New York City is frequently presented in various mediums. Graphic novels, comics, and movies have portrayed the city in many ways. There is “gritty” New York, “whimsical,” “realistic,” and dozens of other portrayals. New York is the birthplace of American comic books and both DC and Marvel, the two largest comic book publishers, are based in New York. In fact, the city is present in 13,249 different comic books or graphic novels. So why is NYC a perfect setting for comics? It is because of the iconic locations within NYC, its cultural influence in America, and the city’s diversity, which allow for numerous interpretations that can connect to readers. Graphic novels and comics can present stories in a unique way that words alone cannot accomplish. The images themselves tell just as much of a story and can hold many context clues about events, encouraging readers to closely examine them. In Paul Austers graphic novel, City of Glass, NYC is presented in a realistic way. The city is drawn mundanely, but for a good reason. The main character’s mind can distort his own perception throughout the story, conjuring fantastical and irrational images. By drawing the city realistically, the contrast between what is happening and what the main character thinks is happening, is more distinctive. This aids readers by giving them insight into the mental instability of the main character, which is not directly stated. The tone of it is similar to a film noir and brings elements of detective and mystery novels to its pages. Written strictly in black and white, it depicts normal sights in New York. The narrator sees the city as a maze, a labyrinth of endless steps in which to lose yourself. (4) The streets themselves have street signs, traffic, and ... ... middle of paper ... ...st impossible for it to exist the way it does. The way that “Marvels” depicts the city is obviously fantastical in the cataclysmic events and battles that occur. However, as a whole, it includes accurate architecture that fits New York. Marvels includes important landmarks, in addition to referencing real areas and buildings. It also presents readers with interesting depictions of both historical and fictional events and movements. However, what it does best is show the changing of NYC citizens and the marvels, while keeping the rest of the city relatively consistent and familiar. This allows readers to focus on the story and events going on, but it also encourages them to look at the subtle things that change in the city. Graffiti changes, subcultures develop, and NYC is able to keep up with the times, ultimately keeping new readers attracted to comics as a medium.
The author illustrates the “dim, rundown apartment complex,” she walks in, hand and hand with her girlfriend. Using the terms “dim,” and “rundown” portrays the apartment complex as an unsafe, unclean environment; such an environment augments the violence the author anticipates. Continuing to develop a perilous backdrop for the narrative, the author describes the night sky “as the perfect glow that surrounded [them] moments before faded into dark blues and blacks, silently watching.” Descriptions of the dark, watching sky expand upon the eerie setting of the apartment complex by using personification to give the sky a looming, ominous quality. Such a foreboding sky, as well as the dingy apartment complex portrayed by the author, amplify the narrator’s fear of violence due to her sexuality and drive her terror throughout the climax of the
When people think of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, they think of crime and violence within the neighborhood. I myself have thought this about Bedford Stuyvesant before I did research and actually visited the neighborhood for myself. Bedford Stuyvesant in my opinion, has two different sides. The side the media portrays to us, the people, and the side people who actually visit/live in the neighborhood see for themselves. My visual representation above shows the two different sides of Bedford Stuyvesant. The first image shows the typical view of what people think of when they think of Bedford Stuyvesant, the projects. When people think of this neighborhood, they think of project buildings housing low income black families. The media portrays Bedford Stuyvesant as a
In 2013, just shy of my 17th birthday, I planned a day trip with two of my friends to see The Phantom of the Opera in New York. At this point in my life, I was entirely unaccustomed to large cities, such as New York City, and felt excited to experience the bustle I expected. While in the city, a woman informed me about methods to avoid the crime so intertwined with life in the city and introduced me to the concept that, just as New York City held many attractions for tourists, it also held some dangers as well. This idea takes pride of place in Edward Jones’ short story, “Young Lions” and its discussion of Caesar Matthews. As I learned a few years ago, the city truly contains amazement for those experiencing it, but, like all things in life,
The island of Manhattan was consolidated into the greater New York City in 1898. Because of this the city was transformed from a nineteenth century seaport with cobblestone streets into a twentieth century metropolis of skyscrapers and subways. The artists of the Ashcan movement saw this changing society in human terms. They saw this in a light which depicted the interaction of so many different cultures which were being thrust together. They documented these changes on a level which the ordinary person could understand. Because of the Ashcan School we have a picture of society which one really cannot understand amidst the overpowering spectacle of overpowering buildings and increasing technology.4
All graphic novels are structured to provide few words so the reader can follow the story through the illustrations. The comic panels are drawn to be extremely vivid and revealing. In Watchmen, a story based in a Cold War America, political symbolism is everything. Alan Moore strategically places numerous clues for the reader throughout the story to develop and reveal crucial components of the character’s lives, the setting, and the theme of the novel.
