Week 8: Stereotypes

Analysis of Stereotypes as Tropes

Stereotypes in forms of media is now more of a trope these days. In a sense they can serve a purpose, Speaking more from the narrative stereotypes like the workers, the scientists, the thug, the bad guy. I am speaking more to the designs and narratives that are in the character themselves and less on the side of racial stereotypes. This can hearken back the principles of character design that can be found in many forms of media.

Designed as"obviously evil" and "good is good"

An Olympic swimmer perhaps? I think not.

With the stereotype or more so the tropes of sharp angles are more menacing and rounded designs are more friendly. 

Narrative stereotypes can be seen more as a trope since they can be useful in storytelling as you can easily identify a character based on there designs. Because of this archetype/stereotype the audience can infer what the character will be like and how they will behave. With that being said there are also the other extreme of tropes or stereotyping.

Week 5: Graphic Novels

No Longer for Kids

Since the introduction of the dedicated comic. The stigmatization of comics being only for kids further drove them to be heavily censored. And thus began the call to have certain works differentiate themselves from what would be for kids. This later would be called the graphic novel, This would be more catered to mature audiences with more complex storytelling and characters. Both Will and Thompson tackle these more mature themes like the prospects of growing up in an abusive environment or pondering the meanings in ones life.

Comics or "graphic Novels' No long were catering to the family friendly audience.

With Thompson's Blankets and Will's A Life Force both are more of a man vs. environment kind of theme or more accurately a Man vs Society. or how society has failed them. where Thompson's story showcased the struggles of the main character with the other super religious conservative environment. While Eisner focused more on the specific individuals. However I found Thompson's story to be more relatable as these are real people that exist in the world and one can only imagine what it would be like to live in those conditions. 

Week 4

The Katzenjammer Kids, The Panels are all the same size

The Conventional Comic

For this wee we are introduced to what I believe is the conventional comic. Or rather the idealized version of the comic that is more widely known throughout the world. Here is where I believe we begin to see the rise of the "Superhero" or the costumed hero that the general public identifies. For this week I read Action Comics Superman and Captain America. One of the more striking things that surprised me with the comics is the the panels are more dynamic, as in they now change size to fit the action of the content. Additionally the dialogue of the serialized comic is more chopped. As in there are now more specific scenes/panel just dedicated to the characters interacting/dialogue. Now with the costumed hero, with each issue there are now a good vs. evil narrative. The designs of the characters and heroes are now clearly defined so that the reader can now identify them almost immediately.

Captain America comic is more dynamic

Week Three: The Comic Strip

Peanuts

Original Design of Charlie Brown

Modern design of Charlie Brown

For this week I read the original Peanuts comic from the 1950's by Charles Schulz. The Peanuts comics of the early days was surprising as I wasn't expecting the art-styles/designs of the character to be different from what I have read since I was under the impression that that the designs and art-styles are usually consistent. Though this change from the early day of peanuts to know, although could be due to Charles himself evolving his art. At first the designs were very simplistic derpy looking characters. We don't see the modern representation of the Peanuts characters until about 4-5 years later. Remarkably though the humor has remained relatively the same throughout it entire run.