The Secret Language of Comics

Month: February 2022

Tracing Pages Reflection

Student Posts

After completing my tracing pages assignment, I can say that I learned a lot about the process of writing an unconventional essay. By beginning with the tracing assignment I was able to view the text that I was going to be writing about in a different light. Not only did actually tracing the pages help me draft ideas for my essay, so did writing the annotations and really taking the time to understand the intentions of the two authors. I was definitely surprised to see that we were expected to have our thesis statement at the end of the essay. This was never something that I had done before but I thought it was interesting how the whole essay works up to that point of clarity and final explanation of what you had been writing about. I feel like I understand both books better as well as the internal thoughts of each author as they were crafting their comics. The single biggest insight that I gained about the two books would be how difficult it must have been to format and create a narrative that accurately explains what each author experienced as a child. Overall, I found this assignment to be very unique, interesting, and eye-opening.

My thesis for this essay is: The comics Stitches by David Small and Fun Home by Alison Bechdel focus on the complicated relationship between a child and their emotionally distraught parent but each story is separated by the families’ struggles as well as concerns, therefore, highlighting the individuality and complexity of one’s connection to their parents. In my essay I focus on the differences between Small and Bechdel’s relationship with their parents and how their households differed.

The Tracing of Comics

Student Posts

I decided to use these two images as they both tend to represent a great concept that can be analyzed. In both graphic memoirs, they depict what each certain action conveys to each of the family members. I interpreted as a way to maintain stability within the family.

To be honest, I feel like I could have done more with the essay if I had time to map out the concepts I have. I had a great start but I just feel as f it got weak as the essay progressed. I plan on revising it whenever I have time. But the link will be attached below !

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Student Posts

In many graphic memoirs, the author has a certain idea that carries on with the comic, or leaves the audience in a state of wondering “why did the author choose to include that ?’ Graphic memoirs that incorporate this element well are Fun Home, a graphic memoir written by Alison Bechdal who gives a recount on her life as well as her dad’s past trauma and how that instance had an impact on the author’s family; and Stitches, a graphic memoir written by David Smalls who explains his childhood trauma and how it was dealt over time. Both these graphic memoirs convey a sense of trauma within the family which leaves the protagonists to be in a cycle of distraught or misunderstood: not knowing why certain actions can have a serious impact. Although they are two completely different graphic memoirs with different stories, they both convey a similar aspect that was alluded to as the graphic memoirs progressed.

Out of all the pages in the graphic memoirs, the two main pages that will be analyzed are pages fifteen through eighteen of Stitches, and page one hundred and thirty-four of Fun Home. On the pages mentioned for Stitches, we get an in depth look at the “language” of each member of the family. For instance, David’s mother’s language would be slamming cabinets, David’s father’s language would be punching the boxing speed ball, and Ted would beat on his drums. The strange thing with these actions is that they tend to be in an aggressive state, consisting of alamming or banging on things. In the case of David, however, he mentions that his language is being sick, as that was what he endured throughout his childhood. What the author is trying to convey is a sense of differenceness between him and his family, and how these certain actions helped deal with certain issues they were facing cumulatively.

In Fun Home, the page that was analyzed was one hundred and thirty-four, the author draws out an image in which each family member is enjoying their own creative mind state throughout the house. For instance, the father is playing and fixing his collection of toy airplanes, the mother is playing piano, and the older sister is playing the guitar. Although they each are being in their own creative space, it can still be dissenting. For example, the author mentions how the more they dwelled into their creative state of mind, the more isolated they will be. This helps convey the idea that the actions they perform can lead to a detrimental effect in the family in the long run.

Both Fun Home and Stitches portray their family in a manner of interacting with oneself and how it correlates with the overall theme of each graphic memoir. Although the emotions may differ in Stitches, than that in Fun Home, they both help interpret their family as not being able to express their intended feelings. Their only way of communicating and maintaining a sense of stability was taking it out on what they were known to do. They expressed what they wanted to express through the actions that were conveyed to each member of the family.

Although both graphic memoirs narrate a story unique in their own, they both share a similarity in expressing their feelings through actions, and this can lead them to a sense of stability, but these actions can have detrimental effects therefore leading to a cycle of distraught or misunderstood.