Throughout The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs, she writes about the city’s change through a ballet dance and movement surrounding her. “In real life, to be sure, something is always going on, the ballet is never at a halt, but the general effect is peaceful and the general tenor even leisurely” (Jacobs 833). This idea of change she discusses and goes in great depth with, portrays just how constant not just a particular city but the world is. She describes every day to be a ballet of some sort; witnessing everyone’s day as they walk down the sidewalk. Even when a corner is turned, seeing so many different face as they all move at different paces and occupy their time in different manners, it all adds to this dance. Everything changing around her and maybe even things not really making sense but despite all of that, still being able to come together and create something no matter what’s being made of it, relates to Growing up Unrented on the Lower East Side by Edmund Berrigan.
In its long and illustrious history, New York City (NYC) has gone through tremendous change. From a small trading post on the tip of Manhattan Island, to the greatest metropolis in the world, NYC has continued to evolve over time. One period in particular that had more degrees of change than many others, was 1860 to 1865. The lives of the residents of the great port city would be completely changed forever.
...blish his action. Even though, Batman does his good activities in the city; the police force thinks differently about him. For example, there is a flying helicopter in search for him. In contrast, with this suit Batman goes along with the darkness as composting it with the dark. Furthermore, the background displays the elements of the city showing hes looking over, protecting the civilians. In other side of the city, everything looks broken down like an old record. Then, the other side of the city are filled with light that brighten the city colors. As Batman hides in the shadows waiting for time to come. Fighting crime at night not knowing where it takes place. The background describes the daily life of a superhero.
When one thinks of a futuristic movie that takes place in New York pictures of flying cars and strange cloths pop into the mind. These are in fact used. In addition to these items however, the city itself is portrayed in a very gloomy light. The very first scene of the movie is an aerial shot of the city at night. The audience can see noting but the outline of buildings and pinpricks of light that are the widows in these buildings. When we get down to street level we see other sources of light such as a digital billboard on the side of a building, car headlights, and light from nearby restaurants, but the overall feel is still dark and dismal. The buildings are all metal and it is constantly raining throughout the movie. Other things used to portray this dingy, dismal feel are open fires and trash in the streets.
Every child in the United States has heard or read the Marvel and DC comics books. If you have not then you have probably have heard of their characters like the famous star spangled hero, Captain America, or the Dark Knight himself, Batman. Both Marvel and DC has influenced the children and adults of American in its darkest times. The great wars affected many by its poisonous grasps, and its victims sought comfort with the antidote provided by the marvelous illustrators and writers of comic books. Now their cinematic counterparts are here to inspire the 21st century. The Marvel and DC cinematic universes have similar content, they both have unique characteristics that set them apart.
Colson Whitehead ponders the essence of New York in his collection of essays titled, The Colossus of New York. Throughout the entire collection of essaysWhitehead inquires about what New York stands for based on the journey’s of its inhabitants and visitors. By establishing a sense of authenticity and creating an intimate relationship between him and the reader, Whitehead effectively provides his readers with a genuine account of New York. This genuineness found in Whitehad’s writing has not been met without criticism. Wyatt Mason’s critique of Whitehead’s essays reiterates throughout the review that Whitehead’s account go New York isn’t unique to New York and that the essayist isn’t particularly attentive to detail. While I agree with the
It the novel The Phantom Tollbooth the author, Norton Juster, tells the story of a city that has split into two parts: Reality and Illusions. The city of Illusions looked very beautiful but was imaginary and the city of Reality was invisible but existed. According to the story the city of Illusions was a mirage but the city of Reality had become invisible because people stopped looking at it because they were in a hurry to get where they were going. At first when people hurried by things without looking at them the things got uglier and dirtier but then over time things started to fade away because no one noticed or cared. Now the Cities can’t be fixed because “they can never see what they are too busy to look for.” Alex stated that the
To conclude, the graphic novel Watchmen presents the non-fantastic representation of a superhero, implying that not all heroes are like Superman. This notion is explored within the novel by mentioning the realistic motives of the characters choosing to become superheroes, by Rorschach’s representation and through the heroic reactions of the New Yorkers to a street crime. These elements all contribute to Watchmen’s uniqueness and complexity as a superhero comic.
The classic comic book is a polar opposite of the complex nature of poetry. The comic book is designed for the younger reader and possesses a simplistic nature that allows the creator to use visual media combined with short written dialog to tell a story. The pictures in a comic book are an integral part of the makeup of a comic book. The pictures allow the creator to portray the protagonist and antagonist in a way that is common to all readers. This however inhibits the use of imagination by the reader. The pictures are all an artist's interpretations of the actions and settings that make up each scene. When a person reads descriptive text with no pictures, it allows the reader to build a mental picture of each scene that is unique to his/her own personality. The comic book does not allow for this expressiveness in its prefabricated structure.
Most people believe that graphic novels are just an art book with minimal text. They believe it is just for entertainment for kids or young adults. They think that graphic novels are just like comics. But to get to the point, graphic novels are just like all the other novels. They are a piece of literature that tells a story and pulls out the reader’s imagination, so that they feel that they are a part of the story or can even relate to the story. Graphic novels have changed and developed into such remarkable pieces of literature and should be accepted by all scholars to be placed in that category. According to John Ridley, “There are still some people out there who believe comic books are nothing more than, well, comic books. But the true cognoscenti know graphic novels are-at their best-an amazing blend of art, literature and the theater of the mind”.