Tannner Wade

     For this section on Will Eisner I decided to read “A Life Force”,  a really fascinating glimpse into the human condition and how we all search for purpose in life. This was a really deep read, deeper, I think, than any of the other comics I’d had to read so far in this class; and all of the illustrations inside were done beautifully. All the characters were so expressive in their facial expressions and their body poses, and I really enjoyed the way it was inked. Even the way the panel layout was structured only served to elevate the reading experience, with some pages left completely open with no border to speak of.       I really enjoyed the message Eisner was trying to get across in this graphic novel, especially the character Jacob’s monologue near the beginning. After just being laid off from his job, he finds himself for the first time without purpose in his life. For him, to create gave his life meaning and without that he was no different than a cockroach, going on day by d

     For the section on Jack Kirby, I read the Fantastic Four Animation Storyboards, “Challengers of the Unknown” and New Gods”. I’ve always known about Jack Kirby's legendary status in the comic book community and his major contributions to comic book culture as a whole. I knew that he was a pioneer in the field and that he was responsible for creating many of the iconic superheroes I’ve come to know and love today. However, I had never actually read any of his original works. My exposure has been limited to the byproducts of his legacy, so reading these was a first for me. I think my favorites of the batch were “Challengers of the Unknown” and the storyboards for Fantastic Four. What stood out to me about Challengers was how much of a departure it was from the traditional superhero stories that Jack Kirby was so well known for. It felt like a mix between Johnny Quest, Journey to the Center of the Earth and the Fantastic Four. Honestly it was kind of refreshing.      As for the st

       For the section on TinTin, I chose to read “The Blue Lotus”, “The Crab With the Golden Claw” and “The Black Island” by Hergé. The thing that stood out to me the most in all of Hergé’s work is how he’s able to mix complexity into his very simple drawing style. All of his characters are very heavily stylized and stripped down to the most based elements--heck, the main character is basically a walking lollipop with a cowlick-- but even still there persists a certain level of attention to detail. All of the clothes wrinkle and fold as the characters move, and each has their own very distinct look. Where I feel this shows through most however most, however is in the world he builds around the characters. All you have to do is look at the railway station in “THe Black Island” to the airport in “Golden Claw” and you’ll see wonderfully clean architecture that is immediately recognizable to the eye. Even the vehicles he draws, like boats, planes and automobiles  look like they were rippe