By the Numbers

Scott McCloud's The Right Number (1) (2) was greatly enhanced by its format. Although there are subtle things happening throughout each part, the action isn't nearly as emphasized as the narration and character development in each panel. Instead of allowing the sense of action to suffer in the back seat, McCloud provides the reader with a way to fill in the gap. If the reader were presented this in a printed comic book or graphic novel style, the eye would scan from one panel to the next with the occasional page flip in between, a slow and potentially boring pace given the highly textual nature of the piece. Because McCloud formatted the story to be told one panel at a time, and the reader needed to click to access each panel, the reader became the active, working balance to the protagonist's passive, thought-heavy storytelling.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jezpage/5057940107/

Not only does The Right Number allow the reader to progress the action through clicking, it actually gives up control of the sequence to the reader by offering individual panel number options at the bottom. Much like the protagonist of the story experimented with numbers to try and find his perfect woman, the reader is able to experiment with panel numbers to create the perfect story.

The Korean comic does the exact opposite. Most readers will follow the story at their own pace, comfortably scrolling along the page. At first the zombie character doesn't seem so terrifying. You can tell by the cliche setting that the creepy figure in the distance is, in fact, going to be creepy as anticipated. But then you lose control of the pace of the panels, and the creature turns unexpectedly quickly. The result is an instant shock to the system, a surprise that pulls the reader in to what might not have been such an enticing story otherwise.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slipstreamblue/2638690797/

Are these two stories following the rules for what a comic should be? According to Le Holy Grail de Wikipedia, and our course textbook, it is the deliberately sequential nature of the pictures that defines the medium. If that's the case, then The Right Number forfeits its credibility as a comic, as the reader can easily destroy the intended sequence of panels. What most people agree is that comics and animation are NOT the same, but does that mean the quick moving panels of the Korean comic also disqualify it from being a comic?

For me, comics are an interactive medium, much like a film that has been slowed down and over-edited in order for the reader to jump in and actively participate in the telling of the story. But then, what differentiates a graphic novel from any other novel that gives the reader some sense of inclusiveness?

I hope by the end of the semester,  I'll be able to define comics more clearly. Otherwise, anything visual could be a comic... or not.

it's not easy, being ginger

"And now, Doctor, we've done our work, so it's time we had some play. A sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then off to violin-land, where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony, and there are no red-headed clients to vex us with their conundrums."

-- The Red-Headed League (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

There is no such thing as a Red-Headed League, no League of Extraordinary Redheads, or if there is such a club in existence, I haven't received my invitation yet. Being a natural redhead, however, does come with a certain set of shared experiences that range from 'no big deal' to truly bizarre.

For example, after being told as children that we should never speak to strangers, why did several strangers try and stop us in malls and grocery stores to tell us about so-and-so in their family who used to have red hair? Why are all the iconic, cherished redheaded celebrities of Hollywood past and present actually natural blondes and brunettes? Why does everyone assume that The Little Mermaid is a redhead's favorite Disney movie?

I want to explore the world of the natural redhead. For this, I'll be recording a series of podcasts, each show focusing on a different aspect of redheaded culture. One show may center around the representation of redheads in media, while another may involve interviews with other natural redheads about what it's like to grow up as the carrot top, fire crotch, or ketchup head of the class. I know I have several stories about weird encounters that would never have happened if not for my red hair.

I plan to research not only parts of redhead history that I don't know, including an interesting study that found most outlaws in the American West were redheaded men, but also to research the art of the podcast. I have written many a research paper in my time as a student, and I've had a chance to grow in other areas in media, but audio work has always intrigued me (I love the NPR podcasts) and it's something I've never done. I'd like to merge my English minor writing skills with my Mass Comm major media talents.

By hosting the podcasts on WordPress and writing an introduction for each show, I can hopefully produce a fun, personal senior project.

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.

Relay Walk This Way

As I come closer and closer to finishing my college career, I can't help but think about my first graduation, that moment when I received my High School diploma (and out of order, as somehow our Senior class of 500+ failed to learn how the alphabet works).

Sadly, one of the most prominent memories of that time was a lack of attendance by my grandparents, as both passed away earlier in the year. My grandmother did not survive her battle with cancer.

I am not alone in being affected by cancer's hold on loved ones, which makes supporting the efforts of Relay for Life that much more important a mission. Being able to focus on how to spread the message about such a positive and rewarding campaign rocked.

