Some notes
I was leafing through some of my old journals - actual physical ones, that is. I had forgotten how many of those I'd kept over the years. One I wrote when I was 9 years old. Now when I feel like writing something down, I do it in a blog or in a file on my computer, and I don't have to try to read my own writing.
After watching the X-men animated series on YouTube (more on /that/ in some other entry), I got interested in the original comic and found an archive online. The great age of comics was before my time, so I'm more familiar with manga than classic American fare. It's interesting comparing the two styles.
The X-men comic has a fairly short, fixed length, so it moves along at a brisk pace. There's lots of action, lots of full-body shots to display the action, and lots of narrative and dialog to explain the action. It's funny how characters say things out-loud like "Luckily my innate energy shield will protect me from that blast!" that normally people would only think, if that. They also graciously explain their actions to their opponents: "I turned the force of your laser /backwards/ so that it would destroy itself!", as if the bad guys couldn't see that, or /deserved/ an explanation. After 30 issues I've yet to encounter a single silent panel. Not that there's anything wrong with the style; it's fun and flashy, and doesn't deserve a huge time commitment. Compared to manga style though, it doesn't have the space for reflection.
The character designs are also a far cry from the typical youthful appearance of manga. The X-men are supposed to be teenagers here, but with those physiques, square jaws, and lines in the brow and chins, they don't /look/ it to me. And well Hank McCoy (The Beast) is admittedly an egghead, he stills seems amazingly knowledgeable for someone his age...
One of the most interesting parts of the comic is the "Letters from Readers" section at the end. The creators will address questions here that aren't fully explained in the main body - although sometimes even /they/ don't know the answers. But no matter how critical the sender, they always hang onto their patience and sense of humor. Today's bloggers could learn something from them...
After watching the X-men animated series on YouTube (more on /that/ in some other entry), I got interested in the original comic and found an archive online. The great age of comics was before my time, so I'm more familiar with manga than classic American fare. It's interesting comparing the two styles.
The X-men comic has a fairly short, fixed length, so it moves along at a brisk pace. There's lots of action, lots of full-body shots to display the action, and lots of narrative and dialog to explain the action. It's funny how characters say things out-loud like "Luckily my innate energy shield will protect me from that blast!" that normally people would only think, if that. They also graciously explain their actions to their opponents: "I turned the force of your laser /backwards/ so that it would destroy itself!", as if the bad guys couldn't see that, or /deserved/ an explanation. After 30 issues I've yet to encounter a single silent panel. Not that there's anything wrong with the style; it's fun and flashy, and doesn't deserve a huge time commitment. Compared to manga style though, it doesn't have the space for reflection.
The character designs are also a far cry from the typical youthful appearance of manga. The X-men are supposed to be teenagers here, but with those physiques, square jaws, and lines in the brow and chins, they don't /look/ it to me. And well Hank McCoy (The Beast) is admittedly an egghead, he stills seems amazingly knowledgeable for someone his age...
One of the most interesting parts of the comic is the "Letters from Readers" section at the end. The creators will address questions here that aren't fully explained in the main body - although sometimes even /they/ don't know the answers. But no matter how critical the sender, they always hang onto their patience and sense of humor. Today's bloggers could learn something from them...