Webcomics

    The webcomic False Knees really stood out to me when going through all of the different readings this week. While going through and reading this comic I noticed how simple and easy it is to follow like the clear line comics we read a couple weeks ago. The simple story line of the comics and how short they are makes them really easy to follow. One that really stood out to me about being clear line was the one that was done in blue color pencil. The way how Joshua just used one color made that comic simple, but it grabbed my attention. I can relate to how the bird is feeling with wanting to take a day off but no matter how early we start working on something another thing pops up. Joshua gets that across to the readers in a fast but easy way to comprehend how the bird is feeling. Clear line comics I feel like grad the attention of their readers easier than busy comics. 

    Another one of his comics that stood out to me was the one about the racoons talking about their first time eating a pickle. That comic was quite funny. He used simple but attention-grabbing sentences to keep you interested in the comic. When you scroll to it at first you might think he is talking about something totally different than eating a pickle but once you get past that and you find out about the pickle you will be laughing for a while. Honestly though the wording he chooses to use in some of his comics can grab the attention of the reader within a heartbeat. I just went back and reread the first False Knees and I started cracking up. It starts off with different color leaves and then transitions to the bird talking about his favorite color blorange. At first when I read it I was like what is he talking about and then when he “explained” the only way to see it I finally figured out what he was talking about. It is a so-called sad color now but it was a really funny and attention-grabbing way of describing a color. 

The Lost Thing

The Lost Thing shows perfectly how if you are lost or if you think you are lost, and you do not fit in anywhere that is completely incorrect. This story shows that everyone has a place where they belong you just have to find it. I love how the boy creates a nice friendship with the thing and cares for it till they find the right place for it. The thing that caught my attention from the start is how he stayed and played with the thing waiting for someone to claim it towards the end of the day. However, when no one came to take the thing home he did. He did not care whether it had a disease or if it was filthy. All he really cared about was whether or not the thing had someone to take care of it. This story is about a connection between humans and things. It honestly shows how attached we can get to things. For example, someone can be walking down the street and they might stumble upon a dog or cat that does not have a home. They would take whatever it is home and take care of it till they found the right place for it just like the boy did. 

This story was told in this way to really grab the readers attention and to show how much people care about random things. Honestly, we do not really know what the thing it. I feel like it is a mixture of a robot and an octopus or squid. Also, the way that the thing was drawn makes it cute and makes you feel like you would take it home if you came across it one day. The illustrations throughout this story are incredible. There is very little reading to this story, but it tells the whole story perfectly. It comes off clearer with not a lot of details within the writing of the story. Watching the short video of the story as well pulls you in and makes you feel sorry for the thing. You can also feel the emotions that are happening during the story. When the boy takes the thing to the gray building with no windows to leave him there and he hears how he should not leave the thing there and he went looking everywhere to find the right place for the thing. 

Wonder Woman

 Wonder Woman is such a great role model. She shows how women can do anything we put our minds to. Women are just as capable of doing things people think that only guys can do. Yes, it honestly might take us a little longer than other people, but we can get it done. One thing that is crazy is how when women want to do something, but people will say “Oh no just leave it to the guys to do”. That just makes me so mad because they don’t believe in us. Wonder Woman is an excellent example of how we can do things on our own. I personally love how she is not afraid of what other people think of her as well. Within one of the comics of Wonder Woman you can see how differently she is dressed than the other women. Also, within the same comic the other women are staring and talking about how she should cover up and be more decent instead of as some people say looking like a slut. However, she does not give a care in the world what they think of her. Women now a days need to seriously act like she does. We should not care what other people think about us. Ladies definitely should not tear each other down. We need to build each other up and be supportive of one another. Another thing that is disturbing is how the men talk to Wonder Woman. Why do men have to be so repulsive when talking to women. However, not all men are disgusting when it comes to talking to women. Some guys can be so sweet and caring and not say disturbing things and just have a really decent conversation with the women. But other guys will say the rudest things and just try to sleep with women right off the bat of meeting them which will one hundred percent not get them anywhere in life. 

