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Text of the page (random words):
otional force driving most of it for example after miko moves to new york city a very tense situation due to the ambiguity of their relationship or relationship status she and ben have a phone conversation which begins rather cordially and ends in a violent shouting match ben so how s the internship going you haven t told me much about it miko oh i ve learned not to bore you but it s incredible i m meeting so many amazing people ben that s great miko i keep having these moments where i ll stop and think wow i m in new york city ben well that is where you are miko i know ben you don t have to get all sarcastic because i m enjoying myself ben what you started it with that i ve learned not to bore you comment i m trying to act interested and you miko you started it how old are you and why can t you ever just be genuinely interested ben you really want me to answer that miko you know what maybe we should just not talk for a while this is ben fine ben hangs up tomine 47 48 it is precisely this emotionally driven erratic and volatile characteristic of tomine s dialogue coupled with its unremarkable and often banal diction and subject matter that gives it such a strikingly realistic quality unlike the aforementioned verbal communication which derives its realism from its unpredictability and unsophistication the non verbal communication in shortcomings appears realistic because of its incredible detail and photo like quality the vividly detailed facial expressions and body positions are important because they communicate the characters emotions that cannot be accurately conveyed through the dialogue this is seen for example after one of ben and miko s arguments when they are apologizing to each other and trying to figure out what sparked their argument and how it got so out of control in the midst of these panels that are heavy with dialogue there is a silent panel in which ben is facing forward with a pensive look on his face his lips are closed forming a straight horizontal line and his eyes stare past the reader and off into space and miko is looking down toward ben s side with a remorseful look on her face her eyes are slightly closed and angled down as if she were about to start tearing up and her lips are closed forming a slight downward droop or bend that gives the appearance of a slight quiver through the dialogue it is clear that ben and miko are trying to simultaneously discover the cause of their argument and apologize for their role in it but it is only through their body positions and facial expressions that their feelings are revealed his meditation and her remorse it is also important to note that the use of a silent panel in the midst of several dialogue heavy panels is in and of itself an essential contribution to the graphic novel s non verbal realism this panel not only effectively draws the reader s attention to the characters facial expressions and body positions but it also simulates a pause in conversation something that often happens in thoughtful exchanges or interactions despite the sharp contrast in the level of detail and sophistication between the verbal and non verbal communications it is through their combination that the incredible level of realism in shortcomings is achieved the un stylized dialogue accurately portrays the frequently banal conversations of everyday life seldom do people express themselves perfectly and elegantly especially when arguing or venting while the incredibly detailed facial expressions and body language faithfully reveal the emotions and feelings that are frequently shown and rarely if ever spoken now that i ve graduated what should i do with my blog 02 sunday jun 2013 posted by nicholas ditto in general information updates 7 comments tags analysis comics critical analysis english film studies graphic novels media studies re envisioning superheroes theory thoughts understanding comics hey everyone i know it has been a very long time since my last post but i have been incredibly busy over the last few weeks here s a super condensed summary of what i have been up to since my last post i wrote my senior paper i graduated from the university of minnesota and i moved to phoenix where i am currently attending teacher training for the next six weeks although i have finished my directed study on the graphic novel it was such a wonderful experience that i would like to continue my blog it will take me a while to get adjusted to my new schedule but once i ve gotten the hang of it i should be able to make semi regular posts i plan on continuing to provide textual analysis and literary criticism related to graphic novels but i was also considering writing about my journey of becoming a teacher would anyone be interested in reading about that and if so should i do both i e make two separate blogs thank you in advance for your input and i look forward to hearing from you take our poll p s i will post an essay on adrian tomine s shortcomings tomorrow a change of heart frimme s transformation in a contract with god 09 thursday may 2013 posted by nicholas ditto in a contract with god 3 comments tags a contract with god analysis comic studies comics critical analysis english film studies god graphic novels media studies re envisioning religion scholarship thoughts will eisner although there were many unsympathetic characters in a contract with god the character of frimme hersh caught my attention because he was very sympathetic at the beginning of the story yet became quite unsympathetic at the end in fact i actually identified rather strongly with him in the beginning as i think almost anyone who has lost a loved one would yet by the end of the story i found myself almost taking pleasure in his misfortune as i began to think about what produced this sudden change of heart in my opinion of him i realized the cause was his lack of integrity and his betrayal of those who helped him after his daughter died he used the synagogue s bonds that were entrusted to him as collateral under false pretenses so he could purchase a tenement building for personal gain although he got lucky he risked the financial well being of the jewish community that not only provided him with much support in new york city but that had saved his life by sending him to america when he was a child furthermore when he acquired his first tenement building he immediately raised the rent cut back on the heat and forced the tenants to make their own repairs effectively placing undue financial strain on the very people who offered him comfort after his daughter died he also used his newly acquired money and power to coerce the jewish elders into drafting him a new contract with god something they were opposed to and for the grand finale he scolded god shouting this time you will not violate our contract this time i have three witnesses eisner 52 after watching frimme transform from a humble and pious man to a greedy heartless tycoon i no longer felt sorry for him and when he suffered a heart attack while flaunting his new contract at god i could not help but think that he had it coming below i have included several panels that visually illustrate frimme s transformation throughout a contract with god a pure comic experience the marriage of text and image 08 wednesday may 2013 posted by nicholas ditto in a contract with god leave a comment tags a contract with god analysis comic studies comics critical analysis english film