I believe that Santiago’s mixture of art styles was very intentional. The realistic backdrops and images of pop culture (like the beer, bags of food, posters, shirts, and TV images) made the content more relatable. I was also able to gague a time period of the graphic novel. “The Watchmen” clearly provides dates but reading “In My Darkest Hour” we’re forced to use the pop culture references in order to figure out the time period and setting. The more graphic, real pictures of naked women were very striking and caught me off guard. Those were obviously intentional. They spark a different emotional response than drawings of a naked female body. (… I wonder how those women pictured feel about being naked in a graphic novel…). The drawn pictures didn’t catch me off guard, I expected drawn nudity but seeing the actual pictures really startled me. I think that’s what he wanted. To startle the readers. To cause a weird mix of emotions. I felt more like Omar because I was confused, startled, among other things. The simply drawn characters allows me to go in and out of relating to Omar. However, the very intricate, distorted images, along with their text, forced me out of the graphic novel. I’d become too overwhelmed and confused trying to decipher them. I’d become detached. It was a very different emotional expericnce than I’ve felt in the other graphic novels. Maus was very emotional for me, but in a sad, sympathetic way. I was confused by Jimmy Corrigan. I was constantly changing my emotions with “In My Darkest Hour.”
An Introduction to Manga
If you’ve never read manga before, you should check out this Wired Introduction to Manga (pdf). Even if you’re familiar with manga, read through Wired‘s history of the manga industry.
Searchers-Uzumaki Movie Trailer-Leon Langford
Above you’ll find a link to watch the trailer for the Japanese movie, Uzumaki. Obviously there are a number of scenes from the book to be found in the clipshow, especially the hair part. If you search around some more on Youtube you can find the whole movie. Unfortunately the movie doesn’t come with subtitles. It’s an interesting clip, that even comes with snail people, enjoy.
Searchers: Interview w/ Wilfred Santiago
This is not an easy one to search for! The amount of material out there is surprisingly limited. Still, I managed to find a nice little interview with Santiago about IMDH. It’s helpful when trying to figure out what exactly HAPPENED, and he also talks about inspiration and other relevant things:
In My Darkest Hour-Response to lkelly6
I think lkelly6 and I probably hold the same viewpoint regarding IMDH. The one thing that I could appreciate the most was the art; the juxtaposition of the drawings with real photographs. I personally liked the Taxi Driver poster on Omar’s wall. Good movie. It sort of made for a very surrealist/expressionist environment, which I suppose was the whole point of this story. But other than that, the story line, the theme (if there is one; there probably is), the overall message, I just wasn’t feeling it. I get where the author is coming from, what with the jarring, disturbing images meant entirely to make you feel uncomfortable. The artwork in the story seems to encapsulate the images going on inside Omar’s head, showing an alternative perspective of reality, showing life as madness. We are introduced to a dark world with no meaning, where pleasures serve as temporary pick me ups but ultimately lead to more depression. To me, it was the story of a man’s search for meaning but coming up short.
Which leads me now into the question about the corporate logos. I absolutely think Santiago was criticizing these big corporations. They seemed to play a more general role in the overarching theme of life as madness. And if you look at the ‘Acknowledgements’ section of Santiago’s book, one of the people he lists is Jello Biafra. Jello Biafra was the former lead singer of the Dead Kennedy’s, a punk rock band from the ‘80’s. Most people probably know what I’m talking about. Today, Biafra is an adamant, direct action, political activist poet, very much in favor what we would call “far left” causes. One of the big things he attacks is corporate America. You can see this influence in IMDH, with the television programs, the political figures, and the corporate logos such as Mrs. Fields and “Faux.” The most vivid criticism of this is the page towards the end depicting the meat packing plant, with various corporate logos labeling each section of the meat packing plant. I think Santiago, from his own political views, is saying that corporate America contributes to the chaos that is life, influencing and controlling our lives through consumption, or something like that. I think this then plays into the overall theme of Omar’s situation, how politics and corporate America are in some ways an indirect influence on his life, contribution to his lack of control over himself, given that life is such a “madhouse” and all that. I think the images of the Bush Administration and the news feed about the Iraq war contribute immensely to this as well. It is interesting that the book ends with the prelude to the Iraq war, as if trying to say this whole game of madness is controlled by those in power. I mean, I’ve seen stuff like this before. Disturbing images with a broader message about the life we live in and how its so bad and all that good stuff. Sure, yeah, I get it, just don’t expect me to agree with it.
