Upon the Frigid Warmth

 

 

There are several things that I love and hate about my novel. I don't believe my artwork to be the greatest thing in the world. However, I do like my plot. It's simple(ish). Thanks to Professor Larson, it was easier to get my thoughts onto the paper, and into a proper writing style. With the help of others around me I was able to make the story easier to understand. Thanks to critiques, I was able to make the story better well rounded and by thinking out loud to myself the title page just sort of came about. Instead of including a Prologue, as suggested by Nathaniel Warburton, I integrated that into the flashbacks themselves. (This  a story board base for the flashback).
All of that being said, I fear that some won't like it because it feels a bit rushed, but where else was I going to go with it? Let my characters keep arguing with each other until they're both out of breath? Nah, better to end the fight as logically as possible.

If I were to redo this whole thing (which I may later on) I would add color and maybe a few more pages. I would eventually like to add more and make it into a series that focuses on different characters. Otherwise, I would say that I'm pretty happy with what I've done. I mean, granted, this is no Alan Moore piece, but it's mine, and I like it.

Sin City, V for Vendetta, and the Influences on My Graphic Novel

After reading Sin City and V for Vendetta, I realized something. I want to create something different, but with aspects from the "classics". For example, when I started going about creating Upon the Frigid Warmth, I wasn't fully sure as to how to approach the different versions of text. So, when looking at other examples (as shown here in figures 1 and 2 from the books I've mentioned), and after talking to Professor Monica Larson, I found the solution. Instead of trying different fonts and what not, I decided to just change the surroundings of the wording. The font remains the same. However, when approaching artistry, I found that only mine would do unless I hired another anthropomorphic artist. Knowing how much that would cost and the amount of time it would take, I decided that would be both inconvenient and cost a lot of money. However, I did draw some inspiration from a web comic. The web comic, Jack, (pictured above) has helped me in deciding how to approach my back grounds. I am going to keep it minimal and light using only what is needed, when it is needed. Outside of that, the rest of the novel was easy. I went by start, rising and finishing actions, and the story feels like a cross between Pirates of the Carribbean and Game of Thrones. A bit of betrayal, piracy and loads of tension.

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Figure1

Figure2

Graphic Novel Break Down "Maus I"

The first basic concept that I recognize from Understanding Comics that is put into use is the idea of sequential art. Maus I starts right off with it on page five.  The example I am using, though, comes from page 12. It's a simple "hop along" as time goes on. It sets up mainly why the novel is being done, and it just shows a conversation that is happening at the moment.

Example:

The next theme or concept that stands out between the two books is the artist's language or style. Throughout Maus I, I find the style and way things are presented to be deliberate. The way the art is done (even if it is just animals) it is able to allow the reader to feel what is happening in that moment. Some of the more emotional moments are similar to this:

When the reader finally gets to this point, you are emotionally tired, and worn out. I almost felt the heaviness of this scene. Minus the cover, this whole novel is in black and white. The absence of color makes it easier to depict, but it also makes it easier to evoke certain themes and emotions in this book. There are times where one is supposed to feel heavy, burdened, tired, and pain, but there are other areas where you fell hope, you want the good to come out and you're almost begging the artist/writer to find a way to make this lighter. 

Last but not least the symbol work in this book, there are swastikas, images of Hitler, animals portraying humans in a certain way, and propaganda all over the place.

Example:

 

Even the walkways are significant portrayals of what was going on.  The feeling of being trapped under Hitler's regime is just overbearing in this novel. Especially when the artist chooses to make the swastika the only thing that has not shading or anything but solid white in the center. They want you to see it, and if you don't ... then it might be a good thing to go over it again, but don't think swastikas and Hitler are the only things here. Signs of the Jewish faith are all over from clothing to tombstones.

Thus ends my interlinking of the two for now.

Comm 360 Final Thoughts

The question posed is "What 3 things will I take from this class for my future?", and, to me, that is a really easy question to answer.

I am honestly feeling like I have become a much better organizer, director, and light set-up person.
I organized all of the shows that were going on, who was going to possibly be working on what and made sure everyone had an idea as to what show they needed to have ideas for.

Outside of my own show (that I had to set-up, write a script for, and make sure I had outside talent for) I have to say my favorite project (that I really had nothing to do with minus being talent and setting up a list for) was the Do'Paul's Drag Race. It was a blast, and I got to experiment with new make-up techniques, and how to look like a guy with a rather curvy body. The whole cast had a blast and I don't think anyone could stop laughing through the whole thing.

This is what the cast looked like:

The other show that I enjoyed doing was "The Geek Life" with the motto "For the Geeks, by the Geeks, and with the Geeks". This show was written, starred in by, and created by me. I created a quick and easy zombie make-up that anyone can do at home. I would like to eventually do more for this series, and do more than just make-ups. I think that an extension of this would be more into "Geek Culture" and how it is becoming more "mainstream".

For the final show, a low grade level of "Reading Rainbow", I did the lighting setup. It was an easy, 3-point lighting in which the readers face was highlighted against a background, and a book was show cased. Again, fun, easy, and I enjoyed it.

All of these shows, and even more, I will take so much from because I would love to get more into this field. I wouldn't mind being an organizer, I'm good at it. Directing, that would be fun, but I don't think that it's my eventual goal. Lighting though, I could really get into the so-called "nitty gritty" of lighting and enjoy it.

