Tits and Clits

Today I read through the underground comic called Tits and Clits. I have to say I was interested in it because of the name. I guess it’s easy to say I got what I wanted a comic about sex. Literally this comic book was filled with stories and they were all just about sex. The first comic I read in the book was Persephone gets what she wants and it really got me because the characters were cats! From then on the comic was filled with lesbian sex, sex junkies, rapists, masturbation, and more sex.

I found the comic entertaining and I really didn’t mind the graphic images I thought they were pretty funny. I could see why someone may see the comic as condescending to women but I can really respect it for what it is. I mean its titled Tits and Clits if that offends you, you probably shouldn’t read the comic.

I really stayed interested while reading through this comic book because I enjoyed the different drawing styles. I particularly liked Roberta Gregory’s pen and ink work, the large solid shapes with the cross hatching is really appealing. I also loved the comic Rufus and the rapist because the scratchy drawing style looked so different then all the others in the book, but it didn’t say who the artist was.

I like the images and the content together in the comic they have a sense of quickness that I admire. Its simple and to the point, they don’t try to glorify women in any way in fact you may think it’s the exact opposite, I find this humorous and fascinating because the whole book is created by women. It’s a comic book about sex if that’s what you want than that’s what you get.

My New York Diary

This week I started reading the graphic novel My New York Diary by Julie Doucet and I found myself unable to put it down. I have to say I have never been to New York. Although I couldn’t relate on that level I still found it very easy to relate to on many different levels. There is something about this graphic novel that just seems so real I think its because its more of a documentary of the year she spent in New York and not just a made up story, that is what appeals to me.

The book is about the experiences Julie goes through during the time she spends in New York and what its like moving to a big city for the first time, I could image overwhelming! Julia moves into an apartment in the city with her boyfriend, which is practically a dump and they start having problems immediately. They turn to drugs to solve all their relationship issues and neglect the cartoons they are suppose to be writing together. More and more problems arise and she even ends up getting pregnant but then has a miscarriage. Julia leaves him without letting him know and moves to Brooklyn where she moves in with a literature student who kind of drives her crazy because they don’t have much in common at all.

Immediately I was into the book because it was told from a woman’s perspective. I found that even if you didn’t know the main character was a female you could still tell that one wrote it. The way that she depicts men in the comic is pretty feminist (but not in a bad way) they all seem to be tools for the most part. They are dirty and lazy and most of them are trying to get in her pants. Not only were the characters entertaining but I absolutely love Julie Doucets illustration style. Every frame on the page is packed with information, for me it was a slow read because I was engrossed in all the little details she puts into every frame.

I would definitely recommend this graphic novel the story is real and the characters and well developed and without a doubt interesting. The images keep you involved with the settings and the writing is quite humorous.

Netsuke

This week I read the comic book Netsuke written and Illustrated by George Pratt. A friend had suggested that I read it and I was immediately interested in it because of the illustrations.

When I started reading the comic book I was so fascinated in the images because of the beautiful line quality and the expressive painterly style it was hard for me to follow the story. The illustrations evoked many feelings and there was a constant since of motion through the frames. The colors and the drawings were just captivating and I found it very interesting to look at. The illustrations in the comic were like nothing I have seen before in a comic.

I had trouble interpreting the story clearly and i'm still not positive that I know what it was about exactly. What I got was the main character had traveled back to Japan for one reason or another I think it may have been to reconnect with his past. It seemed like his lover had died and he was talking to her the whole time. Throughout the comic it goes back and forth from him walking around and talking with the dead to flashbacks of him when he was in a war. It never says anything about how she died but many others that were close to him die in the war but he lives. I got the feeling that he couldn't die but he almost wishes he could.

I really enjoyed looking through this comic book but didn't so much enjoy reading it. The images were so captivating I feel like it may have been just as effective to look through this book without text so you can interpret it yourself. To me it feels like the illustrations are the important part and the words and just something to hold it together as a book. I would suggest this to someone who was interested in amazing illustrations but I don't feel the story is nearly as powerful as the images.