It’s All About The Bag!

Student Posts

This is a visual representation of things that I keep my bag. I feel like these items represent an average college student. A laptop used for work along with a notebook since I like to take notes. I keep my glasses in my bag because I tend to use them only for classes. Headphones are important to me because I listen to music constantly when I am walking on my way to class or even taking a nap. These items don’t stand out to me in any sort of way because they are regular items used by majority of the students. However I also believe that these items are of great importance because I require each of them at different parts of my day. The mask is the newest addition to my bag because I need it to go anywhere.

Sketch 6: What’s in your bag?

Student Posts

Productivity and Comfortability are What Matters

  • Laptop: for essay writing, researching, zoom classes, and gaming.
  • Ipad: for note taking, drawing, self-testing, and even with the laptop as a second screen
  • Mouse: for laptop and ipad
  • Type C – Chargers: for charging the computer and phone
  • Wireless earphone: for listening to musics, videos, and zoom classes
  • Wallet: for carrying student ID card
  • Water: for hydration

This collection of goods is what I actually have in my everyday backpack. Before the activity, I have not really thought about the connection between what I carried and who I am. However, once I took out my belongings from the bag and listed them, I now see that the collection explains/reflects who I am to an extent.

I hate wasting my efforts on unnecessary things, and my collection well represents my focus on productivity and comfortability.

I prefer digital over analog. After multiple experiences of accidentally ripping, spilling, and losing papers – regardless of whether they were notes, textbooks, or class materials – I no longer use physical materials. Instead, I mainly use my laptop and iPad. It is much faster to type than to write. It is much more comfortable to carry a laptop than to carry heavy notes and textbooks. For iPad, it is the same. Famous notetaking apps make the activity more productive. Images can easily be retrieved when understanding complex ideas. The wide choice of colors facilitates emphasizing important sentences.

Furthermore, digitalized files can be saved on the cloud and accessed whenever with any device I have. Whether it is a long academic essay that I have written through a laptop or whether it is a sketch/drawing I did with my iPad, or whether it was a quick picture that I took with my phone, I can access them with other devices.

The focus on productivity and comfortability continues with my mouse, earphone, and chargers. My mouse and earphone are wireless, which eliminates the stress of untieing the cable whenever I try to use them. The below picture well shows the annoyance that we all experienced once in our life. Finally, for chargers, I have bought devices that had USB-type C charging options from the start. Especially for my laptop, I bought one with a PD-charging port. So, rather than carrying a 2kg laptop charger, I use the GaN 45w charger which is even smaller than (4cm)^3 cube.

a meme and a triptych that shows how annoying untieing cables are

Credit

  • Left Meme from user ‘Funny’ – retrieved from ‘9GAG‘
  • Right Triptych from user ‘Full_Ben’ – retrieved from ‘JoyReactor‘

The task was not extremely challenging. In fact, it was quite easy as each of my belongings had a reason to initially be in the bag. I believe such a collection of my belongings do represent who I am. However, I do not think that such representation could be categorized as writing. It would be an overstatement to say that the picture itself is writing. Nonetheless, it is true that writing facilitates a more accurate understanding of who I am when used together with the picture.

Purposeful-less-ness

Student Posts

My backpack contains: file folder, iPad, masks, and my passport

As someone who tends to forget everything, I always have and hold the same things with me. Apart from my wallet, earphones, and keys on my two pockets, my bag has everything I need to take with me, whenever needed.

The file folder, as weird as it looks, has papers from last year, essential documents, and a wide range of sheets that I have no idea why I’m keeping them, though necessary regardless. The iPad is also essential since I use it for pretty much everything, except for long essays, which neither the folio keyboard nor the magic keyboard can do it. As much as I hate them, masks are required everywhere at Emory, which forces me to have additional masks with me in case I need one or others wanted one (since I have been in the same boat multiple times, where I either forget to bring a mask or lose it). Lastly, my passport has been in my backpack for over two years now. Even though, in several instances, this passport made me have to wait longer at airports (I wonder why?), I keep it with me at all times. It reminds me of home, traveling, and vacationing in the places I love.

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