Lit of Comics Kevin Liang

One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki was an interesting read.  Despite the fact that this reading comes from the "Women from Comics" part of the class, it is pretty clear that this story was told from a woman.  The story seems to be a slice of life about a young adolescent girl named Rose and her time at a place called Awago Beach.  The thing that stuck me the most about this story was how real it felt to see and read.  I often find myself forcing myself to read through stories due to a strain on my eyes because of the cramped nature of comics or (honestly) a loss of interest.  I found myself flowing through the story as if it were a film this time around.  The real and mundane nature of the story, to me, felt like an indie film.  I am not sure how else to put it.  The overall story does not seem to have any one message to tell it is trying to convey.  It is just simply a moment in this girl's life at Awago Beach.  Nothing fantastical or drastically dramatic happens, j

The Smartest Kid on Earth Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware was an interesting read.  It touched on subjects that I did not expect to come up.  It was mentioned in class that these graphic novels seem to push the boundaries regarding the subjects being told in the stories, and Chris Ware's "The Smartest Kid on Earth Jimmy Corrigan" is no exception.  With in the first few panels, Jimmy is shown to strike a chicken with a rock and kill it.  The artist shows no restraint on showing violence and death within its themes, this carries throughout the book.  Beyond the violence and death, the graphic novel also touches on adult subjects like suicide and depression.  The story of Jimmy Corrigan is not shown in sequential order apparently, I am not sure whether or not that is simply how it comes in this particular piece I am reading.  Regardless, Jimmy Corrigan is shown to age in these stories, up to the point of being an old man.  Reading this story felt a bit jarring for a while becau