nick

MFA Creative Nonfiction. QC Alum. personal acc: @toodissociated

[nick @_ngabriel_]

It sort of gives more space to the panels, creating an emphasis/significance for each moment. The stories seem to have more weight to them, though most were brief. 2/2 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

I really reading the webcomics for this week. It’s interesting how different the reading experience is, like since we scroll to see the next page there are not many distractions on our eyes. There more of a focus when I comes to webcomics—visually. 1/2 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

@rayliur Yes! It creates such good pacing as well. We really take in each panel, slowing down our reading. #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

It shows that there is no singular way to telling a story, especially in the world of comics where the possibilities are endless. The scrapbook, superhero, sci-fi, Image comics styling were all effective. 2/2 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

I loved Beyond/Moonshot for both showing off different styles/techniques for creating comics. Both collections were creative in telling stories of stuff that might not be able to tell at times. 1/2 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

@CheyanneTraill Yeah I loved all the interactive moments throughout the book! It really made for a fun reading experience. #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

The non straight line panels, scrapbooking, and 2D drawn characters reminded me of early 2000s life—like the cartoons on Nickelodeon or teen magazines. (2/2) #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

There is a lighthearted quality about I Was Their American Dream. I’m not sure if it’s the art style or Gharib’s storytelling. She breaks the fourth wall numerous times, which draws in the reader even more—it’s like she wants us to be her friend. 1/2 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

Bonus: No specific song, but I’m been listening to Giveon a lot and his compilation album “When It’s All Said and Done... Take Time” #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

@InshikaA This page gets to me every time. The photos of Bui and her family are placed so effectively, making it clear that this graphic narrative are real life events that happened. We get to see how young she and her sisters as well as the drawn individuals in the background #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

A good example of this occurs on page 259, Bui’s family arrived to the campsite and are clearly exhausted—especially Bo. 2/2 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

There’s so many wordless panels, I guess I never really paid attention to them my first time reading. The story is being told through character emotions, different perspectives, and color/shading. A technique at times can be more effect than words on a the page. 1/2 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

@L_hildi It’s also interesting to point out the different perspectives. Tam’s birth moment is completely zoomed in on Ma’s face while Quyen’s is zoomed out focused more on the baby. There’s a sense of joy and hopefulness in Quyen’s while Tam’s has somber undertones. #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

They are all the same rectangular size, taking up most of the page, depicting moments of Bui’s parents’ childhood. It’s serves as a break in intensity for me—there’s a cartoonish quality to them. (2/2) #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

I noticed this time around while reading The Best We Could Do that there’s a lot of sequential panel movements. Like on page 139 when Ma is learning how to swim and again on page 153 when Bo is becoming more westernized. (1/2) #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

My bad! One Hundred Demons**** #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

One Hundred Dreams is so unique. There’s a rawness to it; in its art style, the non straight lined panels, shading, the hand drawn/ handwritten qualities makes for a different reading experience compared to our previous texts. 1/3 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

Resilience is my favorite chapter. It’s all too relatable, triggering, yet clever. It’s beautifully written, at times poetic. 3/3 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

The fact that each page is only two panels changes the way a story can be told. Barry had to make each panel more text heavy, sometimes overtaking the art, visually. Yet, the art never felt like it was lacking. 2/3 #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

But the fact that Christianity "wins" at the end of the book left a sour taste in my mouth. Vibiana "teaches" Bao how to pray, saving himself from getting killed. It created a weird narrative for me, like Vibiana was "sacrificial lamb" (2/2) #hongcomics

[nick @_ngabriel_]

The varying spiritual journeys in both BOXERS and SAINTS are interesting to point out. Vibiana choses Christianity because she wants a name; an identity. She just wants to find a meaning to life, a sense of purpose. #hongcomics (1/2)