Gabrielle Zuniga

September 1,2016 Comic/Graphic Novel Responses

Charlie Brown

This wry-humored comic brought us into the world of these children and especially Charlie Brown. Schulz presents this world and the daily conflicts of these children, without dumbing them down. When one of the kids has a typical kid-problem, this doesn’t come off as a problem that adults can’t relate to. Schulz is able to present a problem that an adult might not have exactly at this moment (like losing a security blanket) but the adult can sympathize with having felt that at a young age themselves. It not having experienced that problem themselves, they can sympathize with more universal themes, such as loss.

The Complete Little-Orphan Annie

I came into this comic expecting something similar to the sweet, heartfelt movie about Annie. What I was not expecting the numerous kidnappings by seemingly violent thugs, actual character death, and in my opinion, much starker themes of loneliness, fear, and helplessness. One of the writers in the book, describes Annie as “much-abused” and that struck me as odd. In the movie, she was sought after and mistreated by a selfish foster-mother and her conniving boyfriend. However, the mistreatment seemed more comical and easier to digest in comparison to the comic. The comic seemed to focus and make starker the loneliness and helplessness Annie felt when she was stuck in a cave, guarded by her captors and wishing for rescue.

            However, this author finds a balance between these heavy themes and themes of hopeful resilience. Annie was the epitome of American pluckiness, perseverance, and optimism. Also to help balance the heavy themes were the people that were so endeared to Annie; Mr. Warbucks, and my favorite Miss Fair. They showed Annie the kindness that was so absent in mean characters like Ms. Asthma and Mrs. Warbucks. Mrs. Warbucks told Annie that Miss Fair lied when she said she would visit, and talked down to her. Miss Fair not only sent a note to formally and respectfully ask for her company, but reassured Annie that she never said things she didn’t mean. Fair reaffirmed in Annie the belief that “family and money mean nothing and it only matters if you’re honest and kind and try to make others happy.” This is an example of the American spirit displayed in this comic that I think truly endeared the comic to the American public.

Krazy Kat

Surrealistic, this is a prime example of the idea that the more abstract a piece of art is, the more individualistic the response and the meaning that will be taken from that piece of art between people. It’s hard to understand what’s meant to be going on in this comic, and because of that, it has the ability to break rules that more typical comics could. One strip has Krazy and Ignatz in a different location in each panel, and Ignatz denying the fact that they were in each given place. When asked for clarification, Ignatz proclaimed that they were, in fact, on paper. This breaks the fourth wall in a tongue-in-cheek way that feels believable, and humorous. Ignatz is so cynical and this comic is so strange, that it makes sense that Ignatz would have the self-awareness to break the fourth wall, and not buy into Krazy’s sweet ignorance of the reality that they are just symbols/icons on a page.