So a few people have taken my advice on 43 things, which is kind of weird because I just kind of assumed no one actually listened to me.
Also, discounted easter candy is the bees knees. I'm trademarking hollow chocolate bunnies for 2 dollars as the best thing ever.
This was a surprisingly effective tactic for wasting 10 minutes (five to write, five to decide whether "50's slang" needs an apostrophe. I've decided it means slang of the 50s as opposed to slang from the 50s) in my constant quest of procrastination. I promise I'll have something significant to say in the coming week. Maybe.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
apologies for the overused ted stevens joke
So there has been a fair amount of talk about using these blogs for some accountability for oneself. If I post what I intend to do or what I stand for through these tubes, then I'm more likely to probably more likely to stick with it. Part of it is probably peer pressure, but the more important aspect is that until you write something down it can sometimes be unclear in your mind. If you don't know what you actually want, there you aren't going do actually do anything about it. Now, I've found that my blog has become more a venue for me to organize my thoughts and causes (extremely valuable in itself), and it hasn't done much to hold me accountable in certain areas.
I've found a website, 43 Things, which fits the bill perfectly. It's quite simple, you create an account and post up to 43 goals. You can set time limits, have mini-blogs for each goal, and encourage others. That's pretty much it. But after starting an account today, I've discovered what an amazing thing it is to sit down and write out all your goals. Now, 43 are quite a few, I'm at 35 or so myself, which forces you to be specific. For instance, travel is quite high on my list, but instead of the vague 'travel the world', I have seven separate goals for regions I'm going to travel around, as well as a few cities I intend to live in.
This has made me realize how important tangible goals are. "Travel the world" will never be ticked off, but "travel through central/south america: at least 5 countries" can. Writing it this way makes it real, and very achievable. Notice how I said 'going to travel' and 'intend to live in'? Before I would've said 'want', but now I've written it down and in doing so firmly deciding it's something I want to do. Plus, trying to think up 43 goals leads to ones I never would've thought of. One of mine is seeing a small show in 10 different countries, which I love, but never would've considered doing if I didn't have a long muse on my goals.
I've long planned and dreamed about what I'm going to do after I graduate. I've gotten more specific, and my plans have changed once or twice, but it always has remained a fantasy. But now it's only 13 months away, and it feels good to write down what I want to do, because it moves from a goal to a plan. I know I recommend many things, but this simple idea is an incredible tool for personal development. Even if you don't get an account, still sit down and write down as many goals as you can, long and short term. Be specific, and also make up new ones. Some people recommend rewards for yourself (such as "if I write that report tonight I'll have a huge bowl of ice cream") but I think the best course is just to take pleasure in the accomplishment and the experience itself.
So I almost copped out and didn't give my username. I mean, I am doing this for me, not for external validation, but I know of at least one person who would've nagged me for it. So: grahamr21.
I've found a website, 43 Things, which fits the bill perfectly. It's quite simple, you create an account and post up to 43 goals. You can set time limits, have mini-blogs for each goal, and encourage others. That's pretty much it. But after starting an account today, I've discovered what an amazing thing it is to sit down and write out all your goals. Now, 43 are quite a few, I'm at 35 or so myself, which forces you to be specific. For instance, travel is quite high on my list, but instead of the vague 'travel the world', I have seven separate goals for regions I'm going to travel around, as well as a few cities I intend to live in.
This has made me realize how important tangible goals are. "Travel the world" will never be ticked off, but "travel through central/south america: at least 5 countries" can. Writing it this way makes it real, and very achievable. Notice how I said 'going to travel' and 'intend to live in'? Before I would've said 'want', but now I've written it down and in doing so firmly deciding it's something I want to do. Plus, trying to think up 43 goals leads to ones I never would've thought of. One of mine is seeing a small show in 10 different countries, which I love, but never would've considered doing if I didn't have a long muse on my goals.
