Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Persepolis is a autobiographical graphic novel written and illustrated by Marjane Satrapi. Satrapi grew up in Iran and witnessed both the Iranian Revolution and fall of the Shah. The novel is a collection of short stories about her childhood. I read Persepolis a long time ago, before I saw the movie (which I recommend!), and re-reading it I found that there was even more within her stories to discover. The novel is named after the ceremonial capital of the Persian empire that existed from 558-330BC. Persepolis is now a world heritage site and contains many fascinating ruins. The ancient Persian empire encompassed modern day Iran and was once the largest empire in the ancient world. Satrapi's choice of title carries many underlying meanings. The biography is especially powerful because it illustrates how she viewed her world as a child, and how she reacted to all the extreme events taking place. I think the fact that it was a series of stories rather than one long story allowed Satrapi to convey her message and feelings in a more complete way.
I adore the style of Persepolis. Satrapi did the whole novel in black and white, and uses negative space to create characters and shapes much of the time. Her use of black and white and relatively simple shapes and characters really add to the overall feel of the story. I found that her art reminded me of the murals found at many ancient persian sites, and the way she styles some of her panels (especially those in which she has many of the same soldier or corpse over and over) seemed to parallel ancient artwork. Another thing to note is the cover of the volume. It is very colorful except for the character represent herself, who sits vieled and staring, drawn in black and white. Both the entire cover and the drawing of her are surrounded by an ornate frame. The text is cracked and wavy, reminding one of the walls of ruins or pillars.
The relationship between Marjane and her grandmother was especially interesting. Her grandmother seems to have been extremely important to her whole family, and provided a sort of moral backbone and support. The few details about her grandmother's life were fascinating, and I would like to learn more. Marjane Satrapi wrote another graphic novel, entitled Embroideries, in which her grandmother is the main character. Besiders Marjane herself, I found her uncle Anoosh to be very interesting. He seems to have had a profound impact on her life, even after his execution. Their story was one of my favorites to read, as well as the one describing the homecoming of the released political prisoners. Both were fascinating, and at times humorous despite the circumstances the characters were living in.
I'll have to buy the next volume, and I think I'll rent the movie again!

Death Note: The Last Name

Death Note: The Last Name, is the second and final part of the Death Note films. I was very lucky to actually see this in a theater! Nothing like seeing it on the big screen. I was very curious about what this movie would be like because of all the material it had to cover. The Death Note manga is multiple volumes, and to wrap it all up in one movie could not have been an easy task for the writers. I enjoy the film (though I felt the plot got extremely twisted at times) and found it very well done, but it ended up being quite different from the manga. Though I am not a Death Note "purist" it was interesting to note all the differences between the two.
I went with a classmate of mine to see Death Note, and was glad to have the company. Unfortunately I arrived a few minutes late and missed out on seeing some kids who came in costume! We were both hoping that the movie would be subtitled, as neither of us are big fans of dubbing. I think that the translation done for dubbing is often not as close to the original as the subtitle, and usually the voices just seem WAY too awkward and cheesy when matched with the actor. Unfortunately the showed the dubbed version but it was easy to get past the english voices/japanese actors after awhile. Death Note is very psychologically and morally complex, and I think the movie did a good job of portraying it. For most of the time that I was watching, I was very anxious! Since they changed so much from the manga, even I did not know what was going to happen, haha. There was one important event that was very different from the manga - Light actually succeeds in killing L! In the manga he tricks Rem into killing both Watari and L. Another guy then becomes L's replacement. It makes sense that they would change this in the movie, as it is a bit much to have an entirely new L halfway through the film. The rest of the events proceeded as they did in the manga (though with the different L). Though the movie ended in a lighter tone than the manga, the death of Light was dark as it was in the manga, and the actor who played Light did an excellent job of portraying him during his death scene. I read in an interview that the two actors who played Light and L got so into their characters that they barely even spoke with each other when the camera wasn't rolling! I'd like to see the L spin-off next, because his character is fascinating. I'm a lover of sweet but seeing him constantly eating candy dipped in sugar and syrup made me a bit queasy...
I think the film definitely had a message about justice and the law that was similar to that of the manga, despite the changes. I would definitely recommend seeing this film to anyone who is a fan of the manga or anime, or even enjoys a good j-movie!