studies graphic novels media studies re envisioning superheroes theory thoughts understanding comics will eisner as i read will eisner s a contract with god i was struck by his unique approach to narration unlike the traditional comic format which separates its narrative text from its illustrations via a box or a bubble eisner seamlessly blends his narrative text into his illustrations and sometimes his narrative text even becomes part of the illustration itself to help you visualize this i ve set the opening page of watchmen by alan moore next to the opening page of a contract with god comics are unique in their ability to utilize the combination of words and pictures to express meaning that neither element is capable of expressing on its own ironically the traditional layout of comics hinders its ability to unite these two elements by separating the text and the image via the narrative boxes the traditional layout sets these two elements in opposition to one another in other words it facilitates a binary relationship between the text and the image where one aspect is always privileged at the expense of the other in fact it is because of this opposition that i typically must read a comic three times before i am able to appreciate it usually i am drawn to either the text or the illustrations depending on the comic and focus on that element during the entire first read then after i am familiar with the one element i re read the comic paying special attention to the other it is normally only on the third read that i am able to unite these two elements and gain a fuller understanding of the work it is because of these aforementioned reasons that i believe will eisner s a contract with god is an such an incredible important text through its melding of text and illustrations it produces one of the most coherent uninterrupted and in my eyes pure comic experience by smoothly blending these two elements together eisner s avoids setting them in opposition to each other and instead allows them to beautifully complement each other like they should the votes are in and the winner is 19 friday apr 2013 posted by nicholas ditto in a contract with god leave a comment tags a contract with god comic studies comics critical analysis english english literature film studies graphic novels media studies re envisioning superheroes theory thoughts understanding comics will eisner first off i d like to thank everyone for voting and helping me choose the next graphic novel to read and now the moment you ve all been waiting for the winner by unanimous decision is a contract with god by will eisner i am very pleased with your choice and very excited to start this story i have heard wonderful things about eisner s work but i have never had the pleasure of reading any of it before for those of you who aren t familiar with the work a contract with god is graphic novel composed of four short stories that take place in new york city s tenements and although these stories are independent and stand alone works they are all thematically connected each of them shares overarching themes such as frustration violence and even religion furthermore this graphic novel was one of the first comics to attract recognition for both its beautiful artwork and for its literary significance it is also important to note that while the term graphic novel originated fourteen years before the released of eisner s masterpiece a contract with god is credited with popularizing the term s use as i explained in my previous post my schedule is terribly hectic at the moment as i juggle school work and prep work for teaching but i will have my first post on a contract with god up by this sunday at the latest i will leave you with a few panels from will eisner s brilliant work enjoy which graphic novel should i read next 16 tuesday apr 2013 posted by nicholas ditto in general information updates 8 comments tags analysis comics critical analysis english film studies graphic novels media studies modern re envisioning scholarship superheroes theory thoughts update hey everyone you re all probably wondering why i haven t made a post for the last couple weeks i have recently accepted a position with teach for america 1 and have since been incredibly busy preparing for teacher certification tests and writing my senior paper however i have not forgotten about my blog or my readers in fact i would like to let you ll choose which graphic novel i read and analysis next for those who are unfamiliar with the various stories i have linked their titles to their wikipedia pages please comment below which one of the following you would like me to cover next apollo s song by osamu tezuka v for vendetta by alan moore a contract with god by will eisner watchmen by alan moore i will leave this survey open till wednesday at midnight thursday i will begin my next graphic novel and friday i will publish my first post on it thank you in advance for your help 1 more information can be found about this incredible organization at their official website www teachforamerica org new page added helpful resources insightful essays and recommended readings 28 thursday mar 2013 posted by nicholas ditto in general information updates leave a comment tags analysis batman comic comics critical analysis english film studies graphic novels media studies re envisioning resources teamwork thoughts understanding comics update hey everyone as promised i have added a new page to my blog and here is the link helpful resources insightful essays and recommended readings i think the title sums up its content nicely anyway this page will be constantly updated as i come across new essays received new recommendations and read new graphic novels with that said this project will take a long time to complete on my own but with everyone s help it will progress much quicker and be much better so please feel free to share your essays favorite comics graphic novels and any resources that have helped introduce you to or further your understanding of this medium thank you in advance for your help and contributions update adding a new page to my blog 26 tuesday mar 2013 posted by nicholas ditto in general information updates 2 comments tags comic comic studies comics critical analysis english film studies graphic novels media studies re envisioning scott mccloud superheroes thoughts understanding comics update hey everyone i will be posting my last or second to last essay i haven t decided which yet on like a sniper lining up his shot later this week this essay will focus on the graphic violence in the story the utterly despicable characters and their relation to the genre of noir i also wanted to thank my readers for their suggestions of new graphic novels to read as well as for the excellent comments and feedback they ve provided i am also going to add a new page to my blog which will be dedicated to outside information about the graphic novel i e material that i did not author this page will include links to other blogs about comics helpful youtube and ted talk videos and books on the medium that i think are useful in achieving a deeper understanding of the graphic novel this new page should be up sometime this weekend or early next week but in the meantime here are two really interesting videos on the medium of the graphic novel scott mccloud s on comics and michael chaney s how to read a graphic novel p s if you would like a link to your blog included on my page or if you have a good book or video to suggest please...