Skip to main content

Last Day in Vietnam (3 Points)

 In Last Day of Vietnam, we find a retelling of some stories inspired by Will Eisner's trip to Korea and Vietnam. We have stories depicting how those soldiers who fought in the wars were affected in their daily lives. From the Major who had a kind of blind positivity about the war, to a man who is seduced by a native woman who leaves a grenade under his bed. There's a lot of warped sense of perception being portrayed by these characters that Eisner created. 


Maybe it's because I was not raised in a family of vets (although my grandparents did work in the wars) so my views of veterans and war efforts are not really 'shining'. But I'd like to think that Eisner also thought what he was seeing was the brainwashing of those in the war. Because no matter how life-threatening the situations be, these men still saw them as a thing that should be praised or repeated. In The Periphery, the guide even proves how dispassionate the journalists are until they know someone involved in the war, and then it becomes their problem. Considering the backlash the Vietnam war got on American soil, and  considering how many people lost their lives then and even now due to Agent Orange used in the war, I thinks it's safe to say that it's no joke. 


I loved Eisner's use of storytelling in the comics, nonetheless. He makes sure that the emotions of the characters are not just shown on their faces, but also shown with their entire bodies. If someone is happy, they won't simply just be smiling, they will be smiling and jumping for joy. Eisner really makes you feel like this a world filled with characters who express REAL emotion. Exaggeration in media is always what conveys better than sticking to the reference. We learned that very well in our animation classes. Eisner's characters feel animated. That's such a feat to achieve in comics, especially in his time period.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suicide Boy (6)

This one was something. I saw the title of it and said, "Alright what the hell is this." I don't know how I feel about this comic! I liked it, but also I felt weird reading it because it was subtly horny and you could TELL. Which is very confusing especially since it's supposed to be talking about serious stuff like self-harm and depression. Like I would be reading it and enjoying it's strange dark humor, but then there would be random really suggestive stuff happening to the main character who is a suicidal TEENAGER and I would feel super gross. Somehow I read the entire thing through to it's up-to-date issue, because I really wanted the main character to get better and you know, have character development with the friends he made, but there's something off here. I literally just googled the title and suggestive pictures of the main character came up, I don't know how I avoided this until right now since whatever I saw was much less obvious, but there...
Post a Comment
Read more

Point Total (93)

FINAL total - 93 points Midterm total   __________________________     - 40 points My Friend Dahmer                                                    - 5 points     Class                                                                     - 1 point     Angel's Hill                                                          - 5 points     Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun                                  - 6 points ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Good-bye, Chunky Rice (3 Points)

This story almost brought me to tears.  I don't know if it was because I was listening to Lofi while reading this which is known for making me feel sentimental, but I think it was mostly because Craig Thompson really knew how to hit you right in the gut with his storytelling. Each character is very different, but all of them share the same kind of longing. Whether it be for a change of scenery, a loved one, grief, companionship, or to even just find a better life with a meaningful career, they're all longing for something. Thompson really made sure that this brief little story made sure you understood just how each character felt. It's something everyone can relate to, no matter what age, since it goes through so many different characters who all are going through something we as people are bound to experience someday. You feel the hurt with them. I never thought a tiny turtle man named Chunky Rice and his rat girlfriend would make me want to cry. Even the twins were great....
Post a Comment
Read more