Astro City...Continued

I just finished reading Astro City: Life in the Big City and let me tell you, I want more! Something tells me I will be heading to St Marks Comics as soon as tomorrow to buy the next volume...
I think what has me so hooked on this comic book is the character development. Action isn't much of the focus in these first few stories, but rather the people who are affected by it and the superheroes who are taking part.
While I very much enjoyed each of the stories, my favorites would have to be two that do not really focus on the superheroes themselves - "The Scoop" and "Safeguards." Like Busiek mentioned in his introduction, it is a completely different approach to explore the ways in which normal people who live in this "superhero world" are affected. That idea is not something that I had ever really thought of before, but it makes sense that people living amongst super human beings would have a different mentality than those who do not. This is apparent in the way Marta looks up in awe at Winged Victory and is fascinated by the humanity of Nick Furst. What I also enjoyed about this story was the juxtaposition of the seemingly "old world" type magic and creatures of Marta's Shadow Hill neighborhood vs. the "steel and glass," superheroes and villians of downtown Astro City. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly it was that changed for Marta and convinced her to stay in Shadow Hill. I found the story very complex and believable, because the outcome wasn't necessarily what I expected.
The ending of "Scoop" was what really made me smile. I think it was my favorite story of the whole volume because its amusing way of expressing the importance of truth, especially in reporting. The whole story I was so anxious to see what the article was going to end up being about! It was a interesting angle to approach the story from, and I found myself wishing I was sitting in that office listening to the story from Mister Mills himself. What a great character! Even in Astro City, where it's obvious that superheroes exist, it is still important that the news does not become sensationalized. Even in the presence of the supernatural, it is still important to get the cold hard facts before publishing a story. I think that this story spoke to more than just the Astro City enws...
Of the superheroes of Astro City, Samaritan interests me the most. I was glad to find out his back story when he explains it to Winged Victory, as it added a new element to his character. The conversation between Winged Victory and Samaritan (or rather, their alter egos) was my favorite part of that whole story, because it showed these two superheroes having a very real debate about the motives behind their actions. It showed that superheroes are still capable of having doubts, just like the other Astro City citizens.

Comic Book Confidential

Comic Book Confidential is a documentary by Ron Mann, released in 1988. I had been itching to see this for a long time, and finally got the chance this weekend. Having seen another one of Mann's documentaries, Grass, I was looking forward to seeing how he approached this topic. The history of the comic book and its contributions to pop culture and a variety of mediums is long and complex, and certainly could not be covered in one film alone. That being said, I thought Mann did an incredible job of capturing integral moments in the history of the comic book and exploring the various movements within the medium. The style in which he did so was also very original. One of my favorite things Mann did was pan over comic strips and add sound effects as each artist/writer read their own work. He added another dimension to the strips by doing so, and brought what you usually only imagine into reality.
And what a goldmine of interviews! Everyone from Stan Lee to Bill Griffith spoke, and I hung on their every word. Their interviews really spoke to the ways in which comic books reflect the social mentalities of their time. I always enjoy seeing the faces and hearing the voices behind a comic book, but to listen to them read their own work was beyond words! There is something fascinating about listening to a writer read their work in the way they imagine it. I like to then compare it to the way I imagined their characters sounding! R Crumb was my favorite to see interviewed.
All the original footage also added a lot to the documentary. It's fun to see all the underground comic book artists at work, as well as see footage of the hearings on the dangers of comic books. The arguments being made seem almost humorous (yet believable) now, but I can see how they would have been detrimental and suffocating to the industry.

I would definitely recommend this documentary to any one interested in learning more about the complex world of the comic book!

LittleBigPlanet

LittleBigPlanet is quite possibly one of the cutest video games I have seen recently. I had heard a bit about it in passing conversation and on a few blogs, but never knew what it was all about until I read this article for class. I think the concept behind the game is brilliant, and I can see it spawning a huge online community as well as attracting many people who wouldn't necessarily consider themselves "gamers." I enjoy the occasional Halo tournament, but I've never really strayed from Nintendo consoles (hopelessly addicted to wii) and games such as Mario Party, Zelda and Super Mario. I never felt the need to get a PS3...until now! The ability to customize everything down to the character is extremely appealing to me. I've also always been a fan of a game that allows for collaboration and interaction with others. The easiness with which one can share their created levels and garner feedback or collaborate with someone across the globe will increase popularity and bring it beyond the realm of the gaming world. Who hasn't at one point or another thought, "hey, it would be really cool if there were a video game like this...." Based on the wikipedia article, it seems like there are many levels of customization, so people have an unlimited amount of options when it comes to creating various levels. The New York Times article also noted that graphic novels and comic books will inevitably spawn from the LittleBigPlanet community. I look forward to seeing what people come up with...hopefully I'll be playing alongside them!

