(18) Re-Written Review: Little Nemo 리틀 니모

        I remember watching the animation version of "Little Nemo" back when I was a little kid. I don’t remember much detail about it, but I can remember the fact that it was entertaining and visually pleasing. I was very surprised to Figure out that this well-made animation is based on an original comic strip drawn back in 1905. The beautiful illustration of this work is very impressive thinking of when it was drawn. The quality of illustration and surrealism of this piece reminded me of Arrival by Shaun Tan. I feel like the line quality and details of "Little Nemo" is actually better than most of the Comic Strips these days.

         "Little Nemo" is a story about a young boy named Nemo, who travels to Slumberland for adventure during his sleep. The synopsis feels like the targeted audiences are little childeren. However, considering the fact that these comic strips are on magazine, the audiences would have been mostly adults… In any cases, it seems that Little Nemo is good for anyone to read. The wording in the comic is not too difficult for little children to read. The beautifully colored illustration and the decorative title cut drags attention of the readers. Another interesting part of this work is that there is a pattern in ending. In every episode, the comic ends by showing Nemo waking up from his dream, sometimes interacting with his family members. I think this casual representation of everyday life and dream is the greatest appeal of this work.

         After watching the film about Winsor McCay, I actually started appreciate "Little Nemo" more than how I thought of it before. Before watching that film, I thought this work was just a really well-make comic strips. However, After viewing the process of Winsor McCay's drawing, "Little Nemo" seems to have much more value than a comic strip. "Little Nemo" not only is an important starter of the history of comic strips, but also a very inspirational work that affected future animators. I really appreciate this work. 

(17) Korean Webtoon 대한민국 웹툰

       I wanted to introduce Korean Web-comic system called "Webtoon"(Web-Cartoon) which is becoming very popular in South Korea. While most of web-comic is uploaded on personal websites, Korean webtoon is uploaded on Major Search Engine Websites in Korea. 

       "Naver" and "Daum" are the two major online search engine in South Korea. As you can see, the title page of these websites are populated with news articles, blogs, shopping informations, e-mails, and Webtoon Links. Since almost every Korean people use these websites, Korean webtoon is an entertainment that Anyone using this website could enjoy.

     Many webtoons of various genre are uploaded by various artists artists. Most webtoons are uploaded in weekly term (every coming monday, coming tuesday, etc...), and some of the works are uploaded more than once a week. Since each day is assigned with different webtoon, audiences can expect to read something they like almost everyday without making payment.

     Korean Search Engines hires skilled webtoon artists mostly through amateur audition. Since Webtoon became such a popular entertainment in Korea, Webtoon Artist is considered a decent paying job with popularity.

      This webtoon system started similar to how web-comic started. When people started owning their personal websites, some talented individuals start creating comic strips and gained their popularity and audiences. When online comic started becoming popular, "Naver","Daum", and even Korean "Yahoo" decide to hire amateur artist and professional Newspaper comic artists to post webtoon on the websites to gain more website users. their plan was successful. As Webtoon gained hardcore fans, the use of websites also increased.

      Most of the Korean webtoon are in vertical strip format. This format allows audience to simply scroll down their mouse instead of clicking "Next"button. This Vertical scrolling format was originally started by Korean Webtoon Artist Young-Soon Yang, through his works called "1001(The Story of Thousand and One Nights)". After this popular Webtoon, Almost every webtoon follows the vertical reading format.

      Korean Webcomic is gaining more and more popularity these days. Some Korean Websites are actually thinking of creating English translated Link. Below is the link to some of the Korean Webtoon that "Naver" translated for Oversea Audience :

http://comic.naver.com/en/

Also, Here is a link to a brilliant Horror Webtoon that uses scripting to add sound and auto-scrolling effect:

WARNING. this webcomic can truly give u heart-attack. Do not click it if you don't like scary stuff :)

http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/detail.nhn?titleId=350217&no=31

If you are still curious, here is an reaction video of popular youtuber Pewdiepie on the link above. this might be less scary :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vI0Wmxc2cY

(16) What Birds Know 새들이 아는것

      "What Birds Know" is my very first web-comic to read. I am used to Korean Web comic called "Webtoon", yet it was my first time actually visiting an individual website to read a web-comic. Out of many web-comic that was listed in Class Blog, I chose "What Birds Know" and there is no regret of it. This work is awesome!!

      The most unique characteristic of Web-comic is that it is mostly drawn using digital program. considering that many printed Graphic novels and Japanese manga are hand drawn using pencils and pen, this newly developed digital illustration technique has broaden the range of the Comic. Another strongest characteristic of Web-comic is that it is shared through online, and therefore, available for all the audiences around the world. Before Internet was popular, Comics are only available as printed copies, which needs publisher to obtain a large audience. However, these days, if one has a computer, internet, Tablet Pen, and a personal blog or website, Any one can try out to become a comic book artist and possibly become popular. I feel like this is a great change in Comic book history. Comic has started in the corner of newspaper or magazine, then grew out to become a book, novel, and TV series, and now it is everywhere on internet, created by amateurs and professionals.

      "What Birds Know" is created by two author, Emelie Friberg and Mattias Thorelli and both of them are from Sweden. I think it is amazing that I have a chance to read a comic drawn in Sweden. They update their latest work up on their website, then everyone around the world can read it and leave a comment about it. I already tried e-mailing the authors and they answered me back. :) I think it is great that the author and audience can casually communicate with each other.

      "What Birds Know" is about three girls who entered another side of the world. The three main characters, Vandi, Dores, and Elia, all have unique personalities and attractive characteristics. I love the fact that the authors took time to talk about each character's interest, personality, and past. This web-comic might feel slow-paced at first, but after reading along, you will probably realize that you know the main characters so well that you feel like you are their actual friend. That is how I felt reading this web-comic. I felt like I was their fourth member. This web-comic is friendly with audience, but also can become very shocking and tragic at one moment. I loved the fact that This web-comic is easy to keep track of, and that it has many attractive characters and world setting.