 

In the second Wonder Woman comic we read the women are fighting for equal rights and pay. Equal rights are such a huge and important thing. Without equal rights women could not vote or work. All women would do is stay at home and cook, clean, do the laundry, and watch the children. We would not have a voice in anything which is just sad. I could not imagine what life would be like without having equal rights. Not being able to vote would change a lot of things. Being able to vote is a really important thing especially with the upcoming election. But if it were not for women fighting for equal rights and everything a lot of stuff would not be possible. Seeing the women in the Wonder Woman comic fighting for equal rights is just so incredible. 

John Lewis

 John Lewis was a great man. He did so many great things over his lifetime. One major thing he did was fighting for Civil Rights. I absolutely love the way how he tells his story in his book March. Throughout March John Lewis is talking and showing his experience growing up and fighting for what is wright. In the book you can see very clearly how differently black people were treated. It’s so sad that back in the day and still to this day they are still being treated horribly. We are all human and nothing changes that. We were all created for a reason. I believe that everyone has a purpose here on earth and if our life is not going right at this moment it will get better you just have to believe. I remember when John Lewis came to my elementary school and told us his story and how he fought for Civil Rights. However, being a little kid, I did not know a whole lot about the Civil Rights movement. I personally love this book because it breaks down and tells the story in a great way. He grows throughout the book and shows how much he cares about everyone’s rights. A scene from the book that shows this is the one with the chickens. He was told to take care of the chickens and he loved them so much and felt horrible when he accidentally killed one which shows that no matter what we should love one another. I hope that soon people would treat each other equally and love one another like we are supposed to. 

 

Overall, I feel like this book shows how much of a great man he was. He has touched so many lives through everything he has done. One family he has touched was mine. Back when I was born it was hard for two men to adopt a child. However, John Lewis thought that my dad’s deserved to have children as much as any other couple out there. To this day we are all very thankful for him because honestly if it were not for him, I would not be here today. I honestly would probably be lost within the foster care system. He lived such an eventful life and still brings joy to people’s lives. I personally would like to thank John Lewis for all of his great accomplishments and helping everyone get what they deserve even if it was a huge struggle. 

This picture is the day that my dads got to officially adopt my brother and I. My brother and I are bold siblings which is rare when adopting I think but if it were not for John Lewis they would not have my brother or I. 

My Favorite Thing is Monsters

 

One scene that pops into my mind is the scene with the cootie step. The step was the only step that had a greenish coloring to it and that is why the students in the school called it the cootie step all because it was a different color. Every time a teacher would step on that particular step the students would call out saying that the teacher had cooties now. So, to end the cootie step problem all of the teachers gathered on that step and had every student stand on the step. However, when it was Karen’s turn, she was teased and laughed at. Later on, in the book she states that since the cootie step she has given up her fear of being different. That is a big step in not caring what others think of her. Over several years she has been made fun of for being different but at the end of the day she is still so sweet and caring and looks don't decide who you are. Just like we should not judge a book by its cover we should not judge people before getting to know them because they might act totally different than you thought they would. 

 

                

Another scene that comes to my mind when talking about being different is when Karen meets a girl named Sandy. Sandy is not just any type of girl. She is really skinny, pale, and like Karen states “Sandy looks like a vampire”. Which Sandy finds to be really cool. I brought Sandy up because she likes the way Karen looks. She does not pick on Karen for being the way she is, and I feel like people (like I said previously) just choose to not like someone because of their looks. I am really guilty of this honestly. I have learned that once you get to know a person they can or cannot be like how you thought they were. 

 

In life everyone tends to judge things by the way they look. We all just need to take a few steps back and realize we are all just humans and if you take the time to realize that I feel like people would know and have a lot more friends. Honestly going through sorority recruitment on the last day I talked to one girl and call my dad immediately after talking to her and told him how I thought she was rude and that I did not like her after talking to her for a couple minutes. Little did I know that she would become my best friend. I have learned how sweet she actually is and that honestly shows that you should not judge people before getting to know them. But getting back to My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Karen is judged without people getting to know her and it just does not make sense that people can be so mean. Even sometimes people put on an act like Karen’s friend Missy. There is one point within the book about her teasing Karen and then turning around as her and her group The Pink Mob were leaving to tell Karen that she was sorry. That just show that you should not change who you are to get more friends. 

