The Graphic Novel

23 comments on Comics and Adaptation

• LittleMeat
  Mon, 2010-02-01 12:14

  -- Comic to film adaptions.
  -- Comic to video game adaptions.
  -- Analysis of one panel comic strips.
  -- Analysis of comic strips in The Washington Post.

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jinxedbytuesday
Mon, 2010-02-01 12:41
I liked LittleMeat's idea of this, except to expand on the idea more (and I think this is probably where you were going with this) we could we focus on the argument for/against one panel comic strips being considered comics.
As for a different idea maybe the evolution of the media? Started off as wood panels/papyrus (if you agree with McCloud) then moved onto paper, and now a ton online. Maybe where is it going next and how does it's evolving form affect the media?
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ADaringDarling
Mon, 2010-02-01 21:58
I'm sorry to be so unoriginal but I really like LittleMeat's ideas too! Both (Comic to film adaptions) and (Comic to video game adaptions). I find these topics to be interesting and broad enough to find niches every student can enjoy and expand upon.
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ADaringDarling
Tue, 2010-02-02 11:22
Now that I think about it a little more; however, I favor the Comic to Film Adaptions idea more just because I'm not sure every student in the class is as familiar with video games as they are with film. Film seems more readily accessible. I myself have very little experience with video games and would consequently produce a less interesting and skilled book entry about them.
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findingcoldsassy
Tue, 2010-02-02 13:09
I agree with comic to film, I personally really don't want to have to do anything with video games. I agree with ADaringDarling in that a lot of students may not have a lot of experience with video games (myself included).
Another idea, which is probably way too broad, is to look at early forms of comics like we have in class with Little Nemo and Obadiah Oldbuck and try to begin a rough early history of graphic novels.
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• IOException
  Mon, 2010-02-01 12:23

  I am quite fond of the idea of the comic-video game dynamic.

  - Aspects of comics in video games (what each media brings to the conveyance/significance of ideas)
  - Adapting comics into video games (or vice versa. EX: Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic)

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• pkgal
  Mon, 2010-02-01 14:32

  -play on the components of symmetry in comics versus asymmetry
  -exploring the ideas of perspective and color variation

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• Sparrowhawk
  Mon, 2010-02-01 19:38

  Two suggestions:
  1. The evolution of the visual styles found in popular comics/graphic novels (perhaps in comparison to video game graphics or another artistic medium)
  2. It's been mentioned already, but a discussion of the video game and/or film adaptations of comics would be interesting, albeit more vulnerable to personal opinions.

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• snowfaerie
  Tue, 2010-02-02 16:45

  After reading the other comments I have to say that I have extremely limited experience with video games and would not be able to contribute much if that were the topic chosen. I would be more comfortable with topics like 1) comic to film adaptations or 2) taking a closer look at whether selected single panel comics should be considered comics at all.

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• Stan-d-up
  Tue, 2010-02-02 20:02

  1) I like ADaringDarling's idea of comic evolution, maybe to add to that we could look at what new media forms have added to the expression of comics

  2) since in part our class is about comics as a legitimate literature style we could follow in that line by answering the question "How has comics/ graphic novels contributed to literature and what does it offer that other forms of media don't

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cinephile
Tue, 2010-02-02 20:09
Alternatively we could look at comics adaptations of film and TV shows (or novels, like the adaptation of Ender's Game), and see what kinds of changes the authors made to convert the story into a different medium. There are even cases, such as Coraline, Stardust, and alas, Twilight, in which certain stories exist in book, film, and comics mediums.
We could also look at the history of comics as autobiography and journalism, looking at works such as Maus, Persepolis, and Safe Area Goradze.
The main problem with these ideas, obviously, would be getting access to these books; we'd have to see what people already own.
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• neener
  Tue, 2010-02-02 20:15

  1. Breaking the fourth wall in comics where the people actually know that they are being watched.
  2. I also like the idea about the evolution of the visual styles found in comics/ graphic novels.

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• El_Sur
  Tue, 2010-02-02 20:58

  I really like the idea, that neener just gave : comics that are breaking the fourth wall.

  other ideas: the history of comics as didactic tools like some already mentioned Maus.

  analysis how webcomics differ from newspaper comics.