Dated
I was thinking about how this book really dates itself with the references to pop culture things of the time. So I looked up alternative tentacles, which was a poster on the wall during the party scene in In My Darkest Hour. Here’s the link. I would say that it was interesting mostly due to it’s revelance then as opposed to now, since I think it’s lost a little of it’s fame in a way.
First Reader – There’s a lot going on
Let me start by saying that I agree with Jessica in that this book has a few similarities to Jimmy Corrigan, but it is more of a true to life story, where Jimmy Corrigan was an aspect of everyday life (nostalgia/depression/anxiety) pushed to the extreme and embodied in a narrative. The whole bi-polar/manic-depressive thing really hit home with me, as I’ve had a few friends that, around that age, just sort of snapped and, before it was diagnosed, made quite a few mistakes reminiscent of this. The embodiment of a man in the prime of his life struggling with the everyday and the monotony is haunting, and the juxtaposition of Santiago’s art style with a collage of photographs of real life gives an extra dimension to the effect and style of the book. It took me a bit to get used to it, and i don’t know if i ever fully did; it may have distanced me more than anything. Call me close-minded but when I read a comic, I can get lost in the world, as manufactured and drawn as it may be, but when this comic threw scents of reality at me, it kind of pulled me back out of it all. This comic, to me, is the inverse of some of the Superhero ones that we started the class with, maybe not in message or mood, but in drive. Watchmen, Dark Knight, Maus, all of these are pretty much plot driven, but in MDH, there wasn’t much plot to be had. I will say one thing though; Omar is very much human, there’s no doubt about that.
First Readers: In My Darkest Hour
This is definitely not a light read. Somewhat like Jimmy Corrigan, in Santiago’s novel, we have a troubled man who’s looking or hoping for something else in life, while struggling with issues like love, work, social life, etc. “In My Darkest Hour” is definitely a true-to-life story, as many people can probably relate to one or many of the issues Omar deals with in the novel. How many of us has been depressed over a job that seems to be nothing but stress and hassle, while reaping us no rewards? How about feeling like we’re stuck in a place where we don’t want the responsibilities of adulthood, yet we know we have to be responsible for ourselves? These and other topics covered in the novel really can hit home for some readers. That being said, I can certainly understand why some people would find the novel too depressing, or not feel any sympathy for Omar. But as an outsider looking into the world of this character, it’s a lot easier to judge him and his decisions. When we’re going through these issues ourselves, we can always make reasons as to why we do things or choose certain directions. Those of us that have been there can probably relate a lot more to Omar. Those of us that haven’t had any of these experiences would probably find little sympathy for his character.
Along with the content, the artwork of “In My Darkest Hour” really struck me. I enjoyed looking at it artistically, whether or not Omar’s misery was in mind. I really liked how the characters were drawn rather simply, but the backgrounds were more intricate, blurry at times. The backgrounds are drawn realistically, and even feature photographic backdrops. I wonder if in making the backgrounds so defined and realistic, Santiago was showing the reader how concrete life can seem for Omar. Remembering McCloud’s text, the more defined the artwork, the less relatable to the reader. On the other end, the characters are drawn less realistically, and that could be an attempt to get the reader to relate to Omar, since the drawings are more abstract. While this may be a speculation on my part, either way, the artwork was really captivating and helped me swallow the misery of Omar’s character.
Respondents: Do you think that Santiago’s mixture of art styles (realistic backdrops, simply drawn characters) was intentional? Do you think he drew his comic this way in order for his readers to gain different interpretations from the background vs. the characters?
First Reader: Strangeness of In My Darkest Hour
This was such a strange read for me. I had to read it twice to understand what was going on. Everything from the characters to the illustration is so different, but at the same time, it all felt very realistic. The coloring of the panels in the beginning against the similar color of the illustration was harsh on my eyes, but I could see the simplicity of the brush strokes Santiago uses in the illustrations. The other thing that struck me about the art style was the way some things like signs, logos, or magazines that are widely recognized are much clearer than the surrounding illustration as if they were shrunk into the frame instead of drawn.
The character Omar seems so miserable throughout the book. He hates his job and doesn’t see it helping him get anywhere. He’s terrified to commit to a career path that will get him away from his job like culinary school or art classes. I think that commitment problem also extends to his relationship with his girlfriend Lucinda. Even though they’ve been together for two years, he continues to flirt with other women and downplay his relationship. His drug and alcohol consumption seems to be the only thing that makes him happy. It seems like he only uses to help ease his depression for short periods of time. I found myself waiting for Omar to come to some tragic end since he seemed to going in this downward spiral for most of the book, but I was happy that didn’t turn out to be the case. Omar’s inner monologue added to the realistic feel of the novel as a whole. His musings have a philosophical tinge to them, very contemplative about the world and people and why things happen the way that they do and what it all means. He tries to make sense of the world as if he thinks it’ll help him make sense of his own life and figure out who he is. It makes me wonder what happened in his life that we don’t see in the novel that got him to this point. I know people like Omar who have reached that crisis in their lives where they are unsure about what direction they want their life to go in and end up at a standstill trying to make sense of it all and failing. I think that realization helped me in my attempt to understand the story better on the second read.