Underground Comic

    Going through glancing and reading Wimmens Comix the one titles Sandy Comes Out grabbed my attention and reminded me of how difficult it was to come out back in the 1960's. Reading the comic reminded me of the Stonewall Riots that happened back in 1969 when the people of the Stonewall bar decided to finally stand up against the police and gain their rights as humans. Back in the 1960's people could be arrested for wearing the opposite genders clothing. If a man was wearing a dress, wig, make up, high heels or anything that resembles them trying to be a woman they would be arrested right then and there because being gay was illegal at the time. Honestly to this day I often see people hating on gay people and it hurts my heart because honestly everyone is human no matter what is going on in their personal life and if they want to be gay let them. The people that discriminate against them should honestly mind their own business and go on with their day because what happens in their lives is their own business not anyone around them. 

    Another great comic that shows what it was like coming out in the 1960’s is the Bechdel Fun Home comic. Within chapter three the main character comes out as gay and her family was not really happy about that news. A lot of families back in the 1960’s were not happy at all when they found out their child was gay. It was and still is frowned upon in so many ways which breaks many people’s hearts. But within the comic the documents that are blown up for us to read are actual documents and letters from when this event actually occurred. I love how her story is the actual story of what happened. That makes the comic a lot more interesting. When people write based off of true events that happened in their lives, I feel like they bring in more readers due to the interesting story line. After she sent a letter telling her parents that she was gay she found out that her father was having an affair with several different guys over many years. Then the story goes on to talk about her father’s affair. Later on, she finally gets a letter back from her mom and was pretty devastated. Shortly after she had moved in with her partner at the time, she got a call from her mom about her parents getting a divorce. Maybe about two weeks later came the call about her father’s accident and then goes on to talk about how her idea that she caused her own fathers’ death by telling her parents she was a lesbian is probably illogical and then starts comparing her story to the Great Gatsby story. I found that really interesting because the Great Gatsby book is really good and so it the movie. But the detective skills that she uses to relate that book to her story is incredible. 

Fantasies According to McCay

 

    McCay’s fantasies engage us by giving us little things that draw us from the real world. The things that McCay writes with in the comics are fantasies because they do not happen in real life. Some examples of how the things are just fantasies is like in the comic pictured above the mushrooms are so much taller than the clown and child. This particular comic reminds me of Alice in Wonderland and how when she drinks the liquid that makes her small to where everything is bigger than her. 

    A lot of kids growing up picture the most impossible things happening, but it is so interesting because seeing some of them come to life in this comic is incredible. While reading the comics and noticing how the impossible is coming to life draws my attention as well as others. Also, while using the fantasies the cool colors and drawings and characters are a great way to also grab our attention.

    The comic that is pictured above reminds me of the movie The Wizard of Oz and how Dorothy had to follow the yellow brick road to get to the Emerald City in order to get back home. However, with this strip of Little Nemo in Slumberland he was invited to go to Slumberland and to go over the enchanted bridge that leads to the Palace of Good King Morphews which is where I am reminded of the Wizard of Oz movie. Another thing that points to the Wizard of Oz is when he is turned into a monkey to get over the forbidden bridge. But with the Wizard of Oz there were flying monkeys when Dorothy, Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow went through the dark woods, but the monkeys ended up tearing apart the Scarecrow. In Little Nemo before he could be taken to the Palace, he was awakened by his father saving him from the bad dream. 

    Going back to the topic of fantasies McCay writes and draws out the fears children and ends the dream or nightmare by having Little Nemos parents awaken him and comfort him. This same behavior happens in real life when children have nightmares and their parents come to comfort them. Another thing I notice is that he put clowns into the comics to go along with the fear aspect of the fantasy he is drawing out. I honestly feel like children being able to see clowns in a fun and colorful comic might help them get over the fear of seeing or being near them because they see that the clowns are actually not that scary due to the use of the pretty colors. 

    McCay does a really great job bringing his definition of fantasy to life throughout his comics. The way he uses the fears and hopes of childhood within his comics really draws me in because I can relate and connect things to the comics like I did with the Wizard of Oz. Also after reading the comics I can officially say “According to McCay pigs do fly” when my dad says I can do something when pigs fly.