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• masako
  Tue, 2010-02-02 22:10

  Everyone seems to really like the idea of discussing the conversion of comics into film or video games, how about combining them into one topic: comics in new media. We could look at how comics are transferred into all forms of new media. We can also look at the reverse - new media turned into comics. I don't know much about them personally but i have noticed that a lot of video games are being turned into comics such as Warcraft.

  Another idea is to further explore the definition of a comic. Looking at and arguing for what we do or don't include as comics

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• Mad as a Hatter
  Tue, 2010-02-02 22:17

  While I think the idea of doing a book on comics and movies made by several users, I have two of my own.

  1) Comparing characters of the two major franchises of DC and Marvel.

  2) The impact of graphic novels being made of many popular book series and even classical litertature to encourage a bigger fan base and understanding.

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• DaFahnz
  Tue, 2010-02-02 22:59

  I like the idea of exploring how different forms of media have affected comics. So how about::

  The effect of movies (ie Hollywood), the internet, and video games on comics.

  Or more specifically, the effects of the internet on the comic/graphic novel genre.

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Brock Samson
Tue, 2010-02-02 23:37
I second the idea of critiquing what Hollywood has done in relation to graphic novels and comics.
I also believe that looking at webcomics as the new social critique would be interesting.
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• HokiePride81
  Tue, 2010-02-02 23:19

  Looking at the effect of film (Hollywood movies in particular) and how they depict comics is an outstanding idea in my opinion. Obviously their success at the box office makes it a hot topic and one that should be fun to cover.

  For a second idea, I've always been intrigued at how some comics can have a "cult" following while others manage to be successful based off of a more "passerby" audience. In other words, comics you find in the Sunday papers may not have a dedicated audience but those found in comic books would be. Comparing and contrasting these two crowds might be worth looking at because it shows two completely different dynamics of comics.

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• Whalen_Dude
  Tue, 2010-02-02 23:37

  Some ideas that have already been stated that I second:
  -new media and comics, i.e. film, T.V. shows, books (not really video games cuz like its been said not everyone plays them)
  -history of comics sound sweet. Kind of tracing their origins, usage in society, and subject matter as well as public acceptance.

  A new idea that i don't think i saw would be to analysis humor in comics: How strips and "graphic novels" differ in their approach to comedy. Are graphic novel more likely to be serious so they will be taken seriously? Are comic strips and "comics" expected to be funny and why?

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• homeless dad
  Tue, 2010-02-02 23:46

  As enthusiastic as some people are about comic-video game, i don't think it is as accessible as comic-film, so i think that would definitely be worth examining. maybe even a broader topic of comic adaptations? both mediums could then be analyzed as respectable topics of analysis. if members of this class feel that the videogame medium is a legitimate topic of analysis i think it is worth trying. i'm just not as familiar with the medium to discount it.

  beyond that i think using comics and graphics novels as a social commentary is a great idea, especially since so many daily comics are social commentaries by nature. there is no doubt that both watchmen and contract with god have a lot to say about american culture, and i think it'd be interesting to read the rest of our novels with a similar lens.

  sorry for coming to the discussion late!

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• KwakuBear
  Wed, 2010-02-03 00:58

  I've read over a few of the ideas and I like a lot of them. I would either like to talk about the effects of Hollywood on comic books (like how they're never taken as serious, aka Dark Knight should have gotten an Oscar Nom for Best Picture, or how they are turned into franchises, whether they are good or bad (X-Men, Spider-Man, Iron Man, etc) and how Hollywood now relies on Superhero films in order to make a ton of money). Also, I do like the idea of social commentary on comic books (X-Men being my favorite comic book, especially since they parallel a ton of social issues).

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• Wordbreaker
  Wed, 2010-02-03 10:12

  As far as ideas go, the two I'm thinking are a discussion of how the comic text functions as a separate medium and art form from the literary text and the purely visual text and how this changes the critical ramifications of the comic text. My other idea is a study of how comics have influenced society and society, comics.

  -Ben Brishcar

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• 404 NOT FOUND
  Wed, 2010-02-03 18:47

  I'm all for doing comic adaptations in general (from other medium to comic as well as comic to other medium)--I think there is a lot of material to be had there, and everyone at least knows a little bit about comic to movie adaptations due to recent trends.

  As for a second idea, I'd say webcomics, as they are becoming increasingly more popular and increasingly more viable as a source of income (i.e. XKCD, Penny Arcade).

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