No, really.

I was thrilled when my suggestion of Rockin' Relay was chosen from the themes tossed around during our mock advertising agency's brainstorming session. As a member of the print group, I was able to come up with some concepts for potential posters should the theme be picked up by Relay for Life in the future.

One of the first ideas to come to me was the idea of "blue suede shoes" to play off the walking done at the relay and the famous Elvis Presley song.

I am extremely satisfied with the result, as I do think the image of shoes on the pavement is an eye-catching and fun way to promote relay related events.

However, after reading more about Public Service Advertising, I do think there are some ways this poster could be improved. For example, Relay for Life is quite frequently represented by the color purple. There is little to no purple in the blue suede shoes poster, and though the Relay for Life logo is clearly present, it could be taken as an after thought. Because purple was present in the other Rockin' Relay posters I created (2 more, plus a pin), a splash more purple could bring this poster in with the rest of the campaign and make it more recognizable. Perhaps the chalk writing could have been a light purple rather than a white color. Subtle, but it could really make the difference.

As a member of the print group, I was not only able to create my own posters, but I was also given the opportunity to help other members of the team learn new Photoshop tricks. There was nothing better than having the magic wand tool feel magical again!

Give Me a Sign

Signifier: Steel-Green Background
Signified: Envy, Money, Natural, Power

Signifier: Hair
Signified: Duality, Versatility, Balance

Signifier: Black Clothing
Signified: Career Success, Sophistication, Mystery

Signifier: Target
Signified: Bull's eye, Goal, Desire

Signifier: Position of Lower Arm
Signified: Display, Vanna White, Cradling, Feminine

All's Ferin Love and Identity

Online I'm known as Ferin.

I've been using that nickname for so long now (and it's so close to my actual name) that I don't ever think to separate the two in my mind. Is the me that blogs the same me that speaks and acts? Most of the time I'd say so, but since I've had very few friends in life that both see me in the day to day and online... I have no objective opinion to be sure.

 

Well, that picture is definitely not of me! At least the location is true?

 When I first read A Rape in Cyberspace I thought that the women who felt violated by another MOO user were reacting a bit in the extreme - and yet the young girl who took her life over a fake MySpace account had my complete sympathy. It's easy to say that someone older should take the Internet with a grain of salt, but who are we to judge the openness of others?

I have done roleplaying for so long now that distancing myself from my character has become second nature. Understanding the drama that surrounds online identity crisis and "what's right and wrong here?" seems simple. But then... today I was reminded of one character I played for a brief period of time in my life. I had a fake Twitter account I used to play with others on the site, and before I knew it?

I was using the fake twitter more than my own. My thoughts, my feelings were being channeled through this fictional person, and when something bad happened to that character that I wasn't expecting? I cried.

The Internet is so much a part of our daily lives now that it might as well be a true extension of reality, hyperbole and dramatics and hurt feelings along with it. If we don't have a moral code for our online behavior, what kind of message are we sending to the generations growing up with Internet access 24/7?

be different.

Creating an advertising campaign for cellphones targeted toward tweens should have been easy enough to manage. In theory, the magic equation would be --

1 boy with a Bieber haircut + 1 girl in an iCarly t-shirt - any sense of financial obligation = SUCCESS!

When two of those options are taken away... then what do you do? CURSE YOU, COPYRIGHT!
Luckily, with a great partner, a little imagination, and hours spent surfing Creative Commons -- an ad campaign was born!

BE _____. Keeping the slogan simple and tying it to both the image used and the idea of the phone skins seemed to really work out for us.  We had a playful font for the phone name and an easy to read font for the rest of the text. Each ad was bright and eye-catching, but not too busy. 

What could have been improved? There were a number of simple changes that might have made this campaign stronger. Adding a website address to find out more info about the phone might have been useful considering the lack of information given in the actual ads. Maybe making the ad targeted toward preteen boys brighter to match the other two ads would have helped make the campaign a cohesive whole.                                                                                                                                                                                   We could have used more animal-themed skins for our peacock feathers. There was also the mention of the phone 'floating' in the third ad, so there might have been a way to use the phone on the page that would have suited all three ads instead of just the first two.

Overall, the ad campaign seemed to be successful in theme and execution. I had a blast seeing what ideas the other teams came up with for this project! The assignment was certainly challenging, but I loved getting a chance to flex some Photoshop skills and think outside the box.