At the University of Mary Washington
When we think of the Superhero, we think of the Adonis like figure, cloaked in a billowing cape, wearing nothing but spandex and a heroic smile. We see a mighty force willing to protect us from our enemies and uphold our American values. Of course heroes like that were from at least 60 years ago. […]
For anyone who grew up reading the Funny Papers, or the Comic section, or whatever you call those two pages in the Sunday paper dedicated to comics, there is a group of kids that has become very familiar. They are the group called the Peanuts, including Linus, Lucy, Sally, Schroder, Peppermint Patty, and, of course, […]
Ever since beginning my voyage on the Pequod (aka the first day of my senior seminar on Moby-Dick), I have seen sightings of the White Whale everywhere I turn. From following a “great white Chevy” to school one morning, to seeing a giant sperm whale painted on the wall of an elementary school on election […]
Scott Pilgrim is a series of six graphic novels written by Bryan Lee O’Malley from 2004 to 2010. The story is about a boy who falls for a girl named Ramona Flowers. The catch is in order to be with her he must defeat her 7 evil exes. Intended to be over the top and […]
Chris (Simpson’s Art) …(His surname is unknown) created these intersting and sometimes contreversial pieces of art that I would call a comic (others may refer to them as cartoons or memes). I would like to make the argument that though these images lack panels, speech bubbles, […]
Ever notice how superheroines dress? I have, and I have noticed how impractical their costumes and body types are. The fact that these women perform powerful acts in little to no clothing with huge breasts—that surely must get in the way— is incredible. What I have noticed even outside of superheroine comics is that there […]
The gutter is defined as the space between defined comic panels in which the bulk of the action happens. As described by Scott McCloud in chapter three of his book (Blood in the Gutter) some of the most gruesome story telling takes place in the gutter of a graphic novel or comic. While the art […]
(Warning! This post contains spoilers for Young Avengers, Vol. 1 as well as Avengers Disassembled.) Since modern comic books cover such a wide range of topics, types, and age ranges, it is often helpful to classify them into standard literary genres. For instance, one aspect of the comic This One Summer that we discussed in class is how […]
Wolverine first appeared in 1974 in issue 180 of The Incredible Hulk. His introduction as a one-off villain quickly snowballed into that of a beloved antihero, and since the late ‘80s he has starred in his own solo comic. The ‘90s saw Wolverine’s popularity peak, as the generation of angst favored characters with a more […]