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I'm glad that one of the Jenny stories has had some discussion going on around it. For awhile I was disheartened that something people from the board sweated over wasn't getting enough attention. But then I realized that more likely than not people were holding back because these are Barbelith memebers, and they didn't want to step on any toes. So, Runce, Yawn and Flux, though I may not always agree with you, I think it's fantastic that you've made criticisms.
"But I suppose Jenny's just finding her feet, and every character is to some extent composed of cute little WHAM! BAM! intros... I dunno...I just wanted to see something new." - Runce.
I'm not sure if you'll ever really see that happening. Every Jenny story has been completely different. There hasn't been a story yet where I haven't said to myself "Well, I would never have her do that." And that's the point. Because everyone's working on their own interpretation, everyone will have to go through growing pains with the character.
I'm not trying to stop criticism from occuring, but we are talking about creators who, for the most part, have never or have barely written or drawn comics before. Nobody is going to get really, really good until they've gone through hundreds of pages of practise. For the most part, Jenny doesn't have to be a comic where "something new" happens, though it would be nice if it did. Like Flyboy mentioned, not every story is going to appeal to every person. I can absolutely guarantee that there will be almost no one on this board who will like my comics. I come from a completely different comic tradition then I've seen on this board or in the stories presented so far. It's just a chance for everyone to have a good time and put out stuff that they themselves would like to read. But, once again, I do think criticism is necessary to improve anyone's work.
If you don't mind, I'd like to take a crack at some criticism myself. Excuse me, I'm more of an art guy then a plot and dialogue guy.
I also enjoyed Nelson's depiction of the seaside. Nelson, you have a real way of making something so specific that it seems real to someone who may not have experienced it, as opposed to creating something more general and less detail oriented. Lynda Barry does the same thing with her comics. Someone may not have been to Right-On, but if you've been somewhere like it, or even dreamed of the sea, it seems familiar. I think this is the main strength for the both of you. I've never been turned away from the door of a nightclub, but I have suffered rejection at functions due to the idiocy of inept and unreliable friends. Even that strikes a chord. Who doesn't know a Nathan? So for me the first three pages of "Hostile Takeover" are the best ones. I could have read an entire comic of the bunch of them wandering around the pier.
Nelson, you draw hair like nobody's business. Of all things, that's the one that stuns me the most. It's like you put a great deal of effort into making it all seem perfectly natural. I envy your hair. I disagree with Flux over the characterization. In the small amount of space that you have, and with a large cast of characters, the body language, postitioning and actions of Jenny and co. really define them. Even the dialogue is unique to each person, in the amount of words they use, the pauses they make, etc.
All that said, I enjoyed "Name's Not Down" more than "Hostile Takeover." "Name's Not Down" was such a perfect little story. I'm a sucker for short stories. It was like a pop song. Simple, straightforward, with very few scene transitions. Of course, this just goes with my personal preferences, ones which run counter to most people's. That and we haven't seen part two of "Hostile Takeover" so I could be persuaded otherwise.
It's funny that you mentioned that "Hostile Takeover" was a parody, Flyboy. Nelson's artwork reminds me of Will Elder's work on Mad Magazine, where every nook and cranny was filled with weird in-jokes and silly non-jokes. What they called "chicken fat". What I don't understand is how this is a parody. Most successful parodies mock all the characters and situations, including the good guys. On the one hand, you seem to be making fun of the hipster scene, but it's also obvious that our sympathies (or rather, yours) are supposed to lie with Jenny and her crew. Jenny and co. destroy records by crap rock bands (yay!) while the evil corporate head gets homeless folks to blow him (boo!). An opportunity is here to say that both these factions are idiotic, and you seem to come close to that at times, but always draw back to Jenny and co. Even Nelson's art reflects this, with Jenny and friends looking beautiful and hip while everyone else is grotesque. Personally, because of what I see as the somewhat dubious methods employed by Jenny and co., I would like to see them lose.
I can appreciate that you're pissed at the immoral practices of big business on their smaller counterparts, but with so many other options available to her, would someone as smart as Jenny meaninglessly threaten a guy in a bathroom stall?
Please don't ban me! |
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