The last thing that grabbed me while reading were the random letters and blurred images thrown together on some of the pages. I thought back to when we read Jimmy Corrigan and thought maybe these were supposed to be glimpses into Omar’s skewed idea of reality like how we saw Jimmy’s dreams. I was most curious about the references and images to Christianity splashed in the novel. I wondered if he had a religious upbringing and strayed from his faith and now that he’s lost, the references are his mind’s attempt to get back there in the hopes that it’ll help him.
First Readers: In my Darkest Hour
I had trouble figuring out what to be my first reader topic. There’s a recurring theme of 2012 in the graphic novel, after Omar learns about this end of the world theory 12-21-12. It’s his total on a cash register, at one point I think it’s his alarm clock – this doesn’t surprise me that he sees the numbers constantly, now that he knows what they can stand for. What makes me wonder, though, is where did the theme go? It just kinda drops off.
And I’m not sure of what to make of this novel. Manic-depressive, bipolar, slightly neurotic, aging fat man is getting paranoid about his state of being at this stage of his life right now. It’s not really traumatic or unfortunate enough for me to care – that possibly sounds really messed up of me – but anyway, I didn’t really connect/appreciate the storyline. I like the art though. And what I really like about the art is the advertisements are in their true iconic form. For example, the Mrs. Fields cookie bag is the actual font, icon, logo that we see in real life. I guess Santiago can’t do this with everything (big name Fox news becomes Faux, but the font and angled shapes are still there), but I wondered why he focused so much on making sure the logos of pop culture are exactly as we see them today in our lives. Would it really make much difference if that bag of cookies wasn’t Mrs. Fields?
Is Santiago trying to really draw a criticism to these big corporations in his graphic novel? Do these corporations/exact logos have some sort of influence on Omar?
Temporary Notes Post for Thursday 11/12/09
okay, I can’t figure out what to do with the currently non-functioning link for this Thursday’s notes, so I’m going to post what I have here as a place holder of sorts.
Before Presentations:
-briefly discussed final project options
-topic will be covered more in the future
Presentations:
Presentation # 1 — Alexa — “Try to make the best of it”
-analyzed p. 299, The Socks chapter head
-change — nude vs. covered
-gutter role — change in thoughts of Marji and classmate
-tried the impossible task — just learned to draw drapes
-more black in frames as mood darkens and page progresses
-without frustration, Marji would not have sought a creative outlet with friends (p. 304)
-becomes an adult and makes the best out of of everything, and prof. congratulates her and her friends actions in drawing each other in private
Presentation # 2 — Leon — Duality in Persepolis
-analyzed p. 305 (with the two large “schizophrenic” panels) in conjunction with several other instances of duality in the book
-p. 5 — modern vs. traditionalist
-p. ? — veiled vs. unveiled — protestors
-p. 102 — impoverished vs. higher social class
-p. 189 — growing up — beauty mark — physical change — still same inside
-p. 210 — Marji’s reaction to anarchists playing in the forest vs. her childhood
-p. 262 and p. 54 — goes to see friend in wheel chair — wanted her father in that situation so he would be a hero
-p. 279 — comparing Marjane and her husband
-p. 318 — who he wanted to marry vs. who he really married
-p. 299-300 — cultural differences with painting the veiled vs. unveiled
After Presentations:
Discussed questions 4 and 5 of Zen Scavenger Hunt
4. a confrontation that reveals the outermost limits of authority
5. the most meaningless death in Persepolis
Discussed the ending (or absence of an ending) of Persepolis and the class’ reactions to it
-twitter feed showed a lot of confusion and unsatisfaction with the ending
-discussed the confusion in actually ending a memoir when your life is not really over yet — nor the conflict and turmoil that your memoir focuses on
Thought about how reactions might vary if we had read the book in two or four segments
-decided that the experience might be different, but it would be very hard to make an entire class actually stop reading where they were supposed to if it was read in segments throughout the semester
Watched Satrapi interview on the Colbert Report
-Satrapi mentioned that a large reason for the comic and the movie was to humanize the Iranian people
Watched a few minutes of Persepolis movie for style contrasts between the movie and the comic book
-made the veiled women seem serpent-like and creepier
-movie left out several scenes in the comic book in order to better focus on Marji and her reactions
-the music soundtrack lent to the film’s suspense and overall effect
Respondent: On the Veil, Identity, and Memoir