I've long planned and dreamed about what I'm going to do after I graduate. I've gotten more specific, and my plans have changed once or twice, but it always has remained a fantasy. But now it's only 13 months away, and it feels good to write down what I want to do, because it moves from a goal to a plan. I know I recommend many things, but this simple idea is an incredible tool for personal development. Even if you don't get an account, still sit down and write down as many goals as you can, long and short term. Be specific, and also make up new ones. Some people recommend rewards for yourself (such as "if I write that report tonight I'll have a huge bowl of ice cream") but I think the best course is just to take pleasure in the accomplishment and the experience itself.
So I almost copped out and didn't give my username. I mean, I am doing this for me, not for external validation, but I know of at least one person who would've nagged me for it. So: grahamr21.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
your future dream is a shopping scheme
Amen, Johnny.
I've been thinking quite a bit about punk music, especially the beginnings of the era, and I'm convinced that we can all learn from this group of unwashed British kids from 30 years ago. Let me start out by identifying my bias, though: I love punk. In fact I love most kinds of music, so that's not a real shock, but to me punk is like horror movies: even when it's bad, and it often is, there is something special about that makes it oh so good. There are some things about early punk I don't like and don't want to encourage, but overall I find it a very positive environment.
Punk has evolved significantly since, some even say it's dead. I don't think so, and the evidence is in community halls and basements all around the world. The nice thing about now is that punk has become more diversified musically. There is still the old school thrashy style, but now there is post-punk, hardcore, metalcore, pop punk, melodic punk, slow punk, shoegazer punk, and a whole host of other subgenres. However, the essential ingredient to punk is that it's more than the music. There were quite a few bands that made it big a few years ago--like Blink 182 and Sum 41--playing a watered down version. Now, some people may apply 'walks like a duck' logic and call it punk. But most in the scene will say it isn't, because those bands aren't part of the community. Essentially, it's a movement, about friends and certain principles. Each subgenre tends to have it's own, and some are extremely positive. I touched on the hardcore community earlier, and it's the best example, there is even a very large portion (a majority in many cities) that are 'straight-edge': abstaining from drugs and alcohol (in many cases other things such as promiscuity or television).
The rub is in how this community came to form. The central tenet was, and to a certain extent still is, that if you want to make music, you pick up an instrument. Many punk bands are extremely incompetent but make up for it in sheer enthusiasm. For instance, Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols was so horrible at bass that he didn't record on their studio album and his bandmates routinely unplugged him during shows to save the audience's ears. But their concerts are fondly remembered as life-changing. Now, keep in mind that punk is oftentimes wonderfully written and executed, and can be very complex. That being said, the notion of rarefied talent is not there--of the 'star' being on stage, separate from the audience, something you could never achieve.
That's the lesson that I feel everyone should apply to their life: wanting it. I've heard many complain that they don't have the talent for black belt. That they're too old, too out of shape, too uncoordinated. I've heard others in the outside world worry that they aren't smart enough for university, or fast enough to be good at soccer. Some guitar teachers tell students that their fingers aren't long enough to master fretwork, and some drummers fret (ha, ha) that they don't have enough natural rhythm. When those doubts surface, and they always will, you have a choice. You can go home bitter and watch tv, or you can do it anyway. Ignore the people who want to put you down and instead listen to those who encourage you, push you to always do better.
Punk rockers will be forever playing in basements and small venues, and most of us will never be Bruce Lee. But if you're doing this for you, not for validation or the cotton you tie around
your waist, then it doesn't matter as long as you're doing it. So, take my advice and learn from punk, learn from people who do things because they love it and don't back away. Like my good buddy Mohandas said, be the change you want to see--but also listen to Joey Comeau and occasionally be the trouble. If you want a black belt, or to learn a new language, or to ask that person the next cubicle over on a date, go for it. Whether you can is irrelevant because you will if you just do it with everything you have.
Don't people with mohawks seem less scary now?
I've been thinking quite a bit about punk music, especially the beginnings of the era, and I'm convinced that we can all learn from this group of unwashed British kids from 30 years ago. Let me start out by identifying my bias, though: I love punk. In fact I love most kinds of music, so that's not a real shock, but to me punk is like horror movies: even when it's bad, and it often is, there is something special about that makes it oh so good. There are some things about early punk I don't like and don't want to encourage, but overall I find it a very positive environment.
Punk has evolved significantly since, some even say it's dead. I don't think so, and the evidence is in community halls and basements all around the world. The nice thing about now is that punk has become more diversified musically. There is still the old school thrashy style, but now there is post-punk, hardcore, metalcore, pop punk, melodic punk, slow punk, shoegazer punk, and a whole host of other subgenres. However, the essential ingredient to punk is that it's more than the music. There were quite a few bands that made it big a few years ago--like Blink 182 and Sum 41--playing a watered down version. Now, some people may apply 'walks like a duck' logic and call it punk. But most in the scene will say it isn't, because those bands aren't part of the community. Essentially, it's a movement, about friends and certain principles. Each subgenre tends to have it's own, and some are extremely positive. I touched on the hardcore community earlier, and it's the best example, there is even a very large portion (a majority in many cities) that are 'straight-edge': abstaining from drugs and alcohol (in many cases other things such as promiscuity or television).
The rub is in how this community came to form. The central tenet was, and to a certain extent still is, that if you want to make music, you pick up an instrument. Many punk bands are extremely incompetent but make up for it in sheer enthusiasm. For instance, Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols was so horrible at bass that he didn't record on their studio album and his bandmates routinely unplugged him during shows to save the audience's ears. But their concerts are fondly remembered as life-changing. Now, keep in mind that punk is oftentimes wonderfully written and executed, and can be very complex. That being said, the notion of rarefied talent is not there--of the 'star' being on stage, separate from the audience, something you could never achieve.
That's the lesson that I feel everyone should apply to their life: wanting it. I've heard many complain that they don't have the talent for black belt. That they're too old, too out of shape, too uncoordinated. I've heard others in the outside world worry that they aren't smart enough for university, or fast enough to be good at soccer. Some guitar teachers tell students that their fingers aren't long enough to master fretwork, and some drummers fret (ha, ha) that they don't have enough natural rhythm. When those doubts surface, and they always will, you have a choice. You can go home bitter and watch tv, or you can do it anyway. Ignore the people who want to put you down and instead listen to those who encourage you, push you to always do better.
Punk rockers will be forever playing in basements and small venues, and most of us will never be Bruce Lee. But if you're doing this for you, not for validation or the cotton you tie around
your waist, then it doesn't matter as long as you're doing it. So, take my advice and learn from punk, learn from people who do things because they love it and don't back away. Like my good buddy Mohandas said, be the change you want to see--but also listen to Joey Comeau and occasionally be the trouble. If you want a black belt, or to learn a new language, or to ask that person the next cubicle over on a date, go for it. Whether you can is irrelevant because you will if you just do it with everything you have.
Don't people with mohawks seem less scary now?
Saturday, March 15, 2008
loaf.
It's nearly 1:20 and I need to get up at 7:30, so I should probably go to bed. However, this has got to be one of the most charming short films I've ever seen, and I just had to share it. It's completely surreal (there is a monkey with a balloon for a head, for instance) but just go with it and it'll make a unique kind of sense.
Things like these are why independent art, and the general DIY (do it yourself, in terms of art and media) spirit is so important. This never would've been made by a Hollywood studio, because it is a labour of love. Movie studios, record companies, publishing houses--once these get too big, the profit motive tends to take over, as people with no real interest in the art form join up, or buy the company out. There is no (or very little) potential for moneymaking with this film. It's only 5 1/2 minutes long, and not exactly conventional. When someone is in the business of profit, then conventional is pretty much all they do.
6 of the 10 top grossing films of 2007 were sequels (Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Shrek 3, The Bourne Ultimatum, Harry Potter 5, National Treasure 2) and 3 were remakes (I Am Legend) or based off established franchises (Transformers, Alvin and the Chipmunks). Oh yeah, and the last, 300, was based on a graphic novel. That is to say, none of them were actually original ideas. No Country for Old Men, which won best picture at the Oscars, which must count at least for a bit, came in 37th.
Now, I don't have a problem with people going to see sequels or big budget movies. I saw 6 of the top 10 myself, though I only really considered 3 of those worth my money (hint: none of them were Spider-Man 3). You want to see Matt Damon drive along with copious amounts of shaky cam, that's fine, I do too. Plus, I realize that many people who work for large artistic companies do it because the love that art form. A guy like Steve Spielburg would probably be making movies even if he didn't have multi-million dollar budgets, and there are many recording engineers, book editors, and screenwriters who are just happy to do what they love, regardless of who they're working for.
That being said, the 5 1/2 minutes of Marvellous, Keen Lonny Bin were more entertaining that the combined 6 hours or so of those 3 bottom movies on my list. And I saw it for free on the internet, and if the woman who made it were a local filmmaker, it would've cost me 5 or 10 dollars at a film festival, as opposed to the nearly 35 it cost me to see the other 3. It was smarter, funnier, and generally more interesting than the messy, sprawling plots or big budget special effects of many Hollywood movies. It's because someone did it solely because she wanted to. We often hold the profit motive up as some kind of lofty ideal, but I'll take artistic drive any day if it produces results like this.
DIY media is about subverting the normal channels. In the face of mediocrity, most people simply just shrug and accept it. Others decide that they could do better, and then do it simply because they want to. Often they have day jobs due to such a small community, but still persist. A good example is the hardcore punk movement, which is strongly DIY. Often the concerts are in community halls, and the entrance fee is going completely towards the rental. 100 people showing up is considered a fairly large crowd, but I can guarantee that if even a handful are there, they will be far more enthusiastic and appreciative (in terms of thanking the bands and making touring artists feel welcome) than an arena full of of Britney Spears fans. After the show numerous people pitch in to help clean up, violence is rare to the point of nonexistence (compared to numerous fights and possible stabbings that happen at your average Motley Crue concert), and everyone works their hardest to help that community thrive. DIY is not only about the product, but also the audience and everyone getting along.
There are literally a few hundred thousand people across Canada involved in this process, and the more people that come to the fold by supporting independent music and movies, or even creating them, the more we'll see more amazing movies like this, and generally push along the quality of art in this country.
Wow, it's now 2. This was supposed to be a paragraph and a link. Oh well, it's important. Culture is where we spend the majority of our time, and shifting the focus of mainstream art towards independent media and away from the profit motive is a fundamental step in the road to a more egalitarian and just society.
Things like these are why independent art, and the general DIY (do it yourself, in terms of art and media) spirit is so important. This never would've been made by a Hollywood studio, because it is a labour of love. Movie studios, record companies, publishing houses--once these get too big, the profit motive tends to take over, as people with no real interest in the art form join up, or buy the company out. There is no (or very little) potential for moneymaking with this film. It's only 5 1/2 minutes long, and not exactly conventional. When someone is in the business of profit, then conventional is pretty much all they do.
6 of the 10 top grossing films of 2007 were sequels (Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Shrek 3, The Bourne Ultimatum, Harry Potter 5, National Treasure 2) and 3 were remakes (I Am Legend) or based off established franchises (Transformers, Alvin and the Chipmunks). Oh yeah, and the last, 300, was based on a graphic novel. That is to say, none of them were actually original ideas. No Country for Old Men, which won best picture at the Oscars, which must count at least for a bit, came in 37th.
Now, I don't have a problem with people going to see sequels or big budget movies. I saw 6 of the top 10 myself, though I only really considered 3 of those worth my money (hint: none of them were Spider-Man 3). You want to see Matt Damon drive along with copious amounts of shaky cam, that's fine, I do too. Plus, I realize that many people who work for large artistic companies do it because the love that art form. A guy like Steve Spielburg would probably be making movies even if he didn't have multi-million dollar budgets, and there are many recording engineers, book editors, and screenwriters who are just happy to do what they love, regardless of who they're working for.
That being said, the 5 1/2 minutes of Marvellous, Keen Lonny Bin were more entertaining that the combined 6 hours or so of those 3 bottom movies on my list. And I saw it for free on the internet, and if the woman who made it were a local filmmaker, it would've cost me 5 or 10 dollars at a film festival, as opposed to the nearly 35 it cost me to see the other 3. It was smarter, funnier, and generally more interesting than the messy, sprawling plots or big budget special effects of many Hollywood movies. It's because someone did it solely because she wanted to. We often hold the profit motive up as some kind of lofty ideal, but I'll take artistic drive any day if it produces results like this.
DIY media is about subverting the normal channels. In the face of mediocrity, most people simply just shrug and accept it. Others decide that they could do better, and then do it simply because they want to. Often they have day jobs due to such a small community, but still persist. A good example is the hardcore punk movement, which is strongly DIY. Often the concerts are in community halls, and the entrance fee is going completely towards the rental. 100 people showing up is considered a fairly large crowd, but I can guarantee that if even a handful are there, they will be far more enthusiastic and appreciative (in terms of thanking the bands and making touring artists feel welcome) than an arena full of of Britney Spears fans. After the show numerous people pitch in to help clean up, violence is rare to the point of nonexistence (compared to numerous fights and possible stabbings that happen at your average Motley Crue concert), and everyone works their hardest to help that community thrive. DIY is not only about the product, but also the audience and everyone getting along.
There are literally a few hundred thousand people across Canada involved in this process, and the more people that come to the fold by supporting independent music and movies, or even creating them, the more we'll see more amazing movies like this, and generally push along the quality of art in this country.
Wow, it's now 2. This was supposed to be a paragraph and a link. Oh well, it's important. Culture is where we spend the majority of our time, and shifting the focus of mainstream art towards independent media and away from the profit motive is a fundamental step in the road to a more egalitarian and just society.
Monday, March 10, 2008
officially frozen
So after reflecting on my last entry I've decided to address something. That post, you might see, was less than three hours ago, not the norm of two weeks. I've become one of those people, and nothing can help me now.
That post was probably the first entry that discussed my personal life in any degree. The previous ones have mostly been my opinions and maybe an obvious attempt to change your mind. Considering the atmosphere in which we all started these blogs (sharing experiences and such) I feel a bit dishonest. I mean, I see most of you once a week, several more than that, yet all you've gleaned about me from this is that I enjoy graphic novels and that I straddle the line between 'amusingly eccentric' and 'dangerously unbalanced'.
Some of you perhaps might see arrogance in my wish to discuss myself, but my reason is that I'm curious about you. When I looked at Sihing Prince's profile and saw Iron & Wine under his favourite bands I not only high fived him in my mind, I also found it endlessly interesting. What he listens to in his spare time has never crossed my mind, and I think that's a bad thing. So I've posted some favourites in my profile. Delight in my potential lack of taste. Woo!
As you can probably tell, I'm removed from the world by about four layers of irony and cynicism, and refuse to take most things seriously, except for the really important things. Now, this is horrible for relationships and funerals, and I do my best to curb it when needed--with little success. As a result I'm uncomfortable discussing myself. That's ok, because beyond some tibits that fill me out as a person, none of you are here to be my internet friend. I'm not going to dye my hair black, get it cut asymetrically and vent about how bad I am at talking to women. I have issues, but so does everyone, and this isn't the forum for it.
However I know that I, along with everyone else here, have something to offer in terms of my training experiences. I still don't want to. Part of it is my attitude that if you want to know about my training, we can step on the mats--but that's a sidestep (or helix stance?). I can't self-deprecate with a coy smile when it comes to my failures and triumphs. It has to be real or it isn't worth anything.
