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In this article, McCloud attempts to show viewers how important the idea of emotion is and how evoking it is vital to a successful comic.  He opens the comic by visually demonstrating different emotions.  He attempts to show everything from anger to joy to anxiety to madness.  He then attempts to represent larger topics such as loudness, warmth, sourness and quiet.  In this chapter he goes further into detail by representing the importance of every design element down, even, to line type and weight and font.  He shows how successful the use of these choices can be through their usage in similar images in different scenes.  Font plays a huge roll in the creation of emphasis and hierarchy also.  Serif fonts, demonstrated by the use of lines and accents on the letters themselves, are used to place emphasis on text.  San-serif fonts, on the other hand, represent a hastened focus to be placed elsewhere.

            These readings are quite effective as they “teach what they preach.”  They present readers with a given idea and then represent that idea effectively in the comic sketch.  Off the bat visual representations of different emotions show how a comic can successfully infuse emotions with panels to represent reality.  Later, as mentioned above, McCloud shows the importance of differing linotypes and weights and the roles they can play through showing parallel slides in differing ways.  This is also extremely effective.

Today’s reading, again a comic sketch by author McCloud, continued to tell readers about how to properly create a successful comic strip.  A big part of this reading was about the idea of choice.  McCloud attempts to convince readers that a comic sketch is really nothing more than a series of decisions.  These decisions create the flow in a comic.  Within this topic, he represents this concept by showing different ways to generate a story line.  He says one way is to have a big idea in your head and carefully plan out each frame and void space.  He says another is to create one frame in its entirety, finish it, and then start this process over on the next.  Either way, flow is represented by the choices represented in the frames themselves and the spaces between.  This idea of choice goes further than just which frames to show, it is constant throughout the entire sketch.  This is represented down to, again, how a given scene is represented.

            This set of readings is extremely interesting in terms of representation.  The fact that the author is attempting to teach viewers how to successfully create a comic, and on a larger scale how to generate and compose a set of ideas, through comic as a medium is fascinating.  In addition, I think it is very effective as he can show that his principals actually work through the successfulness of this particular comic.  On a more specific note, it is interesting how McCloud shows the concept of idea manifestation.  He argues that not only the individual scenes and their make up are important, but similarly are their intentions.  Representing emotion is critical to the success of a comic.

Today’s reading was a comic sketch again.  This sketch was about the flow of comics themselves.  An interesting thing that this pointed out is that what a comic is NOT showing is equally as important as what it is showing.  These between spaces add drastically to the idea of a comic.  It also attempts to portray the importance of how a scene is portrayed.   For example, if a given scene is attempting to show a man finding a key on the ground, showing a curious man bending down is completely different than showing a man simply standing above a key.  He also attempts to show the importance of what scenes themselves are shown.  For the same idea of a man finding a key, the number of scenes, action, and fill make a huge difference.

            This comic strip stressed the importance of two main things; the need to demonstrate clear ideas and to keep viewers interested all the way through.  The author also introduces readers to different types of scene and transitions.  There are 5 main types; choice of moment, choice of frame, choice of image, choice of word, and choice of flow.  These elements, combined with scene selection choices, scene length, and blank space selection are really what create a comic.  How they are composed define its effectiveness.

Today’s reading was very different than any up to this point.  This reading was out of a comic book by author, McCloud.  Contrary to most comic strips, this book is not short and is not necessarioy funny.  The author simply took a new direction in presenting the information he wished to.  This particular reading was about the nature of comics and works on non-real-life mediums.  He raised some interesting points off the bat.  For one, he points out that most of the time things are not as they seem.  For example, McClloud argues that when you go to the store and see a picture of a ship, you automatically associate it with a ship and see it as a ship.  In reality it is so much more than just a ship.  In is a painting of a ship.  Furthermore it is a drawing of a painting of a ship.  Even further, it is a copy of a drawing of painting of a ship.  He makes similar claims a little later about the nature of imagery.  If you see a drawing of a peace sign, it is automatically associates with the notion of peace.  Similarly if you see a picture of an American flag it is subconsciously associated with the United States of America.  McCloud then proceeds to a still frame which says do you hear what I’m saying? Off the bat your natural, mental response is yes I do.  McCloud then points out that you have indeed NOT heard what he said because in reality, nothing was said to be heard.

It is really interesting to thing about some of the concepts McCloud raises in this comic.  The brains mental control over us is utterly amazing and it is fascinating to witness examples such as this reading’s content.  I particularly liked the part in the reading where McCloud compares the human face to a mask.  After reading his proposition, he is right on.  We essentially wear this “mask” all the time, never see the other end of it, don’t exactly know how the details pan out, and trust it do more or less bend to our will.  McCloud raised some really interesting ideas.