FAN ART drawn by me :)

(15) Watchmen 왓치맨

       I don't actually enjoy reading graphic novel with Super heroes. First reason is because the main characters are too over-powering, second reason is because there are already too many of graphic novels about super Hero out there, and the third reason is because most of the stories are too similar to one another. I used to love them when I was a child. Now, I am just tired of reading them.

      "Watchmen" asks the audience if super hero truly exists. This graphic novel talks about the world that is too complicated to be divided into good and evil,or right and wrong. The super heroes and "Watchmen" are not saving the world as they are suppose to. Heroes are forced to retire, one of the Heroes got murdered, and also there are some ethical problem with some of the heroes. Sadly it is difficult to tell who is the true super hero and who is the true villain. "Watchmen" makes super heroes into regular, normal people who are just wearing fancy uniforms. They have secrets and miserable pasts.

      The target audience of this graphic novel are not children but adults. Unlike children who admire heroes, adult audience questions what is good or bad. they don't believe what they see right away, because they know that there will be something more behind every event. After Reading "Watchmen", I feel like I have grown out of child audience and become an adult audience. Now I can not admire super heroes based on how they look outward, but rather feel suspicious about what they are hiding inward.

(14) Fun Home 재미난 집

       I remember seeing this book at my friend's house. I was interested in it but never picked it up to read because I was not sure if myself was ready for this kind of story. But reading this book now, I don't think it was bad at all. It was very new and weird at certain point, but thinking that this books is based on the author's experience, I could not just conclude that It is a fiction.

      "Fun Home" talks about author's past. Her home looked normal and comfortable, but family members all had their independent, individual lives. Father and Daughter didn't seem to understand each other at first. Alison goes through puberty and realizes her sexual identity as a lesbian. Up to here, I was not very happy with the story. The mood was dark and gloomy, and I felt sorry for the main character with all her inner struggle and loneliness. However, this book became very interesting to me when her father started sharing his sexual life story to Alison. I never expected Father to share such thing to their daughter. I would say this kind of relationship is not typical at all even between father and daughter that are friendly with each other. Alison and her father was not really that close to one another. They never shared their story to each other. I was kind of surprised to see that Alison's act of coming out of closet actually broke the wall in between herself and her father. Her Father is gay, She is Lesbian. Both of them are homosexual and that becomes the bond of sympathy in their relationship. I thought this is ridiculous but also make sense. ( I just felt really sorry for the mother)

     I couldn't really think of this book as a graphic novel or comic book. I felt like I read a complicated literature. These days I have read many literature works talking about LGBT(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender). But "Fun Home" tells something more than just being LGBT. It's is about the relationship and communication within the family. 

(13) Asterios Polyp 아스테리오스 폴립

      "Asterios Polyp", written by David Mazzuchelli, is a great combination of Fine Art and Philosophy. This graphic novel is very visual due to its beautiful line works and I think it is a very unique style to be a comic book illustration. This graphic novel's art style changes numerous times, and almost all of them are illustrated in Modern Art style. The changing of the art style demonstrates what kind of state the main character is at.

      The main character of this book, Asterios Polyp is a respected Architect professor even though none of his designs is constructed in real life. He is respected and admire by his imagination and knowledge, even though he has not made any visible building standing. This graphic novel is about a self-righteous architect professor changing by a woman he loves. To describes this changes and his inner struggle, the book uses Line, color, and texts in abstract ways.

      I was pretty surprised to figure out that this book is in color. and for this book, color is not there to make the character looks more realistic, but rather to let audience understand the mood of the scene. Asterios is often illustrated in line work of geometric shapes (as illustration above). I really love it because that art style is very abstract but also relates to his job of being an architect. Thinking that none of his design was made into real building, the sketchy geometric shapes seems to fit him more than solid figures.

     This book talks about how human are dividing world using dichotomy. Right and wrong, men and women, Life and Death...Human loves to divide and separate everything around them thinking that it is a perfection. To me this book is beautiful but also very difficult. Even thought it is taking a form of comic book/ graphic novel, this book contains so much depth of philosophy. This book actually makes you think. :)

(12) Persepolis 2 페르세폴리스

       I continued reading "Persepolis" since I really loved the work. the main character no longer a child. She has grown up and she is no longer with her family. Marja is now by herself in a foreign country. This is another dramatic change in her life and Marja takes it differently than before. She is no longer a child. She thinks differently and acts differently. While I thought of the character as a cute little girl in the first book, the second book makes me think of her has a girl of my age. The way she was adopting to her new environment reminded me of myself getting used to life at Ringling. It was different, therefore difficult at first. While reading the second book, I found myself agreeing the the main character a lot, but also disagreeing. While she was a little children observing what is happening around the her, this new book is about Marja changing her own life and making decision. This book is no longer about a culture and history, but more focused on individual's life and experience. First book taught me of the culture that I have never knew about, while the second book spoke to me like a college friend.

       I think Persepolis is very educational. Even thought it is considered a Comic book (Graphic Novel), I felt like I was reading a very well-written Autobiography. The attractive art style helped me to be more interested in her story. The combination of word and illustration is strong. When I figured out that there is a film based on this book, I searched it and watched it right away. I am very happy to figure out that "Persepolis" is actually considered as a well-written/drawn Literature work that is respected by many people. I agree that this work is very educational and entertaining. Some people even says comic book should be now respected as an art form and a literature, and I do agree with them. (except for few works like underground comics...I want them to remain underground)