The veil is obviously an important symbol in Persepolis and some others have commented on it. But I think the reason it’s so important is that as an item, the veil symbolizes the discrepancies and malleability of people’s notions of identity and the different forms it can take. The veil is at once a symbol of personal identity and one of national or cultural identity. It is viewed by some people as something to hide behind and by others as something to wear upon one’s self almost as a badge of honor. By others still the veil is seen as a means of debasing women, while others will say it is empowering to them. Such opinions stem very much from the cultural identities that inform their individual and personalized counterparts. I think this is underscored nicely in Persepolis because the book itself takes the form of a memoir – an innately personal expression of character, identity, and experience. Throughout the novel we see Marji confront her own developing sense of identity through a course by which there are several twists and turns, highs and lows, and periods of confusion or uncertainty. The veil doubles back around again symbolically, then, when we think of the kind of duality it imparts between its wearers and observers. The veil separates the individual within from the world without. We see Marji immersed in different cultures throughout Persepolis – in her native Iran and in Europe. In each position, life seems very different, and the other culture more poignantly characterized.
Also, with regard to the feelings some have expressed about the ending of Persepolis being lacking, or the storyline being ambiguous or almost non-existent: I think it is important to remember that a memoir is not a deliberately crafted story. It’s essentially a series of events that meaning is assigned to after the fact, rather than being contrived even from its origins as a story to be crafted to communicate a point or ideal. A more theatrically-crafted work would likely have an edge in gripping the reader, but such a theatrical or dramatic framing might in fact be disingenuous to the author’s own sentiment or recollection of experience. Because in a memoir the events that take place and the twists that turn the story are essentially predefined at the outset, the framing of these elements seems like the most undefined aspect of creating such a work. But in the end, as a memoir, the author should be inclined if not obligated to portray the relevant events in a true-to-life fashion.
Respondent – Ending and stuff
I realize that this is a little late, but that’s better than never I hope. Commenting on the structure of Persepolis, I’m not quite sure that its fair to be pleased or displeased with the ending. True, reading some sort of narrative, our mind strives for the idea of a wholly symmetrical completion of the story, but for a work such as this, that’s not the point of it all. In fiction, the craft of the story is often the focus, with the events just as important, but relying on the way that they are presented. With any sort of non-fiction, the reverse is in order. The brunt of the work that the reader must be concerned with is the events, with the stylistic elements there to add the creator’s appropriate slant. I know I’m generalizing here, but bear with me. To say you like or do not like the ending is to marginalize, in a way, the point of the story in the first place. A narrative such as this is not just here for our entertainment, but for our stimulus and historical reckoning as well. Whether we’re pleased or displeased is purely secondary; what is truly important is that we caught the weight of the message the author was conveying. (Someone please let me know if this rambling makes no sense). Also, i may come back and add on to this after class today.
Respondent: The Return
I agree overrall with cbrownv that Marji’s grown a lot. Her experiences in Austria definitely helped that happen. She tried to fit in in a country that was mostly foreign to her and adopted a new family of sorts in her efforts to figure out who she is. She fell in love and had her heartbroken and then lived on the streets for a few months. She matured because of those experiences and returned home to Iran to finish what she started in Austria. I think her going home was a clear indicator that she realized that she had to make sense of who she used to be before she could figure out who she’s becoming so that she could recognize the difference between the two. She seemed so unwilling to believe that she had changed, that she wasn’t the prophet-aspiring Marji who had all these beliefs. I think she really wanted to believe she was still the same girl and she was taking a detour for the moment and could easily go back to who she was. It wasn’t until she went back home that she understood that it wasn’t going to be that easy.
I think we see Marji grow even more in this particular chapter because she is now looking at her origins through more realistic lenses.
She’s looking at the world through an adult lense at this stage in her life, not “realistic”. I only say adult instead of realistic because I think Marji saw the world in a way that was realistic to her at that age. Her innocence lead her to view the events happening around her in that sheltered way that children do. In this chapter, her perspective about the events of her childhood and the state of her country then and now have definitely shifted.
When she finally arrives home she is more reserved and quieter in her approach towards her parents as well as speaking about current topics in Iran.
