Old School Book Report

Well, the title might not be an entirely true!

You have had plenty of time to read and think about your graphic nivel of choice. With that being said, you must now discuss it in detail. How much detail you ask? Well at least one-two standard pages. You can use a word document and type it out first and then transfer it to your blogsite. Please use 12 font Times New Roman, (or something VERY close) and a color that isn't yellow or neon pink (as those are hard to read and make my eyes go crazy after awhile :))

You must answer the following questions:

1. What was your graphic novel about?

2. Who were the main characters?

3. What was the main theme?

4. What was the main conflict?

5. What was your favorite part?

6. Who should read this book? 

Along with those questions, please write a synopsis (Spark Notes style-or as Ronnie said something he would like to google and read within a couple minutes to see if he would like it or not.)

This assignment is due Friday!

Setting and Time

While you are reading your novel, please discuss on your blog the following information as it pertains to yesterday's lesson on "What, When, Where, Etc." Please answer for FULL POINTS by Friday March 20th.

1. What is the time period of your novel? How do you know this? What clues do the pictures present giving you specific periods of time (day/night), seasons (fall/winter), the passing of time and aging, and eras (60's? 80's?)

2. How does your main character (the protagonist) represent ideals (or fail to represent ideals) that a person in that particular time (or era) may have been expected (forced?) to represent?

3. How does the time period (in all of its many elements) work within your story? How does it drive the plot? Think about- how would things be different or altered if set in a different time (let's say 10 years in the past or 10 years in the future)? If they would be altered how would it change the work? Why did the author choose this time period?

4. Is the setting of your story real, fictional, or real fiction as discussed during class? Why did the author choose this particular setting? How would changing it alter the story line?

noses, i supposes...

for kirsch...

1...

practice drawing facial features. use the handout provided to you as a general guide. make at lease six different versions of each feature [nose, eyes, ears, mouth...] work on head shapes as well. try fanciful and realisitic. turn these in on thursday, eoc.

2...

create a storyboard of at least eight panels showing a slow zoom-in on a character of your own design. the scene may be static or show the passage of time or change of place. the first panel should show the character in full silhouette, and the final panel should show only the face. due monday next [march 16]

Characters...

Character identification is created when your character has aspects that get readers picturing themselves in the character's place. This can be something as blatant as making an eleven year old boy the hero in a book aimed at children in that age range. It can also involve putting the character in a common emotional situation, such as lusting from afar or having a lousy day. I want you to think about the characters in the graphic novel you are reading. Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist? What are the strengths and weaknesses of these characters? What about these characters (or their aforementioned traits) draw you, the reader, into their world? Who do you think this story is aimed at? Why? What about the character clues you in to this? How is the situation these characters are in familiar-even if it’s emotionally familiar?

There are a few questions here so answer them fully and thoughtfully.

As you're reading your graphic novel of choice, please pay attention to both the layout and the style (as we've discussed in class.) For this assignment (due Friday) please discuss on your blog the following topics:

• What is the basic layout of your graphic novel? Does it follow the rule of thirds? If so, what pattern can you discern in the way the pages are laid out? More importantly, why is this pattern formed? How is your reading changed, drawn in, or different than it would be if you were reading a more traditional book (or likewise if a different format was used).



• What type of drawing style is used and for what purpose? Are the colors bright, muted, do they change based on plot line and/or character motivation? In essence, what can you glean from the colors and drawing techniques used and how does this change/direct your reading of the actual words?
  
  

[kirsch] homework for friday

working from a traced photograph, create a comic/novel character.  

embellish the character using pencil, marker, crayon, etc.  make the character reminiscent of a particular historic comic age.  

[make three versions]

research for thursday

on your blog, provide a brief description and an example of esch of the following periods in comic history:

the platinum age

the golden age

the silver age

the bronze age

the modern age

[kirsch]