Kurt Busiek's Astro City

Since it was first released in 1995, Kurt Busiek's highly praised Astro City has garnered a huge following. My journey to find the first volume (Life in the Big City), attested to its popularity. In total I traveled to five different stores before finally finding it, and at each I was greeted with positive response regarding the comic. After informing me that they no longer had any copies, one guy directed me to another store stating, "I hope you find it! That comic changed really changed my life when I was 15..." Another guy expressed envy, "You get to read Astro City for class?! Well aren't you lucky...it's incredible you'll really enjoy it." So naturally after all these encounters I couldn't wait to begin reading! The story, artwork and concept exceeded my already high expectations. During my hunt I saw all the hard cover editions of the other volumes and I cannot wait to get my hands on them!
Every aspect of this comic is so beautiful. The cover, the panels, the writing. I found myself disappointed when the story was over because I just wanted more. I like how each chapter revolves around a different character existing in Astro City. Each individual is fascinating.
Busiek's introduction was also very interesting. I really appreciated what he had to say about the superhero genre and how it's not limited, but rather, limitless. I thought that was a great way to answer the criticism people have of superhero comics. Busiek proves his argument through this work.
Is it just me or does the cover remind you of magazine covers from the 40's and 50's? There is something so nostalgic and crisp about it.

Scott McCloud's Making Comics

Scott McCloud has done it again. Not only did he help me to understand how to better read comics, he now is providing me with the tools needed to make my own! In Making Comics, McCloud breaks down the various aspects that make a good comic book. I tagged pretty much every page for more review. I have a feeling by the end of this course, Making Comics and Understanding Comics will be extremely well worn in! While I by no means thought creating a comic book, graphic novel or manga was easy, I was not aware of just how much thought must go into every single detail. His emphasis on how even the smallest details in the background of a panel can reveal a lot about the character or plot line really struck a chord. The study of facial expressions is going to be extremely helpful when it comes to character design, as well as his ideas for creating a character and basing them upon concepts. I had never thought of doing so before, but it certainly provides another interesting dimension to their persona. Body language was something I've noticed in movies or pictures, but I had not realized just how much it could express in comics until I read this book.
I also really liked the exercises and notes he has at the end of each chapter. I have yet to do the exercises, but I am sure I will before I begin to create my own comic. I've never taken a class where I've had to create something completely of my own imagination, and I was really nervous when it came time to write the proposals. I've always liked to doodle and daydream, but to share my ideas with others was a terrifying thought! My main fears were, "can i make something interesting???", "what makes a good comic book story??" McCloud put these fears to rest when he explains that there is no right story for comics, and that one should write what they would want to read. His comment that even if all else fails there will be at least one loyal reader really made me smile.
On a side note, I'd really like to see the results that come of the 24 hour comic creation. Maybe we can get the class together for an all day (literally) event... ; )

Death Note -- The movie!

The live action film adaptation of Death Note was released in Japan in 2006. After I finished reading the manga series, I was anxious to see the film, and finally got my chance this past weekend. Having heard mixed reviews (especially concerning the appearance of Ryuk), I was unsure of what to expect. Well I can honestly say I was hooked to my television the entire time! I watched it alone and at night, which probably wasn't the best idea, but I found myself impressed by both the acting and storyline. Though there were some major changes from the manga, none seemed to subtract from the original story and concept in any way. Light as a law student rather than a high school student was a twist that actually helped to emphasize the moral questions that Death Note poses.
I have always found film adaptations of manga and comic books particularly interesting. Not only must a director and screenwriter deal with adapting the script, they must also deal with the vision of the artist, and what is being expressed in each panel. As we've been learning in class with our breakdowns, each panel can be thought of as a separate scene. Ryuk so much resembled the manga character, and I did not find myself thrown off by his animation at all. Considering that much of Death Note is narration and inner conversation, I thought the filmakers did an excellent job translating the turmoil to the big screen.
Death Note was hugely successful in Japan, and spawned a spin off film called L: Change the WorLd. I am curious to see this film as well, since it focuses on the life of L, and is not based off of any manga. It was just released this year in Japan, so hopefully we will be seeing it stateside sometime soon.
I am really looking forward to seeing the second part of the film next Thursday. Perhaps I will break out the eyeliner and white tee and dress as L. I imagine Death Note II: The Last Name is even darker considering what happens in the manga, but...my lips are sealed!