Maus Chapter 2 + More terminology

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Maus - Chapter 2

About the author

Born in 1948, Stockholm - Sweden,

Son of Andzi & Vladek Spiegelman (Polish Jews & Holocaust Survivors),

Family moved to Rego Park, NY in 1951. (many holocaust survivors moved to this neighborhood)

Co-founder & Co-editor of Raw - acclaimed magazine of avant-garde comix and graphics.

Also works for the New Yorker

Background

First serialized in Raw magazine in 1980; published as a book in 1986,

1992 Pulitzer Prize for Special Awards and Citations – Letters; 1992 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album; 1992 Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album; New York Times Bestseller,

Author = Acclaimed graphic artist

Anthropomorphism

Definition:

The attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.

Example:

Fables 

Note

Personification is an act of giving human characteristics to animals or objects to create imagery, while anthropomorphism aims to make an animal or object behave and appear like it is a human being.

More terminology

Style

Style - The artist’s drawing style.

4 ‘scales’ of style:

(1) complex to simple,

(2) realistic to iconic,

(3) objective to subjective,

(4) specific to universal.

Time – Graphic novels and comic books do not have to tell a story in a linear way. Besides the use of transitions between panels artists can explore multiple moments in one panel, like a collage.

Time can also relate to the amount of time a reader “spends” on a page.

Colour – The colours that an author uses will affect the reader’s experience as well.

   

Narration – Keep in mind that comic books allow the writer to show and tell at the same time, meaning there can be a combination of direct narration and indirect narration.

Graphic weight – This term is used to discuss the amount of contrast in an image. (black / white / shades of grey in between?)

Placement of characters

Foreground

 

Middle ground

Background

Task

In response to pages 41/42, answer:

Why has Spiegelman included this part? How could it link to postmodernism and notions of truth?

Group Work-15 min

Work in groups of 4

• Which panels stand out? Explain the effect.
•  Which page is the most significant? Analyse the composition of the panels, graphic weight and the visuals.
• Find the pages where the motif of the spotlight is present. Annotate these pages. Why did the author choose to include this? 
• Contrast pages 35-36

Report your findings back to the group.

Motif - Spotlight / circle

Intertwining narratives

The interesting aspect about these intertwining narratives is that many times they clash or interrupt each other. Vladek often tells his story in a very fragmented fashion. Sometimes he will interrupt a story to talk of another event, other times he adds details that he forgot to recall, and he often leaves gaps in his stories–much to the chagrin of his son, who is trying to create a comic book using his father’s story. 

• a tension between the father’s efforts to recall past events and the speaker’s efforts to distill his father’s story into the comics medium

Homework

- Revision: Watch the clip on the next slide and answer the questions (Edpuzzle)

- Read chapter 3

- Optional: Watch the interview with Art Spiegelman

Revision

Watch the clip about how to analyse a page in a graphic novel and answer the questions (Edpuzzle).

https://edpuzzle.com/assignments/605318bad9960e428e0258de/watch

Interview

Watch (parts of) the interview with the author Art Spiegelman and answer the questions

1. Why did Spiegelman write Maus?
   
2. What theme does Spiegelman mention?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLVG3GNvHkU