Spiney's Comics

I read the webcomic Trash Mountain created by Kelton Sears. It is a surrealist comic about a Dorito-shaped head man whose home is taken away from him and is forced to go on the run.  This short three part comic combines animated gifs, 3D modeling, live action footage and sound into one. It felt like an experiment, more than something that is meant to be marketed and sold. The message of the comic seems to be anti-corporate. Comics like these encourage people to think outside the box of what is traditionally considered a comic book, because something like this can only be done in a digital format.  Web comics also allow for individual content creators to get their work out there without going through a major publication studio. In general the future of comics is shifting towards a digital platform. People rarely purchase comics anymore, unless if it is for collecting purposes.  I also read a webcomic called the Perry Bible Fellowship created by Nicholas Gurewitch. It  is a series of o

For this week, I read Black Panther (2016) written by Ta-Nehisi Coates drawn by Brian Stelfreeze. The protagonist of the story is T'Challa who holds the title of Black Panther. T'Challa is the leader of an advanced African civilization called Wakanda. He consumes a mystical heart shaped herb that gives him the power to see his ancestor, in addition to increased speed, dexterity, stamina, and strength. The Black Panther is a cultural hero originally created by Stan-Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966. What sets Black Panther apart from other superheroes is his position as the King of a Clan, which makes much of the story driven by political narratives. He is both a superhero and a politician. One observation I had was that the comic focuses on the world building instead of being character driven by T'Challa. I find that this creates an immersive world, however it does leave me feeling a bit detached because there is no single character to follow. The art is realistic and the characte