Seth Baldwin

The Book of Genesis by Robert Crumb: With The Book of Genesis, I didn't realize I was reading a modern R.Crumb novel till I was far into it. So this is not really a comic from the golden age of underground comics but I think it still demonstrates many of the qualities of old underground comix in many ways. The first thing that really drew me to this comic in particular was the cover, it is int eh style of an old comic book with sensational tag lines ("Graphically depicted", Adult supervision", etc.) and fantastic illustrations and typography for the title: This is one of the main reasons I was fooled into reading it, assuming it was older Crumb, without verifying it. In fact, it was published in 2009... However, looking over some of Crumb's older work, this is created in his same style which he has had for many decades now. I really appreciate what Crumb is doing with this novel, which is having some fun at the expense of absurd Old Testament text wh...

A Contract with God by Will Eisner: A Contract with God was not a happy read in the slightest and at times, I even found it all a little comfortable. However, I found it to be very captivating at the same time and I am glad I read it. I especially enjoyed the first few stories of the novel, A Contract with God, The Street Singer and The Super... However, it wasn't really the stories themselves that really made an impact, but the feeling that I felt when reading it. There is something really biblical about it all, which comes as no surprise given Eisner's strong Jewish heritage and beliefs. From the reassurance of heavy rains (god manipulating weather), to the unsavory character ( the books are filled with these) and the communication with god. There is something epic and old testament about these rather mundane and un-epic stories. It is really only present when you read them all woven together as they are intended to be... Whereas, if I read them individually, I d...

EC Comics and Tin Tin by Herge: I found E.C.'s horror comics to be a real treat to read. Although they may be tame by today's standards, I could easily see the controversy they would stir up in the mid century... especially if they were mainly read by younger children and teenagers.  There was not really any deep character development and I can't really say the stories were very often that creative... also, they were never really scary in any way. In fact, the simplicity of it all is part of the reason these bite size stories were probably so accessible. What I really enjoyed about them was the mean-spirited nature. There were often paper thin moral lessons to take from them (most of the time its the "bad" people who are the victims of whatever horrors show up) but I think the writers and artists only really did that to not come off as totally sadistic. However, they cannot hide the fact that they were relishing in opportunity to depict people dieing ...

Little Nemo by Windsor McCay The very first thing that really popped out to me when reading Little Nemo, is the art itself. As a person that love to draw and doodle with a pen, I found his penmanship to be really expert and inspiring. However it is not only the line work that stands out ot me, but the art nouveau style that he brings with it.  That characters of the the Little Nemo universe are very likable and manage to be interesting despite there being very little character development with them. I also found the dynamic between them to be very familiar and they work together very nicely. Little Nemo is a good character for any child to latch onto and flip functions as a great comic relief. in a lot of ways, these character "roles" remind me of the kinds of character dynamics that often pop up in kids movies to this day. This makes me think that Windsor McCay is also probably a pioneer of modern character archetypes in some small way.  However, i don't...

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud: I thought this was a great read, especially considering I am not super familiar with comics as a medium (although I am not unfamiliar either). I think that Scott's conclusions about the way we read from a panel to panel and how our mind fills in the action between each one is probably the most profound thing I took away from the book. Its something that I had never been aware of before but now that I know, I am able to understand the creativity and imagination that goes into comics. That is not only creativity on the part of the author/illustrator, but also creativity on the part of the reader as well. Its a dance between the creator and reader alike that brings the panels and pages of comics to life in a medium that is really unique when compared to other common entertainment mediums. What is even more impressive about this is Scott's ability to demonstrate this point through the art that appears on the book. Never before, have I seen...