Today’s article, titled “She’ll Kill Bill While You Chill by Dr. Thomas Zengotita, was similar in focus Monday’s reading.  This article, however, took a slightly different direction.  While Monday’s reading focused on the satirical irony present in Tarantino’s depiction of intense gore and violence and his mastery over the subject, today’s focused more on the social connotations and effects these violence-driven films have on today’s society.  This article also followed and documented Quinton Tarantino’s rise to fame and his “heroic” accent to the top of his world.  The article opens telling just how Tarantino got to where he is.  It speaks of his seemingly-overbearing affection toward film of every genre and make.  It tells of his astonishing memory of every aspect of these films from leading roles to cinematography to musical arrangements.  Zengotita then proceeds to depict how Tarantino landed a job at a local video store and this ultimately put him in place to make the contributions to modern film that he ultimately did.  The article then takes a different direction and begins to talk about the effects these uber-violent films have on society as a whole.

            In my opinion the most, and quite frankly only interesting thing about this article was the portion at the beginning about how Tarantino got to where hi is today.  It is fascinating to read about the events that transpired to hoist him to become the acclaimed director he is today.  This is also quite inspiring as it shows how powerful passion really is.  Film was one of the most important things to Tarantino as a boy and his devotion to his dream is what ultimately allowed him to get to where he wanted to be.  I feel this is one lesson everyone could possibly take from Tarantino.

Today’s reading, titled “Pulp fiction” by author Alan A. Stone, is about one of Hollywood’s most famous directors, Quinton Tarantino.  Tarantino is known mostly for his action films which are known to have, as some argue, excessive gore.  The interesting thing here is the idea behind this gore.  As with every given age, people tend to like gore and violence so long as it does not involve them.  This runs true back with Shakespeare in his violent plays “Hamlet” and “King Lear.”  While these films/plays do not necessarily propone the concept of violence, they merely take advantage of a slightly sadistic enjoyment of the topic from the general public.  Tarantino takes this to the next level with films such as “Pulp Fiction” and “Kill Bill.”  The truly interesting thing about Tarantino’s films is their satirical interpretation of the intense violence.  The author has two simultaneous goals when dealing with this “excessive” gore; one is appeasement of a slightly sadistic audience and the other is a slight poke aimed at these audiences.  While the concept behind some of his gorier scenes are morbid and are entirely not comical, the way he directs them puts a certain satirical spin on them.

            I think the way Tarantino writs and direct is quite interesting due to his deeper look into the way people think.  He recognizes that it is a slightly messed concept that people find enjoyment in violence, but he is able to find a healthy relationship between appeasing this notion and poking fun at it.  It is always interesting when directors are successful in pulling off notions like this, just as it is comical when musical artists do the same to audiences.  One such prime example is the band “Green Day” with their hit song, “American Idiot.”  While the entire goal of this song is to bash the typical mindset behind a common American, they love it!

Today’s reading, like Monday’s, was really interesting due to its relatibility to audiences in the collegiate demographic.  The article by David Denby, titled “A Fine Romance,” is yet another summary and analysis of certain famous movies of today.  The main focus of the summarized films in this reading are centered are mainly romantic comedies centered on the idea of male and female development.   The article analyzes current romantic comedies and the clashing roles of their male and female leads.   The males, as argued by this article, are quite childish and immature and need to overcome these adversities in order to ultimately get what they want.  This tends to be the girl.  The females, on the other hand, tend to be more up-tight and straight edge.  They must also, in a sense, overcome this in order to truly get what they want.  This tends to be the guy.  In a sense, he has to grow up and she has to loosen up.  The article goes on to argue how this new genre of “romantic comedy” more or less always goes the same way.  There is a lead male and a lead female actor.  The lead actor is very childish in one, if not multiple, aspects of his life.  He tends to associate mostly with his buddies and has little or no interaction with the female sex.  Then, in some semi-dramatic event, the lead male meets the lead female.  The story then progresses to show how he must prove himself “worthy” in a sense to be with her.  The lead female, at the same time, learn certain things about herself and how to be happy through the lead male.

I think these films are quite interesting because they are more or less exaggerations of todays norms.  The majority of guys have  certain childish quarks which a women ultimately helps them get over in order to fully mature.  While this is happening, most girls try to act older then they really are.  The male species helps bring them back down to earth and learn to live in the moment a little more.  While this is obviously not true for everyone, it seems to me to be fairly consistent with everyday life.  Most importantly to me, I can see certain things about the way I live and behave represented in the films.  It makes one really wonder what will happen next in their life.

