Of Maus and Men

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tcJLZt6Cnc] The systematic genocide of more than six million Jews during the Holocaust showcased just how cruel and absolutely wicked humans can be, and the personal history and narratives that survived tell a story that we do not want to hear. It is difficult to learn about what happened, heart-wrenching to read about the […]

Western Influence in an Eastern Comic

When Hirohiko Araki began JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure in 1987, his goal was simply to lampoon the hyper-masculinity of the male interest manga of his time, like Fist of the North Star. 29 years and 95 million copies sold later, JoJo has become a cultural phenomenon, owing much of its massive success to global accessibility. JoJo’s […]

Calvin and Hobbes and Everyone Else

Calvin ad Hobbes was a daily comic strip by American cartoonist Bill Waterson, that was syndicated from 1985 to 1995. These strips were also compiled into a series of books that served as an archive for the newspaper strip collection, although some offered some new material as well. Calvin and Hobbes is about an adventurous […]

Snakes Daddy in the Multiverse

`For the past 3 years I have enjoyed the work of Kelly Turnbull or Coelasquid as she is known in cyberspace. Turnbull is a graphic artist who has worked on a variety of animated shows, such as Ugly Americans from the channel Adult Swim. She started her web comic series Manly Guys Doing Manly Things […]

Looming Shadows

Have you see a shadow in your room at night and been too scared to move, but too terrified to sleep? When those shadows appear in my room, through it may seem silly, it is Princess Azula. Avatar the Last Airbender will always be my favorite comic book series. Poor Zuko, a fire prince in […]

What’s in a Webcomic?

Comics have recently seen a rise in popularity after a prolonged radio silence, thanks in no small part to the new developments of online comics sharing (legal or not) and webcomics. Webcomics are online comics of varying genres and styles, usually appearing free online or through a subscription (usually via a business that publishes and […]

King Cooke

Fresh out of summer, one of the most significant moments still on my mind, and many others, is the passing of Darwyn Cooke. There are myriad topics that could be covered when talking about a man with such immense talent and influence. From his works as an animator, and both writer and artist for comics, to his use […]

Persepolis: Putting the Graphic in Graphic Novel

  Persepolis is the first and only graphic novel I have read before taking this class. I have gotten to read Persepolis in two different literature classes at Mary Washington, and it is one of the most powerful books I have read in college. Not having any experience with graphic novels before college I was […]