And indeed, it is. Who would have ever thought that drawing in perspective would be so difficult. I mean, I’ve watched some pretty cool YouTube videos, and this one in particular seemed to cover the 1, 2, and 3 point perspective fairly well. When I finished watching this video, I thought to myself, “well that was easy”, and in reality, I could do what he does here if I watched and worked along with him. But when I tried something on my own later, this is what I came up with:
As one can easily see, I’m just not getting it yet.
I have a tendency to want to know as much as I can about one subject, then become bored with it, and move on. Luckily for me there are a few things in my life of late that have “stuck” more than others. Two of those things include technology of about any kind, including teaching in virtual environments, and comics. To be honest, the comics bit surprises me a lot. Read the rest of this entry »
Yea, ok, I admit it. I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus for a while. Life got really, really busy and I decided I needed a break from at least one form of writing for a while. But . . . I’m back now, and I’m hoping to be back on a more regular basis, discussing what I’m doing academically, professionally, and/or even fun.
So this post is just to announce that I have returned. My next post will be momentarily. Although I wouldn’t advise anyone to hold their breath or anything.
At first glance, one might scoff and say emphatically “NOTHING”! Before yesterday, I’m confident my response would have been the same. Today, however, I know that they do indeed have a connection, and not just a tangential one. While in the comic shop yesterday perusing some of DC Comics new 52 editions, I espied a title that is and has been for years, very familiar and especially dear to me, but there was something different about it.
I know this is a bit of a strange topic, but I got to thinking about cursive writing this morning as I was writing in my journal. That started me wondering how many people out there still write in cursive? And if you do, when do you write in cursive? Is it only for special occasions or all the time? Read the rest of this entry »
First, I never thought I would put those things, “death” and “social networking” in the same sentence.
Second, probably the strangest thing I’ve read of late states “But death, of course, is unavoidable, and so Facebook must find a way to integrate it into the social experience” (Wortham 64). Yes, Jenna Wortham wrote those very words in her article “As Facebook Users Die, Ghosts Reach Out” found in Stephanie Vie’s edited collection entitled (E)dentity.
At first, I wasn’t sure whether to feel appalled, shocked, bemused, or what when it came to the idea of death and social networking. The fact is, however, it is something that more and more of us who participate in Facebook and other venues will be faced with. How would I feel if someone whom I was close to had died and then suddenly popped up on my Facebook page as someone I should “reconnect” with. Yea, I don’t think I like the sound of that very much. Wortham found mixed reactions. Some people were appalled while others found it helped them to remember the person. Guess it would all depend on how far removed, either by time or relationship, I was from the person/’s passing as to how I would react.
Bottom line, though, is that Wortham is right. Social networks such as Facebook have got to find a better way of handling the entire situation. They are trying, but from what Wortham says, they have a long way to go. When we make the plunge to locate ourselves in the world of social networking, those connections, that space, remains even if we die. Last I heard, unless someone specifically writes it into their will that they want their email accounts closed, they continue to exist and there is nothing that can be done to terminate those. So while getting a prompt to connect to or become friends with a deceased friend may be upsetting, keep in mind that it is all a part of the social networking world we have created.
Many think that using a piece of software like Comic Life makes the process easy and seamless. However, that is not always the case. There are still many things to consider and think about when designing comics using software. Among these are page layout. As this comic shows from one of my students in China, creating the comic so that it displays properly is not always an easy task. Read the rest of this entry »
My life, of late, is absorbed in comics of every kind. I recently read Mark Millar’s Superman: Red Son, which is an interesting look on how the Superman story would have played-out had his ship crashed into the Soviet Union rather than Kansas. Not sure I can see Lex Luthor as the President of the United States, but it was a very interesting read. Superman is such a staple of American culture that it is a bit mind boggling to see him as a communist. The most interesting part of the story is the end. I won’t do any more spoilers here, but it really leaves you thinking. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
I’ve also slowly been reading the second volume of One Piece. I admit, I haven’t picked it up in a while, and when I do I usually only get a couple of pages read at a time, but I’m hoping to get more involved in it before long. Here is my issue, though. From what I can tell and from what I’ve been told, the American version has been toned WAY down language wise from the originals to cater to a younger audience. I’ve been advised to simply read them online, but when it comes to comics, I prefer the text in-hand. I only bought volume one and two, so maybe I’ll reconsider how I view this series before continuing.
Those are the only comics I’ve read of late. So you might be asking what’s with the title, right? Simple, I’m also currently reading Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature by Charles Hatfield; The Power of Comics: History, Form, & Culture by Randy Duncan and Matthew J. Smith; Graphic Novels: Everything You Need to Know by Paul Gravett; and Reinventing Comics: How Imagination and Technology Are Reinventing an Art Form by Scott McCloud (one of my personal favorites). Ten years ago I could not imagine reading this many books at the same time, but since graduate school I’ve learned that it’s a reality if you really want to do any type of research. Thus far, I’ve learned a LOT about the history of comics: how they began, how they nearly met their demise, how underground comix came to life, and how alternative comics found a foothold. I’ve also learned about production methods, distribution, and display. I’ve learned how comics have developed from primarily a mass produced superhero genre only media, to an artisan produced media of many different genres such as autobiography, history, and even journalism.
These topics just touch the surface of the things I have read lately. I am hoping to get two articles written this semester: one having to do with my experiences in China, and one dealing strictly with comics. I’m fairly confident this is over ambitious, but I am aiming high and reading with those goals in mind.
Finally, I am going to start putting comics up from my students in China. Many will be 1-2 pages in length. The students had to download a program and install, find photos, learn the software, and design their comics: all in one afternoon. I think they did a GREAT job! Click the comic to see a clear copy.
A new grad consultant in the writing center is also a free lancer for Marvel Comics, and he is currently working on promoting a new graphic novel that is slated to be released in May, 2012 by HarperCollins. The Art of War is written and storyboarded by Kelly Roman and illustrated by Michael DeWeese. Below is a preview of the graphic novel.
First, I love black and white. I love it in art work, I love it in photography, and I love it in comics and graphic novels. I believe that color can actually distract from the drawing when it comes to comics. I do, however, love the use of red in this comic. We are groomed to expect it from the title page, so it’s not distracting in the least. I think it also helps drive home the point that war is bloody.
And indeed, it is. Who would have ever thought that drawing in perspective would be so difficult. I mean, I’ve watched some pretty cool YouTube videos, and this one in particular seemed to cover the 1, 2, and 3 point perspective fairly well. When I finished watching this video, I thought to myself, “well that was easy”, and in reality, I could do what he does here if I watched and worked along with him. But when I tried something on my own later, this is what I came up with:
