Also, here's where you stop reading in Jimmy Corrigan for next week (also remember to read one more chapter of McCloud):
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Questions/Comments on Ware & McCloud, week 1
Post your questions/thoughts as comments to this post. Again: a paragraph is fine, or a couple if you feel so moved. You are posting on a question, problem or topic of your choice. Citing a particular passage is recommended but not required.
Also, here's where you stop reading in Jimmy Corrigan for next week (also remember to read one more chapter of McCloud):
Also, here's where you stop reading in Jimmy Corrigan for next week (also remember to read one more chapter of McCloud):
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Throughout Jimmy Corrigan, Ware adds pictures that almost look like banners for "The Smartest Kid on Earth". Often the images seem to just randomly appear in portions of the text that just don't make sense; they frequently interrupt sequences of images. I'm sure there must be a reason behind the placement of these images, but I am not sure what that reason is. Also, what do the images mean? They seem a little bit like novel covers to me; could that be what Ware was going for? If so, I am particularly interested in the image that appears just after Jimmy reads the letter from his dad (towards the very beginning of the novel). The picture shows a young Jimmy attacking (or saving??) a man with what looks like scissors and a lady (perhaps his mother) looking frightened in the background. There are tiny words printed on the bottom of the picture that say "this is the 7th paperback edition, which must certainly also be its last. Really... how many does the world need?" What does this image say about Jimmy Corrigan in general?
ReplyDeleteLooking at Jimmy Corrigan in light of McCloud’s writing on comics, I saw that this graphic novel differs a lot from most other comics today. In Chapter 3 of Understanding Comics McCloud went into a lot of detail, explaining 6 different types of transitions he has observed between panels in comics. In American comics, the most common – by far – is the action-to-action transition, with subject-to-subject and scene-to-scene behind it. Other transitions are rare, if present at all. In Ware’s novel, however, a whole range of transitions is used. It’s very common to see moment-to-moment transitions as we watch Jimmy try to interact with his father, which almost creates a feeling of the awkward tension between them as we see so many moments of silence as Jimmy shifts uncomfortably and sniffles while his father talks endlessly. Even more strangely, we see some aspect-to-aspect transitions to set up the scene before us. Images of a diner or the surrounding town are common, but show no action. They simply set up the scene. Finally, there are a few places where something akin to a non-sequitur transition occurs. Not only are there seemingly random appearances of poster-like images saying “Jimmy Corrigan: the Smartest Kid on Earth,” but there are a lot of frames that simply show symbols related to the story in general, cutting apart the current action of the scene. For instance, as Jimmy and his father sit in the doctor’s office, there is a short sequence of 6 reoccurring symbols in the middle of the page. The use of these extremely uncommon transitions really sets Ware’s novel apart and add new levels of interpretation just by looking at this complex artistic choice alone.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Corrigan was extremely confusing to read. I didn’t understand the different stories being told. It wasn’t until the prologue or summary page that I understood the structure of the comic. Ware explains that there are two different stories going on – one of Jimmy and the explanation of his life and another of his grandfather and great-grandfather back in the day. Both depict depressing lives due to a lack of one parental figure. Jimmy is a sad, middle-aged man with an overbearing mother and grew up without a father. He has an active imagination and I often found his “daydreams” confusing and disturbing. I also believe that the Jimmy he creates in his “daydreams” is the Jimmy that he truly wishes to be. It isn’t until Jimmy reunites with his father, James William, that he really begins to have an eventful life.
ReplyDeleteI especially noticed Ware’s use of colors. During the present day sections, he keeps the colors bright while for the past sections he uses darker, muddier colors as if to depict a 1800s feel. I also noticed a lot of symbolism throughout the story and recognized a recurring theme of Superman, peaches, horses and the red phone. I think that these mean something to Jimmy, but I’m wondering what exactly those meanings are.
One aspect of the novel that confused me was the title, Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth. This and the repeating banners and panels of it did not fit in with the narratives. The discrepancy between the flashy title and depressing stories in unquestionable. I wonder whether this discrepancy is exactly what Ware intended. He could be pointing out the disparity between the stories provided to us by comic books, complete with heroes and adventure, and the humdrum truth of reality. Ware could also be using this inconsistency to pinpoint the difference between appearance and context. While his panels containing the title promise an exciting look at a kid’s adventure, the viewer is faced with a depressed and boring protagonist who is unable to relate to others. I could see arguments for both of these viewpoints and would be interested in discussing what other purposes the discrepancy might serve.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth is a very complex comic with lots of layers, and especially is not something you can read once and completely understand. I was honestly, and still am a bit confused on the message of the comic. To me though what is significant in the comic is the transition of different time periods, and using different time periods to tell a story. Ware use a red bird to fill the gaps in time and place especially between his first meeting with superman, to the present, and during the time with Jimmy's Grandfather. My question is, why red and why a bird? I think it is interesting that Ware shows his past, to explain his present but the use of the bird is also intriguing and I am not sure why it is used?
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting the way that Ware reveals the identity of Jimmy Corrigan. He is the protagonist of the story, yet he hardly speaks. We learn more about him based off of his thoughts and daydreams, than the actual interactions he has. For example, we learn about his awkwardness based off of his lack of speech. The only times that he really speaks at all is whenever he is on the phone with his mother. In all the other moments of real life he is uncomfortable and never seems to find the right words to say. This also creates a deep connection between the reader and Jimmy, as if we feel his uncomfort with every word he fails to speak. Ware’s use of showing the inner workings of Jimmy’s conscious increases this connection even more. I found it fascinating that the things lacking in the real life are often more revealing of his character than what is seen.
ReplyDeleteWare has a complex way of arranging the panels. When I viewed the book through McCloud, his explanation on page 86 brought more meaning to Ware's book. McCloud says "Some artists can be deliberately ambiguous, of course, and offer us no strict interpretation to go on." Most of the time that Ware has this strange paneling, there isn't enough context to know which direction the reader is supposed to pursue. An example of this is when Jimmy is in bed. I thought of it as a chunk of panels that are supposed to be interpreted as a single feeling. The reader isn't guided in a right direction, which makes it seem like a maze. On a side note, what is the significance of the dead superhero in the street? Ware uses several frames to show that people see him, but nothing really happens. The book sometimes moves toward childish themes and this could be Jimmy's imagination.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware is a very complex book to read. Some of the panels are in different directions then others and you cannot just read it from the left top to the bottom right since some pages have complex panel paths. The book appears to be a compilation of various length comic strips/pages, but they do not appear to fit cleanly together. There appears to be multiple stories, from various times, interleaved together. Since I do not understand the story at all, I am probably missing something. There is some continuity, but I found it very confusing.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Jimmy Corrigan, I was very confused in many different places and had trouble following the path of the story. I read the introduction and instructions, which did not seem to help at all, and I did not see the purpose of his one part about suicide being an option to prolonged times of feeling sorry for oneself. Did anyone else read the introduction and find it to be very odd and not helpful? Also, throughout the story I could not gain a sense of time and order of events during some portions of the book. His transitions to dreams and to his childhood or someone else’s childhood were complicated and hard to follow. Lastly, I thought his character in general was a strange person, and I was not sure how we were supposed to feel about him.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I noticed in Jimmy Corrigan is the way the panels are arranged. Many pages were completely symmetrical. For some, opposite pages were what were mirrors of each other instead, and sometimes instead of a symmetry, the opposite pages were merely repetitions of the same panel layout. It seems to be very, very rare that there isn't some form of repetition or symmetry in the paneling. One such case is when Jimmy first receives a phone call from his father. The panels are somewhat irregular and askew on that page. Another time is the 6 definitions of 'staff' back in his great grandfather's time. But really, overall, there seems to be a ton of symmetry and repetition in the way the panels are placed. Perhaps this could be reference to the symmetry between the two stories of the two Jimmys. They both grew up with only one parent, there are injured legs in each story, and there are even repeated mentions of peaches in both. Perhaps when we finish he book we might find there to be a symmetry of the overall story, and I definitely suspect that even more similarities will show up in the lives of the two Jimmys.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I noticed from the reading of Jimmy Corrigan so far was his dreams. Jimmy tends to dream of very odd things. The dream where he is a robot, I found particularly interesting. Does Jimmy secretly wish that he was invincible and made out of metal so he can be categorized with his childhood superhero dream? Or is the robot merely an escape from the identity crisis that Jimmy is currently facing. Throughout the comic, Jimmy's dialogue is very limited in comparison to his father and mother. He mumbles a lot and seems to lack a lot of social skills. The complex panel designs seem to support his identity crisis with himself and his lack of social skills as they are difficult to decipher at times.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the readings we've done thus far, Corrigan is my favorite. He uses the page and his illustrations in unique ways that I do not fully understand. The uniqueness of his work makes me aware that this had to be done with intent. What I do understand points to a much deeper meaning and level of engagement with the reader. For example, about 5 pages in, The house is shown. There is an artistic beauty to the illustration in its simplicity and coloring and even the orientation of the house, and the flow of the page. However, the rotation of the house and the color changes present themselves to show the transition in time. Ware includes this bird in between this panel as a further indication of the transition. The house turns, and the bird is still present, but in the last scene, the bird and the house are gone. However, more interestingly the color changes as well. I'd like to talk about the colors more in class, and how they're used throughout the comics, but also from the perspective of Kandinsky. How does a Kandinskyian view change the interpretation or support the current interpretation of the scene?
ReplyDeleteWhat is interesting about this book is the way it is written and the flow of the story. Many of the frames show some sort of fantasy for Jimmy, like the frames where Jimmy is spending time with Peggy who in real life barely knows him. This shows the way he views his life and how even though it seems very routine he hates it and fantasizes about how it could be different. When his mom calls and asks him if he still loves her it points to his depression and the lack of care he has for the importance of things in his life. He wants to break out of the rut he is in but only fantasizes because he feels the break out is unattainable.
ReplyDeleteOne of the elements that stuck out while reading Jimmy Corrigan, was the elaborate panel structure and placement. Some of the panels were rotated on ninety degree angles were broken up into many segments, which does not help make the reading of Jimmy Corrigan any easier. It’s a fascinating book which from the outside looks simple enough in style, but contains an interesting framework which is hard to follow but shows the origins of Jimmy’s character. It needs to be read and analyzed slowly as not to leave the reader in complete confusion.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very complex book to read. There are several different realities portrayed throughout with the real jimmy and his newly found father, or the southern jimmy and his violent father, as well as robot jimmy. What does not come together is how they are all connected. Even the "instructions" do not help. What really stood out to me was the lack of faces shown, in the beginning only superman was shown, until he became friendly with his mother. Then both fathers have their face shown. Does this mean that Jimmy has a hard time connecting with people unless felt to be unreal? Like, "both" his fathers are disconnected to him in different ways, thus its easier to see them, however people that contact him otherwise are hidden?
ReplyDeleteI have to say it is a really complicated book. Why the author said Jimmy is the smartest kid on earth? I keep asked my self why. Seems like jimmy is an indifferent, miserable man who suffering midlife crisis in the book. I cannot find any evidence to prove he is a smart guy. Is that a ironic? In the beginning of the book, little Jimmy met a "superman", he said Jimmy is a really smart kid, but actually I think he just want have sex with his mother. When Jimmy grow up, he saw a "superman" died. Was that means something innocent deep inside his mind gone? I have no idea. This is a book with too many themes together.
ReplyDeleteIn Jimmy Corrigan, I believe that Chris Ware was trying to show the problem with the idea of convenience in the modern era. The use of technology and the fact that everything can be made to be used "at your convenience" is hurting the next generation. Jimmy has a blase and mundane way of living his life with his simple, boring office job. He lives through his fantasies. For example, many of his ideals and his dreams come from his obsession with Superman. Though Superman is a 'good' role model to have, the cartoon-nature of comics are mostly geared towards children. The Saturday morning comic routine is mostly common in households with small children. How does this connect with the modern era? With the constant pressure of efficiency and quickness, more and more creativity is being pushed to the side (unless it improves upon the efficiency or quickness, of course). Because of this lack of innovation within the world, people in the world much like Jimmy Corrigan will become trapped in a self-made box. They tone down their individual quirks in order to fit into this cookie cutter mold that is generally accepted by society. Because of the key icons seen in the background of many of the panels, Ware is connecting the point of showing the physical manifestations of this concept.
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