While testing for second degree in November, Master Brinker noted that my forms are lacking in expression. I believe the term he used was something like "shouting in binary". As I've struggled to bring more artistry into my forms, I've slowly realized it is my attitude. Let me get this straight: I love kung fu. Quite a bit. I think that's obvious, if I didn't I wouldn't be showing up. I also have no trouble expressing myself artistically in other venues (and I'm not discussing discussing that. Waxing poetic about my work is just the most pretentious thing evarz. What I will say is said work has taught me about being genuine). The problem was I removed myself from kung fu like I do with everything. It's very easy to insulate yourself with wit, but going through life like that--while hilarious--prevents me from really giving myself over to kung fu. Being genuine is the hardest thing in the world but if you want to do something worth anything it's necessary. It can be even more difficult with kung fu, since you have an audience whether you like it or not, but that makes it even more important.
So yeah, that's that. I'll try and get a little more personal with my opinion pieces so I'm not coming down from on high too much. One last thing--and it should show how disarming I'm being--I swear. I know I look clean cut, and I don't in public, but by myself or privately with friends it happens, and is quite creative. Look at this sharing, it's intense. I feel like we're all growing.
That post was probably the first entry that discussed my personal life in any degree. The previous ones have mostly been my opinions and maybe an obvious attempt to change your mind. Considering the atmosphere in which we all started these blogs (sharing experiences and such) I feel a bit dishonest. I mean, I see most of you once a week, several more than that, yet all you've gleaned about me from this is that I enjoy graphic novels and that I straddle the line between 'amusingly eccentric' and 'dangerously unbalanced'.
Some of you perhaps might see arrogance in my wish to discuss myself, but my reason is that I'm curious about you. When I looked at Sihing Prince's profile and saw Iron & Wine under his favourite bands I not only high fived him in my mind, I also found it endlessly interesting. What he listens to in his spare time has never crossed my mind, and I think that's a bad thing. So I've posted some favourites in my profile. Delight in my potential lack of taste. Woo!
As you can probably tell, I'm removed from the world by about four layers of irony and cynicism, and refuse to take most things seriously, except for the really important things. Now, this is horrible for relationships and funerals, and I do my best to curb it when needed--with little success. As a result I'm uncomfortable discussing myself. That's ok, because beyond some tibits that fill me out as a person, none of you are here to be my internet friend. I'm not going to dye my hair black, get it cut asymetrically and vent about how bad I am at talking to women. I have issues, but so does everyone, and this isn't the forum for it.
However I know that I, along with everyone else here, have something to offer in terms of my training experiences. I still don't want to. Part of it is my attitude that if you want to know about my training, we can step on the mats--but that's a sidestep (or helix stance?). I can't self-deprecate with a coy smile when it comes to my failures and triumphs. It has to be real or it isn't worth anything.
While testing for second degree in November, Master Brinker noted that my forms are lacking in expression. I believe the term he used was something like "shouting in binary". As I've struggled to bring more artistry into my forms, I've slowly realized it is my attitude. Let me get this straight: I love kung fu. Quite a bit. I think that's obvious, if I didn't I wouldn't be showing up. I also have no trouble expressing myself artistically in other venues (and I'm not discussing discussing that. Waxing poetic about my work is just the most pretentious thing evarz. What I will say is said work has taught me about being genuine). The problem was I removed myself from kung fu like I do with everything. It's very easy to insulate yourself with wit, but going through life like that--while hilarious--prevents me from really giving myself over to kung fu. Being genuine is the hardest thing in the world but if you want to do something worth anything it's necessary. It can be even more difficult with kung fu, since you have an audience whether you like it or not, but that makes it even more important.