Today’s reading, titled “Freaks, Geeks, and Mensches” was quite possibly my favorite to date.  This is so because it is very relatable for people in the college-aged demographic.  The article, by Alex Wainer, is more or less a summary followed by analysis of Judd Apatow’s two famous videos, “Knocked Up” and “40-Year Old Virgin.”  The article goes into detail about the evolutionary role of lead male actors in films.  The role has evolved from the 50’s hero, to the 60’s rebel, to the 70’s swinger, to the 80’s action hero, to today’s premature adult male.  The two films tell a very similar story about a lead male character who has certain very childish and immature characteristics which he must overcome to get what he wants and ultimately grow up.  In “Knocked Up” the main character must overcome his childish dependency on drugs and porn in order to grow into the man his pregnant girlfriend needs him to be.  Similarly, the lead role in “40-Year Old Virgin” must overcome his fear of physical intimacy and youthful infatuation with action figures in order to end up with the women he loves.

I feel this article’s author, Alex Wainer, is definitely onto something in his writing.  He does an interesting analysis into the theme and idea behind two of the most famous and hilarious films of today.  I feel he is spot on with his claim that today’s main male role is that of an immature, “slackerish” young man.  The really interesting thing about this analysis is that it draws a deeper meaning to these comedic films.  While these movies are hilarious and don’t necessarily ask viewers to dig deeper into the main idea driving the plot, the definitely offer people an inspiring life lesson on personal fulfillment.  Apatow is extremely successful at conveying a message to viewers without blatantly throwing his ideals at them.  He does this in an interesting and comedic way that keeps audiences hooked and laughing the entire time.  This article also makes me wonder what the next evolutionary stage for male lead roles will pan out to be.  Also, it inspires wonder as to when this shift will occur.

You’ve Been Poked

This particular article, titled You Have Been Poked, by Brett Bumgarner is about the website “Facebook” as a social utility.  The author is not necessarily trying to prove anything about facebook in the article, he is more trying to provide a thorough analysis of the social networking implications and drives behind the website.  He starts off the article with a background of the website’s history, stating that it was founded in 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zukenberg.  He then proceeded to outline a brief history of “Facebook’s” evolution from small time information gatherer to large scale social networking tool.  The main point of the article is covered next.  Brett proceeds to analyze the website on a number of different concepts including the gratification theory, voyeurism, and exhibitionism.   He then closes the article with a summary defining how the website is primarily used.  Above all else, the site is used as a social bridge gap-er.  The site is used to portray and withhold information from peers as it is deemed necessary by a given person.  It helps people stay involved with their peers and the world around them.

While I don’t feel there is much I can agree or disagree with pertaining to this article due to its nature, I do believe that this analysis is right on when it comes to a lot of aspects of “Facebook.”  That being said, this article brings out one of the most prevalent, annoying things on my mind pertaining to such analysis’’.  While there is, I’m sure, a mental and psychological reason driving peoples’ motives and actions concerning social networking sites, I just don’t feel it is at all important.  When it boils down to it, people use “Facebook” because they want to.  Whether they want to in order to reconnect with old acquaintances, strengthen their social values, or to simply see what friends did last weekend, people use the website because they want to.  That being said, it should not surprise anyone that the targeted age group for “Facebook” is that of young adults.  As the article said, this is the age where people are first forging their own path and are out on their own for, really, the first time in their lives.  For a lot of these people, staying connected to something is very important.

The Judgment of Thamus-Pierzchala

            This particular Essay, titled The Judgment of Thamus, is about the positive and negative outcomes associated with technological advancement.  Most people, especially in a technologically driven society such as that of the United States are very quick to see the benefits of technologies, and are relatively hesitant to see the negative connotations associated with them.  Technology, as any other concept, has pros and cons.  As mentioned above however, people in a society like ours may be significantly less likely to see the cons than the pros.  For example, the computer has made significant contributions to nearly every aspect of life in today’s modern society.  This ranges everywhere from entertainment (video games, TV, radio) to academia (Laptops, email) to work (copy machines, fax, monitors) to everyday use (vehicles, lawn mower).  It is quite clear to see how a technology such as a computer can be largely beneficial to society.  On the other hand, these same computers can take jobs away from trained, specified workers.

            I agree with this article and feel it brings a good point concerning the idea of technology to the table.  While today’s society obviously dictates advancement and progress, a certain level of personal communication and connection is lost due to technology.  In addition, a serious concern is the jobs that are replaced everyday by computers and machines.  I feel this is a concern that needs attention as it is more of an issue that is initially viewed as it is typically overlooked due to its obvious positive contributions.  All this being said, I am still 100% a fan and supporter of technology and technological progress.  I am a Technophile.