Many scholars have argued that comics are inherently suited to—and have indeed helped innovate—approaches to life writing that self-reflexively interrogate the act of life writing. Kate Beaton’s “Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands” deftly exploits this tradition. #ducks 1/13
Comics autobio was key to changing the public perception of comics in North America. When Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” won a Pulitzer in 1992, there was finally broad acceptance of something comics creators & fans always knew: comics can address serious topics with great artistry 2/13
The popularity and critical praise for graphic novels like Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” (2004) and Alison Bechdel’s ”Fun Home” (2006) similarly expanded people’s appreciation for what comics are and what they can do, including things they can’t do that other mediums can’t. 3/13
In an interview with comics scholar Hillary L. Chute, Spiegelman says: “comics is the only form in which past, present, and future are visible simultaneously… left is the past, and to its right is the future. And your perception of the present moves across it.” 4/13
In other words, comics are ideal for reflecting on the ways the past affects the present and vice versa, and the unpredictability of those affects, which comics creators can signpost but are always, in part, dependent on the subjective interpretation of the reader. 5/13
In this symmetrically composed page from “Ducks,” Beaton combines specific, albeit subjective, images from her own history (redrawn family photos) with more symbolic settings & first-person narration to show the interconnection of personal, cultural, and political histories. 6/13
The simultaneity of past & present helps us see how the history of Cape Breton impacts Beaton’s decisions and self perception, both in terms of her past self & her present self’s perception of her past self. This honest admission of the limits of perception engenders trust. 7/13
Chute also argues comics autobio is especially adept at representing underrepresented perspectives, including the perspectives of women. For Chute, this is linked to the ways comics let women design images of themselves that reflect their subjectivity & resist the male gaze. 8/13
Beaton’s depiction of herself is sophisticatedly simplistic, specific enough to be instantly recognizable yet universal in ways that encourage empathy. And its never objectified, which is crucial to the comic’s treatment of sexual violence (more on that in a future thread). 9/13
According to Chute, comics memoirs by women can “productively point to the female subject as both an object of looking and a creator of looking and sight. Further… they provoke us to think about how women… are situated in particular times, spaces, and histories.” 10/13
“Ducks” is centrally concerned with the construction of gender. Narratively, Beaton confronts being a woman in an isolated, male-dominated space. Formally, she repeatedly stages the spectacle of femininity while focusing on the emotional effects of that spectacularization. 11/13
The frequent close-cropping of Beaton’s face & the simplicity of her design of herself, which makes each carefully chosen expression line hit harder, underscores subjectivity and solicits identification. We see and feel the tension between (relative) innocence & experience. 12/13
In some ways, Beaton’s “Ducks” is less visually challenging than Spiegelman’s “Maus” or Bechdel’s “Fun Home.” But it’s style exactly suits its goals, which is to represent Beaton’s self and perception of herself, then and now, and help us embrace the truth of her story. 13/13
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In 2016, the She-Hulk character was handed over to an accomplished writer and given the pronoun-less title of “Hulk.” The story that unfolded, however, divided the fanbase, raising key questions about the role of character consistency in comics. #SheHulk 1/9
Mariko Tamaki is a much-lauded comics writer with a gift for portraying rich interior consciousnesses in works such as “Skim,” “Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass,” “This One Summer,” and “Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me,” among others. 2/9
As plotter, Tamaki took Jennifer in a bold new direction as a character consumed by trauma, living in abject fear of the monster within her. It was a grim and gritty portrayal that focused on Jennifer’s interior psyche beyond anything the character had explored previously. 3/9
John Byrne’s rejuvenation of #SheHulk in “Sensational She-Hulk” (1989-1994) indelibly changed the character and was, for many years, Marvel’s longest-running title starring a female hero. Yet the series’ sexualization of its title character is controversial—and complicated. 1/14
Sensational She-Hulk is a confident, sexually liberated career woman not in spite of being big & green but because of it. Transforming into She-Hulk helps Jennifer Walters reject patriarchal expectations designed to control women. She also self-reflexively critiques them 2/14
But She-Hulk is not a real person. As such, her access to “agency” depends on the desires of the people creating and consuming her stories. From 1989-1994, she was written & drawn by men and her stories were largely read by, and marketed to, men and boys. 3/14
She-Hulk’s debut in “Savage She-Hulk” (1980-82) is not as fondly remembered as other iterations. But the series is worth re-examining in its historical context and because it can help us understand fundamental conflicts that continue to influence the character. 1/10 #SheHulk
She-Hulk was created, in part, to maintain rights to the name. But she was also part of a small wave of new female superheroes at Marvel in the late-1970s, all of whom self-consciously referenced the rise of “women’s lib,” including Ms. Marvel (1977) & Spider-Woman (1978). 2/10
She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters & Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers are both career women fighting for space in male-dominated professions. Their stories also emphasize the importance of sisterly bonds. Some of Jen’s early rage is inspired by her best friend Jill being killed by gangsters. 3/10
In “The Supergirls,” Mike Madrid writes of #DoomPatrol’s Elasti-Girl, “She is an emancipated superheroine, with strength and power to put her on part with her male counterparts.” In the 1960s, Elasti-Girl was almost unique in this regard, pushing boundaries & making space. 1/11
Where most female superheroes of the 60s are either inspired by (and subordinate to) male heroes or “transformed into a heroine as a result of the work & machinations of the older men in their lives” (Madrid), Elasti-Girl/Rita Farr’s story & powers are (largely) her own. 2/11
Created by Arnold Drake & Bruno Premiani in “My Greatest Adventure” #80 (1963), Rita is an Olympic swimmer turned Hollywood actress granted shape-changing powers via unusual volcanic gas. Her initial inability to control her powers ruins her career & she becomes a recluse. 3/11
Comics are a static medium of fragmented images; space, time & meaning depend on the art of juxtaposition. A sequence from Paper Girls #4, in which Tiffany’s life flashes before her eyes, showcases this art—and the symbolic value of fragments. 1/7 #PaperGirls #comicsstudies
The sequence is propelled by a piece of future technology. When its tendril eyes lock around Tiffany’s neck, she’s thrown back into a dominant memory. The grid breaks to signal Tiffany’s break from the present, and the zoom in on a single eye signals isolated interiority. 2/7
Tiffany’s dominant memories involve playing a generic, simplistic video game. Her reality mimics the game: gridded and simply but evocatively colored. And the combination of symmetry and juxtaposition evokes both rapid movement and stasis. 3/7
Themes of passing & prejudice and the pursuit of truth & justice should make superhero comics well-suited to discussing racial politics. However, the frequent use of racial metaphor can be a slippery slope. King & Walta’s “The Vision” miniseries shows why. #TheVision 1/14
First, some history. Because so many iconic superheroes were created by Jewish immigrants during an era of intense antisemitism, many commentators have argued that themes of racial & ethnic prejudice fundamentally inform the genre. According to famed writer Danny Fingeroth: 2/14
“Comics, with its ability to merge the visual & verbal and make the unbelievable credible, was necessary as a spawning ground for the superhero, but it alone was not sufficient. The Jews & their history were the missing ingredients in creating this unique heroic archetype.” 3/14