viewer is introduced to swearing, LSD, Prostitution, and so much more. To be honest I kinda like this comic book. Yes, there were things that were funny, creepy and uncomfortable. You don’t really see comics like this anymore. That's what I found somewhat refreshing. It also covered everything from  A to Z. I feel today’s comics go for the more cinematic approach and carry the same tone. One thing that really stood out to me was the art. I felt like the artists did an excellent job with everything. For some reason I find myself hypnotized by this rhythmic style utilized! Today we see numerous spot illustrations, street art, and editorials, that resemble this style used. I really wish all of the issues were in color. With the help of color, these illustrations have even more energy! I keep finding myself staring at the cover il...

  For this week’s assignment, I decided to read DC Comics, Will Eisner’s Life on Another Planet. When I started reading this comic book, I had a gut feeling that this would be about the “space race.” Since I’m not really a fan of history, I thought this was going to be a boring cut and paste from a history book. As I continued to read this comic, I found myself enjoying this! One thing I noticed right away was Eisner’s approach to this comic. Most of the comics that inject history into the plot, give small hints here and there, and others just feel like history textbooks. Yes, Will Eisner’s Life on Another Planet incorporated some history. But Eisner only scratched the surface. This comic book reminds me of an old James Bond movie, starring Sean Connery. It incorporates satire, romance, cults, communism, and etc. While reading this comic I felt this sense build up as the story progresses. I feel like this was really driven by the emotions surrounding the characters. This really sh...

  For this week’s assignment, I thought I would choose to read some Jack Kirby comics. Before starting this assignment I didn’t know anything about Jack Kirby. After watching the videos on jack Kirby, and reading some of the comics, I decided to do a little research. After digesting a lot of information, I came to the conclusion that Jack Kirby is a legend. Jack Kirby created numerous iconic Marvel superheroes like Captain America, Fantastic Four, Black Panther, and so many more. When reading the Fantastic Four animation, one thing that stood out was the amazing storytelling. Even though this was a storyboard for an animation film, everything was absolutely perfect. The framing, layout, and the use of dramatic perspective. I think it gives his comics so much emotion. I feel like this emotion really supports his characters, along with his unique approach to storytelling. In the New Gods, Young Romance, and Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, we see the use of strong characters. These charac...