Because the world of comics is still a
foreign one to me. I’m less than a tourist, I’m someone looking
in a window onto a world that intrigues me, that I want to keep
watching, but that I don’t necessarily know how to step into.
The first time I read a comic book was
at a Best Western motel on a road trip with my parents. I must have
been eight or nine. The Best Western had some kind of
cross-promotional thing going on where kids who stayed at the hotel
got a comic book and a disposable camera. I can’t remember what I
took pictures of – in fact, I can’t even remember where we were
going on that road trip – but I still remember the comic book. It
stuck with me. I think there must have been some oversight or else
poor decision making on the part of Best Western marketing
management, because the comic book was one where Batman and Superman
fought over Lois Lane, and it was sexy and dangerous in a way that
clearly indicated that I was not its target audience. I felt the same
way, reading it, as I did when I accidentally stumbled upon (and read
cover to cover) a paperback teen drama in my elementary school
library: that I was getting away with something, that unbeknownst to
the adults, I was educating myself in the ways of a world that I
didn’t yet understand.
And I guess I’ve felt that way about
comics ever since. They exist in a sort of parallel universe, and
though they’re all unique, they share a common language of fantasy
without the loss of logic. People who read comics don’t just read
them, they’re knowledgeable about them. They trace evolutions in
characters, art and themes. They know who the masters are. As
evidenced by Marvel’s current push toward diversity, they care
about their world and even self-police it – make sure it’s a
place with a conscience. I admire these citizens, but I’m not one
of them.
So when I saw this series of collagesby Ashkan Honarvar, I was intrigued by them. They’re full of
superheroes as confused by themselves as I sometimes am by them,
wandering through dark foliage, fighting many-limbed faceless
creatures and wandering what it’s all about. I get these heroes. I
want to know their stories.
This was a fantastic prompt! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI adore this prompt, but more than that, I love how elegant this Why is. One of the more thoughtful ones we've had in a while. Thanks, Charlotte!
ReplyDeleteThis was challenging and funny enough--just before I was going to post this I read Charlotte's script and I did something similar with mine.
ReplyDelete“The Pen”
PAGE ONE.
1.1: CAPTAIN AMERICA is standing in a whitespace. He’s the only one there.
1. CAP: Hello?
1.2: CAP is staring down at his boots. A CORGI is looking up at him.
2. CORGI: Hi, Captain.
1.3: Back up to Cap, who is looking down at the talking Corgi.
3. CAP: Hi. Where am I?
1.4: WIDE SHOT: Back out to 1.1 and now the Corgi has mostly disappeared and turned into a fountain pen with a Corgi head for a pen cap.
4. CORGI/PEN: You’re in the Gutter. I’m the Pen.
5. CAP: The what?!
1.5: Same shot, but now the pen has touched Cap and his body is re-ordered. His head is being held by his hand, which is where his left leg should be. His right hand is hanging onto his shield, which is being used to balance his torso and his legs have replaced his arms. Feel free to change this around or do anything you want with it—the thing is that CAP should be jumbled.
6. CAP: What? What’s going on?
7. PEN: I can change you.
1.6: Refocus on just CAP’S HEAD in his hand.
8. CAP: Change me back!
9. PEN [Off]: Can’t. Not part of the story.
Cool page, David! Really neat visuals and a mysterious line to end on. Also, some lovely metatextual moments. Now I'm curious what this pen-corgi's story is!
ReplyDelete