Week 6 - Underground Comics

I skimmed Gay Comix with no intention of reading it, even holding my breath just in case I saw something beyond indecent, but I’m glad I was wrong. In fact, I really enjoyed Lee Marrs’s work and found her issue really heartwarming. The main character was just anxious, self-conscious, and really relatable. The push and pull of having a crush can be exciting for a teenager, but frightening for an adult. At least for me, the thought of an adult awkwardly hiding feelings from another seems a bit juvenile, but I wonder if part of the main character’s shame stems from the same sentiment. Nonetheless, she was charming, and I wanted nothing but for her to live her best life.

There have always been stories about morally ambiguous and really lonely people, but these stories feel autobiographical. The stories are very real and unfiltered. Each story explores hook-up culture through a different lens. The story about the two black men, where one accuses the other of having a preference for white men, was another one, in particular, I really enjoyed. His brief interactions with different types of men spoke volumes, not just about the main character, but also the types of gay men one could meet in real life. The dialogue of these men humanizes their insecurities, secrets, and their preferences for intercourse. The whole story is humorous and having the story end with the protagonist’s friend chasing after a white guy was just perfect.

Before our class discussion, I merely labeled these stories as examples of hook-up culture. Our class discussed how these stories of confession were the charm of underground comics, and how there was very little kindness in them, but were able to garner sympathy, somehow moved me. It’s ironic to discuss the beauty in the rawness of these underground comics. Yet, the willingness to create a comic in order to give a demographic a voice fills me with hopeful joy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 11 - “To Be Fair, You Have To Have a Very High IQ to Understand [Asterios Polyp]”

I skimmed through Fun Home and Are You My Mother by Alison Bechdel, as well as Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli, decided to read the latter in its entirety, and completely regretted it. I gravitate towards the quiet introspection of lots of mature comics, which is what pulled me into Alison Bechdel's work. I thought the same for Asterios Polyp, as the beautiful colors and thoughtful compositions was what guaranteed so. But the nature of Asterios Polyp is just plain obnoxious. I’m going to talk about how much I hate Asterios Polyp.  The tone is consistently exclusive, self-righteous, and pretentious.  But wait, isn’t that the whole point of the story? Yes, but it's excessive. Asterios Polyp interpreted life through principles and dualities.  He spent his entire life thinking about what could have been if his brother had been born instead. By the end of the story, he begins to accept reality for what it is and not in theories… but he’s still unlikeable beca...
Read more

Week 12 - "This One Summer" Is Amazing

"This One Summer" completely nails what it’s like to be a young girl who just wants to feel included but not having the maturity to be a part of anything. It is a coming-of-age story with the theme of women. This comic is an absolute gem. This is a story only women can write because it’s deeply personal without being uncomfortably invasive.   When you’re young and you see teenagers in a group, you’re curious as to what they’re talking about. You know your boundaries, but you’ll take any opportunities to fit in.   You’re also in this weird period where you’re socially aware of where you and others stand but are still too young to understand why those boundaries exist; you just know not to cross them. Between these gaps is the level of emotional complexity. She is too young to understand the trauma her mother is going through. She justifies her frustration towards her (and girls in general) based on how other people treat each other. At one point, Rose concludes ...
Read more

Week 13 - Thoughts On "The Killing Joke"

I feel bad for the person Arthur Fleck was before he turned into Joker. He’s lived a life of bad luck and poor choices, and everyone processes trauma differently. Some people find the light at the end of the tunnel, while others can't escape that tunnel. The highlight of this story is that both “good" and “bad” characters were faced with equally horrific situations. The difference was that the Joker succumbed to them while the head of the police was not nearly as fazed because he had established morals to live by. Batman confronts the Joker with this genuine desire to rehabilitate Joker, I am convinced that the Joker was moved at that moment, as his final “joke” revealed how incredibly vulnerable he actually is. As much as he wants to be free of misery, he’s terrified to trust anybody, even if it is a friend. He would rather laugh off the pain rather than return to a life of potential misery. Joker is an awful person, yet we refer to him fondly as a pop culture ico...
Read more