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The Analysis of Comic Strips
What would be an intriguing way of catching our attentions on a busy day? Working 9-to-5, weary and fatigue, taking our smartphones out for a coffee break and infinitely scrolling down our newsfeeds—and when it appears, we are given a sense of captivation to feel; we become more attentive and less drowsy. Once the experience ends, we are left with our thoughts and we begin to evaluate a few concepts in life. There is a certain capability in graphic novels that successfully does this to us.
Graphic novels, or comic strips, are intriguing ways that catches our attention when we grow rather apathetic of the world around us. Portrayed in vibrant images with rather cute drawing, comic strips—notably web comics—have the ability to make us stop and observe when we are endlessly scrolling down our news feeds on our smartphones. One of the comic strips that perfectly falls into this description is Shen’s comic strip named “We Go Forward” for his website: owlturd.com
When we first read his comic strip, we see a pixelated image of a man adventuring and jumping from place to place. The setting mimics a game, making it pleasing and adorable for us to see. The man then reaches a dilemma where he is unable to jump over a large path. Unable to return due to the progress he has made already, he is forced to stop and settle down before he can find a method to continue his journey.
The man settles down and eventually finds a wife and bears a young daughter. Over the next years, we see that he teaches his daughter how to become skilled in jumping. When the time arrives, with the support of her parents over the years, the daughter is able to achieve the goal of jumping over the barrier, something her father was not able to do. She manages to overcome the barrier, but is unable to return back to her parents.
The story brings a touching metaphor about family and growing up, but it also brings forth the metaphor for human existence. In life, we may find an obstacle we cannot surmount and so we set down roots and continue living as we can. Later generations will eventually surpass our limitations and fill or ‘jump’ that gap. This shows that as a species we will never give up, whether it is in making world discoveries, social progression or surpassing physical restraints, there is trust in our abilities that we can achieve many goals in the future.
This comic truly illustrates many people’s concerns and views about life and growing up. In life, we have many goals that we may not be able to achieve, but there is a certain hope that our bloodlines can find success in achieving such dreams. We bear children and, when we leave, the world continues on, and there are hopes for successes to be found for the generations to come.
The powerful story brought forth by the artist also brings the allusion on the great journey to the New World. Right before transatlantic ships would depart for the Americas, families would all be waiting on the piers and saying goodbye to their loved ones. For many of these travelers, this would be the last time they were to say goodbye to their families before they embark on the tedious journey to the New World. It was said that the departed and their families would hold ends to a string. And as the ship sails, the strings you once held with your loved ones, the last physical ties you had with them, would be long gone after they are inevitably pulled from your hands.
I don’t think this comic is meant to be sad, but perhaps it is to illustrate why all of our generations or our species function in such manner: to reproduce and create better versions of ourselves; to help them in their development in which they may be able to find success in areas, similar to the success of the journey to the New World. We will be able to achieve goals that our parents and grandparents have never been able to achieve. We will be able to achieve such goals with our loved ones’ endless support for us. Thus, such a web comic, or graphic novel, is a great reminder for us to keep reaching for our dreams during our hectic lives.
What would be an intriguing way of catching our attentions on a busy day? Working 9-to-5, weary and fatigue, taking our smartphones out for a coffee break and infinitely scrolling down our newsfeeds—and when it appears, we are given a sense of captivation to feel; we become more attentive and less drowsy. Once the experience ends, we are left with our thoughts and we begin to evaluate a few concepts in life. There is a certain capability in graphic novels that successfully does this to us.
Graphic novels, or comic strips, are intriguing ways that catches our attention when we grow rather apathetic of the world around us. Portrayed in vibrant images with rather cute drawing, comic strips—notably web comics—have the ability to make us stop and observe when we are endlessly scrolling down our news feeds on our smartphones. One of the comic strips that perfectly falls into this description is Shen’s comic strip named “We Go Forward” for his website: owlturd.com
When we first read his comic strip, we see a pixelated image of a man adventuring and jumping from place to place. The setting mimics a game, making it pleasing and adorable for us to see. The man then reaches a dilemma where he is unable to jump over a large path. Unable to return due to the progress he has made already, he is forced to stop and settle down before he can find a method to continue his journey.
The man settles down and eventually finds a wife and bears a young daughter. Over the next years, we see that he teaches his daughter how to become skilled in jumping. When the time arrives, with the support of her parents over the years, the daughter is able to achieve the goal of jumping over the barrier, something her father was not able to do. She manages to overcome the barrier, but is unable to return back to her parents.
The story brings a touching metaphor about family and growing up, but it also brings forth the metaphor for human existence. In life, we may find an obstacle we cannot surmount and so we set down roots and continue living as we can. Later generations will eventually surpass our limitations and fill or ‘jump’ that gap. This shows that as a species we will never give up, whether it is in making world discoveries, social progression or surpassing physical restraints, there is trust in our abilities that we can achieve many goals in the future.
This comic truly illustrates many people’s concerns and views about life and growing up. In life, we have many goals that we may not be able to achieve, but there is a certain hope that our bloodlines can find success in achieving such dreams. We bear children and, when we leave, the world continues on, and there are hopes for successes to be found for the generations to come.
The powerful story brought forth by the artist also brings the allusion on the great journey to the New World. Right before transatlantic ships would depart for the Americas, families would all be waiting on the piers and saying goodbye to their loved ones. For many of these travelers, this would be the last time they were to say goodbye to their families before they embark on the tedious journey to the New World. It was said that the departed and their families would hold ends to a string. And as the ship sails, the strings you once held with your loved ones, the last physical ties you had with them, would be long gone after they are inevitably pulled from your hands.
I don’t think this comic is meant to be sad, but perhaps it is to illustrate why all of our generations or our species function in such manner: to reproduce and create better versions of ourselves; to help them in their development in which they may be able to find success in areas, similar to the success of the journey to the New World. We will be able to achieve goals that our parents and grandparents have never been able to achieve. We will be able to achieve such goals with our loved ones’ endless support for us. Thus, such a web comic, or graphic novel, is a great reminder for us to keep reaching for our dreams during our hectic lives.