So yeah, that's that. I'll try and get a little more personal with my opinion pieces so I'm not coming down from on high too much. One last thing--and it should show how disarming I'm being--I swear. I know I look clean cut, and I don't in public, but by myself or privately with friends it happens, and is quite creative. Look at this sharing, it's intense. I feel like we're all growing.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
da da DAA, DA da daa (it's the spider-man theme song)
So I haven't let my tastes invade into this blog too much. These infrequent posts have been mostly focused on social issues. While I would love to rave about bands that you should really check out (the weakerthans) because while they have found a measure of fame here in Canada (the weakerthans) if there was any justice in the world everyone would know about them (the weakerthans). That seems to be the function of most blogs in the world now, and considering the fact I'm not a music/movie/book critic, I don't see why you should care about what I enjoy.
That being said, there is one thing I feel obligated to talk about (no, it's not the weakerthans--but seriously, go listen to that band right now). It's not a single band or book, it's in fact an entire medium: comics. It's my opinion that everyone needs to open their eyes to an incredible way of storytelling that is largely ignored. I'm not talking about Spider-Man--and I'm sorry if someone is hurt after having their expectations raised by the title--though I fully admit to growing up on Marvel and still occasionally reading superhero comics, but rather...grown up ones. They can be serious or humorous, and some involve fantastic elements, but most of them are stories of everyday life. Some people call these comics 'illustrated storytelling', which is a pretentious mouthful to me. The other term you'll hear is graphic novel, which is for longer works--pretty descriptive, actually.
To properly illustrate (ha, ha) my enthusiasm, I'll say this: if I liked drawing and could do anything other than stickmen, I would be all over this. Illustrations are another language that can be used to help along a story in fascinating ways. A good example is Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegalman. It's a story of a Polish Jew during WW2, told from the point of view of the man's son. In it, every nationality is an animal--Americans are dogs, Poles are pigs. Most notably, the Nazis are cats, and the Jews mice. The way in which some people/animals are drawn is a fascinating commentary on racism and identity that wouldn't be possible with a normal book. In short, it's really good. In 1992 the Pulitzer committee, finding Maus so hard to classify, invented a new category solely to honour it. Yeah. I've even studied it in a university English class.
I'm not going to push much, but one of my favourites is Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth, which I've mentioned previously. Also, there is an another amazing one available for free on the internet. It's called Papercut and is drawn by Michael Cho, go here to read it.
When most people hear me talk about 'comics' they ask if I've left my parent's basement. If you just push past that stigma you'll find a treasure trove of some truly wonderful stories. So go read them!
That being said, there is one thing I feel obligated to talk about (no, it's not the weakerthans--but seriously, go listen to that band right now). It's not a single band or book, it's in fact an entire medium: comics. It's my opinion that everyone needs to open their eyes to an incredible way of storytelling that is largely ignored. I'm not talking about Spider-Man--and I'm sorry if someone is hurt after having their expectations raised by the title--though I fully admit to growing up on Marvel and still occasionally reading superhero comics, but rather...grown up ones. They can be serious or humorous, and some involve fantastic elements, but most of them are stories of everyday life. Some people call these comics 'illustrated storytelling', which is a pretentious mouthful to me. The other term you'll hear is graphic novel, which is for longer works--pretty descriptive, actually.
To properly illustrate (ha, ha) my enthusiasm, I'll say this: if I liked drawing and could do anything other than stickmen, I would be all over this. Illustrations are another language that can be used to help along a story in fascinating ways. A good example is Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegalman. It's a story of a Polish Jew during WW2, told from the point of view of the man's son. In it, every nationality is an animal--Americans are dogs, Poles are pigs. Most notably, the Nazis are cats, and the Jews mice. The way in which some people/animals are drawn is a fascinating commentary on racism and identity that wouldn't be possible with a normal book. In short, it's really good. In 1992 the Pulitzer committee, finding Maus so hard to classify, invented a new category solely to honour it. Yeah. I've even studied it in a university English class.
I'm not going to push much, but one of my favourites is Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth, which I've mentioned previously. Also, there is an another amazing one available for free on the internet. It's called Papercut and is drawn by Michael Cho, go here to read it.
When most people hear me talk about 'comics' they ask if I've left my parent's basement. If you just push past that stigma you'll find a treasure trove of some truly wonderful stories. So go read them!
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