This entry is about stereotypical representation in comics. I likened American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang to Blankets in some ways, mostly the adolescent character figuring out who they are except that this deals with being born into an specific ethnic minority. The breaking up of the stories into three different parts helps to solidify this idea of more than one side of a person; the classic influence of culture and family ties and the more contemporary melting pot scenario. For example, the juxtaposition of the classic chinese folk-tale of the Monkey King and the more modern day story line of Jin and his troubles of fitting in at school. Though Gene Luen Yang definitely toys with ethnic stereotypes (see below), I adore the graphic visual quality of the American Born Chinese.
King by Ho Che Anderson has been one of the most striking reads for me all semester. A biographical depiction of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. it is interesting that Anderson's portrayal of King is a tad edgier than the King that is presented to the world and that we get to hear different views on him as well. Working with the different side of King is the visual style, which I think is brilliant. I love graphic style and experimentation and my favorite panels are the ones with simple extreme contrast black and white. Perhaps I am too conceptual a thinker but I love how in those panels because of the contrast there is little difference in skin tone is an amazing device to make the point that there is no difference. Skin is skin. Brilliant!
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