watchmen

now, i havent seen the movie yet, but just the fact that everyone is talking about it and there are ads up everywhere for the movie makes me very happy. i read the comic book many, many years ago. if all this advertising for it leads more people to read the original book, then that is worth it, even if the movie sucks (which i hope it doesnt...).

COMIC BOOKS. the dark knight

i recently decided to reread 'the dark knight returns' by frank miller. i had read it a couple times before years ago, but i recently got it back from a friend and couldn't help but page through it again. the book had a huge impact on the world of comics, it brought about 'the dark age' in comics. in the eighties most comic books were light and silly. when 'the dark knight returns' came out, it was a catalyst that shifted the gears of the industry and everything focused instead on dark gritty characterizations. this came to a head in the 90's with the anti-hero, and every character seemed to be willing to kill. the story itself takes place when bruce wayne is in his fifties and has retired from being batman for about ten years. the city has gone to crap and now gangs rule the landscape. all the superheroes have been arrested or disappeared, superman is a neutered lapdog of the government, and there seems to be no hope. bruce has had it, and decides to put the cape and cowl back on. except this time he's angry. the story is a dense tale that looks at corruption and responsibility and how those things are ignored. its a great story and worth rereading every couple years.

after having finished that one, i pulled out the follow up 'the dark knight strikes again'. this one came out around 2001 and is startlingly different than the first one. this one seems to try and be the opposite end of the spectrum. the story continues as batman is trying to bring the world's superheroes back into the spotlight to try and change the growing shallowness and apathy of gotham's residents. the shock of reading this one right after the first one is the stark contrasts between the two. where the first one is dark and moody, this one is bright and electric. the first is written densely and packed with small panels and lots of words, this one is full of splash pages and minimal dialog. the art in this volume seems to be no longer interested in representing the figures, rather just give a vague simplified version of the characters. instead of dark imagery based in darkness, this one has the backgrounds in all white, or generic outlines in light hues. the characters seem to be having fun and relish the role of being a superhero instead of brooding over everything.

just as the first one was in response to the shallow simplicity of the comic industry in the 80's, the second feels like a response to the gritty dark comic industry of the 90's that the first had created.

COMIC BOOKS. david: the shepherds song

i found this little book this summer at comic con. there was a booth that was selling six graphic novels for 20 bucks, and i found four that i wanted. i came across this one and figured 'well, i can always keep it in my classroom for the kids to read'. so i picked it up. i recently read through it to check it out, and i must say, it is amazing! the story is a short one that looks at king david and his life as a shepherd. it shows his responsibility and joy that comes with his job as a shepherd, and compares it to the time he is on the run from king saul. the storytelling is very well done, it flows wonderfully, and the theme that it works from is done in a very simple and powerful way. the art is also great, its designed to look unfinished, very much like a sketchbook. the simple story and simple art compliment each other quite well. the book is published by a little known company called lamp post publications, and is written and illustrated by royden lepp and darren brady. i look forward to checking out anything else i can find by these two guys!

COMIC BOOKS. understanding comics

i just rediscovered a website that i used to visit fairly regularly. back when i used to teach art this one came in handy a lot for coming up with new ideas and interesting concepts.
its the homepage of a guy named scott mccloud. he is a comic book writer and illustrator who wrote a book called 'understanding comics'. it is a really amazing book, it looks at the structure and rules of the comic book art form. what makes it even more fun, is that it is actually a comic book itself! scott mccloud draws himself to the book as a guide through the world of comic art, its really quite ingenious! he goes into a bit of depth about the history of the illustrated cartoon. he discusses the real definition of art. he breaks down the rules of comic books, such as pacing, iconography, what happens between the panels, etc. it is an incredibly interesting read. it will totally change your view of what a comic book is and what it can be. in fact, when i used to teach art i would do a unit on comic books and i would use a chapter out of this book as a textbook of sorts.