I thought a lot of her subdued behavior could have been due to her feeling ashamed that she wasn’t as involved in her culture as she used to be. On page 193, she talks about how she was distancing herself from her culture because she was trying so hard to fit in her with new friends. In the lower panel, she mentions that speaking to her parents reminded her of her cowardice and betrayal. That part of the book was the first indication I picked up on about the identity crisis she eventually developed. It was easier for her to be outspoken about what was happening around her in Iran because she knew what she was talking about. She was much more informed before she went to Austria, but after she stopped following TV reports about the situation and had less discussions about it with her parents, the less she had to say about it. When she returned home, I felt that the change in behavior was fitting.
Respondents: Identity Crisis
Vaeyn writes:
I find it interesting that the assigned section covers Marjane’s identity crisis. I don’t know if it what was by design or coincidence but it was nice either way.
The first chapter of the section for the week was The Vegetable. I like how it started off with a very detailed look into the awkwardness of growing into an adult. The self consciousness of how you know they are staring at your foot that is bigger than the other one, or that random mole or blemish. It is an interesting look into the personal fable of all teenagers.
The more Marjane tries to fit in the more she ends up becoming the person everyone else wanted her to be. She cuts her hair to look more punk, and smokes joints because her friends do. There is even a point that she lies about heritage at a bar to just fit in.
She goes back and forth between moments of experimentation and returning to herself. After she gives up the punk look she goes through a brief period of returning to herself, but then she starts dating. It is no longer about pleasing everyone, but instead pleasing that one person. Marjane even goes as far as becoming a drug dealer for Jean Paul.
Finally when she returns home she finds out how far her life in Europe has taken her from what she was. In one scene her girl friends ask her about sex and when Marjane tells them she has had sex with multiple men they call her a whore. She goes from one extreme a sexual revaluation to the repressed ways of the fundamentalists. At this point I think it is when Marjane realizes that her attempts to be accepted in Europe made it so she no longer fit in at home.
I think it is sad to what lengths people will go to fit in. Peer pressure is a powerful thing, even more so when a person is in an experimental stage of their life. In trying to find where she would fit in during her years in Europe, Marjane loses sight of everything she was. The thing I found profound about this section is that this is where the influences of Marjane’s past mix with her present desire to be accepted, and are boiled down in the crucible of her adolescence to leave behind what will solidify into the person she becomes. It is a very personal journey and one she is lucky to survive despite her suicide attempt.
Also just to add about Marjane’s suicide attempt, I wonder if it was something did wholly on her own or was it because of a compounding effect of the drugs. Anti-depressants have a history of provoking suicidal thoughts, even more so for anyone still going through adolescences because of the constant fluctuation of hormones.
*
I wanted to continue on Marjane’s struggle for identity. There were a couple instances in the graphic novel where I felt Marjane’s complex can be waived on multiple levels. Firstly, she’s a teenager so an amount of her struggle can be brushed off cause of her age. Then there is pg 79 where she is completely in tears over Marcus, but the last panel she wonders three things: with a wavering face, “where is my mother to stroke my hair?” with a reminiscint face, “where is my grandma to tell me there will be tons of other boys?” and finally, with a strong face, “where is my father to punish this boy?” These three questions reveal a lot about Marjane’s identity crisis. Basically, she’s alone and has no idea how to act. She is imagining what her family would tell her/do for her in this situation, if only they were there. But no one is there and they can’t act on it. Marjane is left with a void, but she knows what should fill it. This creates a tension inside Marjane.
Another peer-pressure/fitting in pressure that I recognized in Marjane’s life is on page 120. She gets rid of her obsessive hair on her body, and face. She throws out clothes and has new ones made – an emphasis on her bare, hairless legs in a pair of strappy heels. Then her hair gets cut and permed. There’s brief little panel where she is shopping, and she’s all covered again. And then the next panel, she starts with makeup, emphasis on her lips. I think she has trouble fitting in under unusual circumstances here because she is used to being covered, having no need to get rid of her hair (for who can see it?) but yet, at the same time, she is getting her hair done, wearing makeup, upkeeping with hair, going shopping…these are two different cultures smashing into one person.
So, in summary, I agree that teenagers will do a lot to try to fit in. There’s a lot of peer pressure. But for Marjane, I feel she has these natural basics, but the complexities of her case justify her obsessive ‘what is my identity?’ She has no family to guide her, yet she knows what they would do if they were around. That has to be very frustrating, to know what to expect, what would help, and then…it’s just not there. Also, she is used to going out in public in fundamentalist dress, andd now she’s experimenting cosmetically with everything. She’s probably having trouble defining her comfort level on what she wants to look like.