Marching Princesses

Living in a world of connectivity and web memes, it feels like I've always been exposed to comics. Garfield Minus Garfield has been my friend in many a procrastination period. But I would hardly go so far as to call myself an avid graphic novel reader, especially not with my younger sister in the room applying superhero wallpapers to her computer desktop. It just seems a bit of a stretch.

Throughout this semester, I'm looking forward to broadening my vision of what it means to read, and how I absorb a story. I've started with works by other Shepherd University students, March til Morning by Kevin East and Princess Kairi's Adventures by Amanda Palmer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cubworld/

What was most appealing about Kevin's story was his attention to potential audience for the work. Those who have experienced being in a band, playing in a friend's basement, should be able to relate to the lifestyle of the characters. The graphics were clearly designed for those who already have an interest in rock bands, with a lot of red and black and a cover that is reminiscent of Guns n Roses.

What March Til Morning lacked was an enticing plot. A band being lazy, then practicing, then playing a concert is a natural progression of events. There's nothing to break the stasis of the world and drive the plot forward, nothing that makes the reader invest in the storyline.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendagoodchild/

Amanda Palmer's Princess Kairi's Adventures served as an antonym for the first student project I read. It was clear from the beginning that there was a plot unfolding, something to follow in the setting she created. It was fun to see the classic elements of a fairytale done in comics style, from an evil stepmother to an unusual talking creature. In fact, Kairi's friend the pig was probably my favorite thing in the story - it always showed up at the right times.

Where there could have been improvement, however, was in the execution of the graphics style. What was used would have been perfect if they were more easily seen. The low contrast made it somewhat hard to discern figures at times, and though a medieval setting wouldn't necessarily be the brightest one, it could have done with some bolder color to attract the reader's eye.