Oh gosh, a few years ago, there was this thing on the internet about whether Sailor Moon was Asian or Caucasian. Apparently, white people thought she was white, and Asian people thought she was Asian. Like all anime characters, her features are not defined enough to tell us her race. That's when it occurred to me that most of my life, I'd read most anime characters as half-Japanese and half-white, like me. It doesn't make logical sense, but it made sense to my kid brain because anime itself seemed like a blending of the two cultures.
It probably shows my age but I didn't find any of the cartoon stereotypes problematic. They're useful. The appearance of the word "problematic" is what I found problematic.
All the human brain does is categorize; it's a categorization machine. Words are the categories.
The longer you know someone, the more categories you can have them in. And the lesser you know them, the less categories you have them in.
E.g., you see a person, and your brain starts doing this:
Short
Short old man
Short old white man
Short old white man in Brooklyn
Short old white man in Brooklyn with a cat
Short old white man in Brooklyn with a cat who I used to know! He jokes a lot, drives a black Cadillac, loves his wife Kate, eats pork rinds, writes mathematical puzzles, smokes weed, plays the piano pretty well (Beethoven, Bach and Mozart, and more recently, Philip Glass) and has a blue- eyed daughter named Emily whom I've loved for a lifetime...
I absolutely agree with you that the word “problematic” is “problematic” (please see Amy’s Problematic Playlist for more on this subject!) - the only thing I’d add is that the human brain is both a categorization machine AND a generalization machine, and that it’s actually the interesting (and selective) interplay between these two impulses that results in not just the language of comics but languages of all kinds, including mathematics, philosophy, and interpersonal sociality.
Yes!! I LOVE The Sculptor! It's got it all -- great story, great art, and of course great technique! It's just hartbreaking and beautiful.... so so good! :)
Truly, one of the greatest graphic novels I've ever read! It is absolutely heartbreaking, too.
It captures the struggle between art, passion and struggle so well. Also reconciling living a life of meaning with the very real impact it has on personal relationships.. aahh, loved it!
Such great lessons in there that ideally I can capture in my comics. :)
Oh gosh, a few years ago, there was this thing on the internet about whether Sailor Moon was Asian or Caucasian. Apparently, white people thought she was white, and Asian people thought she was Asian. Like all anime characters, her features are not defined enough to tell us her race. That's when it occurred to me that most of my life, I'd read most anime characters as half-Japanese and half-white, like me. It doesn't make logical sense, but it made sense to my kid brain because anime itself seemed like a blending of the two cultures.
I think that makes complete sense! Who was it that said "fiction is a mirror"? (Flaubert?) When we look into stories, we see ourselves! :)
This was fascinating. Love to peer inside worlds of which I have no knowledge or even opinions.
Cartoonist Alex Norris is a great example of universalizing a person. And he's funny as hell. https://webcomicname.com/post/643481551094595584/the-arts
LMAO --- omg I love it
I love all of these!! This is going on my comics syllabus!! (oh no)
Three panels, same gag, infinite takes. Genius!
It probably shows my age but I didn't find any of the cartoon stereotypes problematic. They're useful. The appearance of the word "problematic" is what I found problematic.
All the human brain does is categorize; it's a categorization machine. Words are the categories.
The longer you know someone, the more categories you can have them in. And the lesser you know them, the less categories you have them in.
E.g., you see a person, and your brain starts doing this:
Short
Short old man
Short old white man
Short old white man in Brooklyn
Short old white man in Brooklyn with a cat
Short old white man in Brooklyn with a cat who I used to know! He jokes a lot, drives a black Cadillac, loves his wife Kate, eats pork rinds, writes mathematical puzzles, smokes weed, plays the piano pretty well (Beethoven, Bach and Mozart, and more recently, Philip Glass) and has a blue- eyed daughter named Emily whom I've loved for a lifetime...
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I absolutely agree with you that the word “problematic” is “problematic” (please see Amy’s Problematic Playlist for more on this subject!) - the only thing I’d add is that the human brain is both a categorization machine AND a generalization machine, and that it’s actually the interesting (and selective) interplay between these two impulses that results in not just the language of comics but languages of all kinds, including mathematics, philosophy, and interpersonal sociality.
Have you read Scott McClouds The Sculptor?
It’s a phenomenal read where he finally puts a lot of his lessons into practice.
Great read, Amy!
Yes!! I LOVE The Sculptor! It's got it all -- great story, great art, and of course great technique! It's just hartbreaking and beautiful.... so so good! :)
Truly, one of the greatest graphic novels I've ever read! It is absolutely heartbreaking, too.
It captures the struggle between art, passion and struggle so well. Also reconciling living a life of meaning with the very real impact it has on personal relationships.. aahh, loved it!
Such great lessons in there that ideally I can capture in my comics. :)