Week 9

Assignment: Monday-We had to print out each picture of our comic, and then get in groups and have them critqued on monday. Wednesday--The class attended the taste of SXU in the Shannon Center. While at the event, we had to find at least four people to read our comics, give us feedback,and then sign the back,attesting that they had indeed read the comic.

Craft: I am using the photographic method, so I have been using my digital camera to take pictures. We are also using photoshop to edit our pictures in different ways. We are about to begin adding color.

Composition: At the moment, I have just digital pictures. Soon, they will be photoshopped accordingly.

Concept: We are still using our stories posted two weeks ago. I have made some changes due to constraints. Instead of being shot, the main character is now stabbed. Instead of being in a hotel room, he ends up by a lake after leaving the airport.

Special Edition: Lipstick and Dynamite

On March 18th at the SXU Art Gallery, there was a showing of the documentary Lipstick and Dynamite. The film by Ruth Leitman, who attended the showing and took questions after, is about women wrestlers in the 1940s and 50s.

To be honest, I was unaware this culture had existed before I learned about this film. I knew there had been women wrestlers both now and in the past, but I didn't know about the whole following that the sport had had.

I feel that I learned a lot from this film. It is incredible all the things these women had to go through. Most of them used the wrestling circuit as an escape from broken homes and broken dreams. They then usually had to wrestle on the carnival circuit to get started. Once established or 'discovered' they would be signed with a manager. A lot of these managers turned out to be scumbags. They took large percentages of the girls' pay, treated them badly, and sometimes became involved with them. Then the women were forced to look their best at all times. Hair and makeup fixed and dressed to the T. They had to be presentable women,ruthless wrestlers, then presentable women once again. Some people had much disdain for the women wrestlers, others admired them greatly. After seeing this movie, I have joined the second camp. While I am not really a fan of wrestling, I found these women and their stories absolutely incredible and fascinating. The dramas behind the scenes and the culture suck you into this documentary that focuses on 6 legendary wrestlers : The Fabulous Moolah, The Great Mae Young. Gladys Killem Gillem, Ida May Martinez, Ella Waldeck, and Penny Banner.

The filmmaking itself was well done in my opinion. Leitman did a wonderful job of finding archival photos and videos and blending them with the footage she took of her interviews. She told the story of these women, she didn't just throw a bunch of images and ideas at us. I don't think it could've been done better.

Week 8!

Assignment: Create a comic strip consisting of nine panes using either photos we have taken, or drawings we have made.

Craft: We will use photoshop to either merge pictures for a single frame or color in a drawing we have made. We will be using a different program to put the panes together to make the comic strip itself.

Composition: I personally will be taking the photo route, due to the fact that stick figures are beyond my drawing ability. It will be interesting to try to set up a lot of these shots, but I am ready for the challenge.

Concept: The concept for these comic strips are the stories that were posted last week. There may be some alteration due to photographic limitations though.

Week 7

Assignment: To generate a story that we will make into a comic, using photoshop. We must include one person traveling, one person waiting, and one of them has a package for the other.

 Concept: The concept this week will be my story:

           First we see a clock that reads 2:35 PM. We then see a shady looking man wearing a trenchcoat and a fedora. He is at a pay phone,making a call. Cut to our protagonist, Mr. Harris, answering the phone. "Hello?" 

         "Hello Mr. Harris, listen carefully. I have a package for you. It is imperative that you receive it. It could be a matter of life and death." 

          Mr. Harris replies "Who are you? What's in this package? What's going on?"

          A gruff voice says "You don't need to know that yet." and hangs up.

          We see another clock reading 2:35 PM. The mysterious stranger calls again. "You will receive an airline ticket in the mail shortly. Be sure to use it." Click.

         The ticket arrives a couple days later -- one ticket to Paris. Mr. Harris decides to make the trip. He is intrigued. He reasons that he might as well go; he has nothing to lose. Worst case scenario, he gets a free trip to Paris.

         He lands at Charles De Gaulle  International. A well dressed man walks up to him and asks "Are you Mr. Harris?" He replies affirmatively. Darkness.

         Mr. Harris wakes up in a Parisian hotel room, slightly disoriented. The trenchcoated man is standing before him.

         "What was with the choloroform?"

          "We had to keep our location a secret."

          "You said you had a package for me?"

           "I do. You can have it whenever you like."

           "Now would be good."

"As you wish."

Mr. Harris is handed the package. He opens it hurriedly. Inside is a detailed drawing of the trenchcoated man

shooting him. He looks up, puzzled. He opens his mouth " What is the mea...?" 

A shot rings out.

    Person traveling : Mr. Harris

    Person waiting: Trenchcoated villian

    Package: the box with the drawing inside.