At the University of Mary Washington
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Growing up I remember reading a lot of different kinds of comics that helped to shape my identity early on. Trying to find yourself in media is a standard thing for kids to do when growing up and for me it was never particularly difficult to find idols to adore. Although women in comics have […]
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 […]
For many years now I have been reading manga a form of Japanese graphic novel. Compared to American graphic novels, manga is a diverse form of graphics that bring more to the table than a single genre. I can say with confidence that unless actual take the time to read from the multiple genres the […]
My experience with comics has been pretty limited prior to reading in this class. I’ve taken some interesting classes here at Mary Washington that have either briefly included comics or have focused on studying the power of images. From Visual Rhetoric, to Global Issues in Literature (where we read Persepolis– the first graphic novel I […]
Originating in Japan, magical girl or Mahou Shoujo is a genre/category of manga and anime that includes tales about..well…magical girls. The name basically says it all. The classic storyline/origin story usually involves a young girl of around middle or high school age being granted a device which allows her to transform and fight evil. The girls usually […]
An artist’s muse can be anything from a song, a color, a person, to pretty much anything in the world. Gavin Aung Thang started a project of comics, Zen Pencils, that were inspired by famous quotes that he finds influential. I remember coming across the comic Strange Like Me and thinking that 10 year old me would […]