But...I'm a psychology major with this as my minor, why is this important to me? Well, this whole production has helped me to realize that eventually I could use these mediums to help my clients with whatever problems they are having. Also, this could help me in getting the word out about what current issues are going on. I'm not talking mainstream and over diagnosed ADD, ADHD, BiPolar, etc. More hard-hitting and lesser known about issues are what I want to reach people about. How to deal with PTSD would be one medium that I could work with the film industry on.

Anyway, I'm rambling, and for that I apologize. I know that for sure the best things I will take from this class are: organization, lighting, and directing. They are all three essential in this field and I really feel that I've gotten so much better with them. I think the next step for me is to explore editing, sound, and camera work. I would really like to get into exploring all of those whether on a lower or higher end (materials or whichever).

Thank you for providing this class, it was a blast. I think I may take it again just to work in the other three areas I feel I need improvement on.

Internet Neutrality

When I first read the article on losing internet neutrality, all I could think was "Well, they (those who support such corporate greed) are at it again", but let's face it... if I make this a one liner for a blog article, it doesn't say too much about me as a writer or much about the article.

As the vast majority seems to have figured out, some companies are out to do good. Those companies help people and do the overall "Hey, love us, we're nice and aren't trying to screw you out of money" thing. Whereas you have the other companies that want your every last dime, nickle and penny. These are companies that either try to "White Wash" or what a professor of mine likes to call "Green Wash" (in a way to update how companies try to look good without being good). Then you have the other types. You have the sneaky companies going to Congress to try and dip their hands in the cookie jar legally or with loopholes.

The companies I speak about this time are AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and others who think it's a great idea to charge an added toll for Google and Yahoo! for users to get to them on their networks. Wait, aren't we already paying to use the internet, and now they want to jack up my bill so that I can get to Google and Yahoo!... tell me again what is fair about that? It's bad enough I'm already paying you to access your networks, now you want me to pay more... again... how is that fair?

Congress is going to consider this, but it looks like big business is going to win out either straight up or with a loophole or two. I mean, let's face it, where would Congress be if these companies weren't already helping to fund their careers as politicians? I mean, of course the American People should totally trust the Congress that has had two major shut downs in under 6 months sure, that sounds like a FANTASTIC idea...

Good luck on making me a believer on this one folks, but hey, who knows, maybe Congress will shock me and pull their heads out of the place of no sunshine and actually serve the People and not the Profit Margin.

*cough cough not a chance in Hades cough cough*

Hackers... Er... Yea....

When it comes to hacking, the NSA scandal and all of the "Big Brother" conspiracy theories, the people of the world think that they are either safe from all of this because the government will protect them and they have nothing to fear, need to start wearing their aluminum foil hats, or just kind of ignore the situation as a whole.

Personally, I think I fall under the last one. It's not that I don't care, but more of... I don't think they can do anything worse to me than I've already done to myself. Due to medical bills, college loans, and other "horrors", I have completely wrecked my credit score and I'm where most college students are... in the tank. I have no real assets, but that being said I just "Googled" myself. I wasn't doing this for pride, but research, and what I found... I don't know if I like what I've found.

First of all, I am the only person in the USA, with my full name. That could be a huge security risk for me... and it's kind of creepy. It makes sense as to why certain people that I don't want involved in my life are so capable at finding me. Not only did my social networking sites show up, but so do some of my aliases. Now, why would I want an alias? I'm a DJ, and I like having my codename, and with some of the other things I do, I like to be called different things. However, it wasn't just that. My family reunions showed up, people I was related to, and as close to my physical address as I am NOT comfortable with.

Other than that, I think that hacking people has gotten so much easier than when we had dial up. People didn't want to hack you when there was dial up unless there was a significant reason for doing so. Now that there are tablets, people checking in every 20 seconds to update their statuses, posting pictures of food, etc, it gets easier and easier to track a person's life.

I think we do it to ourselves. The more we login, make things less and less private and all around aren't "tip-toeing around the tulips", the more vulnerable we make ourselves to the outside world to do whatever they want to us.

Is that going to make me a paranoid mess and freak out? Nope, I'm going to continue my ventures in the online world, and try all that I can to make sure people are safe, but having fun. *Shrugs* It's who I am.

Apple is making its iOS free? Tell me again how it's the innovator.

Let's face it, the only reason people are excited that Apple is making Maverick free is because it's Apple.
Others had pioneered this before them. Look at anything that Android has done or Linux's Ubuntu or Fedora. These are all free systems with upgrades. Although, granted, Linux is not well known. It still makes it feel like Apple has become what people have deemed it over the years: nothing but a bunch of hipsters.
It also begs another question how well does this system work? I haven't had a lot of problems with free systems, but it worries me that Maverick will be Apple's Vista.
Microsoft is falling waaaay behind this year though. Not only have they started the release of the X-Box 1, but my prediction is that their decisions to not already allow their upgrades to be free is going to put the proverbial nail in the coffin.
However, Microsoft is super screwed this time. It was bad enough that they made the decision to release the X-Box 1 (which will probably only be bought by loyalists), the system does everything to invade in a person's privacy, and they have  but now that Apple has announced that they will no longer charge for their upgrades... Well, see ya Microsoft.