Visual Storytelling Literature in many media: comics/ graphic novels, film, theatre (drama)

Visual Storytelling

Visual Storytelling

• Literature in many media: comics/ graphic novels, film, theatre (drama)

• HUGE INDUSTRY with Massive influence:
• Comics- Marvel Studios took in roughly $100 million dollars last year.
• Movies- Hollywood film industry worth > $1,000,000,000
• TV- More than 20 shows currently airing based on comic books

Anthropomorphism

• the attribution of uniquely human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings (animals, plants, inanimate objects, natural phenomena)

• Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell
• “Maus” by Art Spiegelman
• Most comics/ graphic novels have elements of this

• Remember these from last week? Maus by Art Spiegelman, a 2 volume, Pulitzer prize winning graphic novel

Personification

• a metaphor where a thing or abstraction is represented as a person

Fable

• A story where anthropomorphized characters illustrate a “moral,” which can usually be expressed as a one sentence statement

• Tortoise and the Hare
• “Slow and steady wins the race.”

Allegory

• an extended metaphor, especially a story in which fictional characters and actions are used to express aspects of concepts relating to human existence.

• Aaron Mcgruder’s “The Boondocks”

X-Men

• X-Men, 2000.

X-Men

• Created by Stan Lee (Writer) and Jack Kirby (Artist) in 1963

• Published by Marvel

• Revolutionary: New type of superhero…

X-Men

• Abilities come from “evolutionary traits”

• Darwin’s theory of Evolution
• Not “super powers” but genetics

• Contrast with the “superhero” stereotype

X-Men

• Like Maus, the plot deals with important social issues through allegory:

• WWII and the Holocaust
• Racism
• Diversity
• Gender issues and LGBT rights
• “The Red Scare”
• SOCIAL Darwinsim (only the strongest, ex:” not minorities”, survive

Visual Storytelling across the globe…..

• Sequential art is often a partnership between artists and writers.

• Collaboration

• Community of enthusiasts (Trekkies? Fanboys? Jay and Silent Bob?)

• Creation of a universe/ alternate history, AND/OR explanation of common human traits

• Widespread media: not everyone likes to read, but mostly everyone appreciates a good picture.

EUROPE…

• Watchmen by Alan Moore

• Author from Northampton, UK
• Artist from U.S.A.
• Plot revolves around U.S. involvement in Vietnam War.

Sandman by Neil Gaiman

• Author from U.K., but is an expatriate (now a U.S. citizen)

• Most artists are from U.S.A. and Japan

• Borrows from Greek, Roman mythology, American folklore

France

• Asteríx by René Goscinny and artist Albert Uderzo

• Running since 1959

• About ancient Gauls (French people) fighting against Roman Occupation

The Middle East

• Historically, “Persepolis” is the ancient capital of the Persian empire.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

• Author and artist is Iranian (Persian)

• Story is biographical

• Spent her adolescence in Europe

• Fluent in Farsi and French

• Film version produced in Europe

Africa: Democratic Republic of the Congo

U.S.A.

• “Fables” by Ben Willingham

• Borrows from folklore across the globe: European, American, Polynesian, etc.

• Example: Big Bad Wolf (Bigby Wolfe) is a detective, Prince Charming is a womanizer, Goldilocks is a terrorist

Fables and “Sequential Art”

• By now, you may have noticed that A LOT of these comics ARE BASED ON FABLES.

• These types of stories are meant to communicate a message.
• Pictures ILLUSTRATE the message for the reader.

For Example:

• “Journey to the West”

• Traditional Chinese fable, novel, and Opera
• Written by Wu Cheng’en
• About Buddhist monks (A Monkey, pig, human, and dragon) who journey to India from China
• Satirizes government

Journey to the West

• Still popular and performed today

• Revival of opera performed in London

• Music and art by James Hewlitt and Damon Albarn (of Gorillaz fame)

Visual Storytelling: Asian Edition

• Manga and Anime:

• $2 Billion dollar industry in Japan
• Growing popularity in other regions of the world.

• Often maintains folklore/fable roots, but “updates” to an urban setting.

Urashima Taro

• Traditional story

• Urashima Taro rescues a turtle, and it takes him to an undersea palace. When he returns to land, he opens a box that a Princess gave him, and he ages hundreds of years.

Urashima Taro

• “Cowboy Bebop” Japanese folklore with:

• American and African inspired music
• Sci-Fi, Futuristic, Western twist
• Example: “Sympathy for the Devil” is a TOTAL riff on the Urashima Taro legend.

Princess Mononoke

• Hayao Miyazaki= Go To guy for artistic, literary, award winning anime.

• Shinto and Buddhist religious themes

• Comments on the Socio-Political landscape of Japan…moving “forward” as a nation