Part 5: The March of John Lewis: Why Equality Matters - The L.A.W. GraphicNarrativ Seminar Series

 

During the 5th lecture of the series we looked at the following sources of inspiration and storytelling devices:

Academic and Curators of the format who you can check out in the UAL Libraries or online

Andrew Aydin

Mat Johnson

Decolonising the Arts Curriculum: Perspectives in Higher Education

Graphic Novels Creatives

Kyle Baker

Warren Pleece

Nate Powell

Publishers of Graphic Novels 

Abrams books

Top Shelf Productions

Vertigo

The lecture slides are shown below that covered the main points of the works under discussion;

Graphic Novels can bring ideas to people that they might not engage with otherwise. The two books, 'March' and 'Nat Turner' show the lives of citizens who are not part of the mainstream in the US. The events covered happened more than 100 years apart - however just how much has really changed? What is happening in the head of the oppressor? Why did they make these choices in the first place? Can they even change?

In March the illustration by Nate Powell are realistic and do evoke the time period covered (there is much source material provided and a lot of it is preserved as US history. We are shown people as they are and that is scary at times. Working in black and white gives a documentary feel to the work.

In Nat Turner the illustrations by Kyle Baker are loose and expressionistic (almost sketches) but they do present us with a far-off age. He doesn't shy away from graphic violence and degradation. Working in black and white the book impresses as a diary of a tale of horror and woe. 

It was a good lecture with only one conclusion, we need to find the best way to be equal as people and to make the most of all of the talent that is out there. If humanity is to prevail, we cannot leave anyone behind. We only win when we all win. Think about the unsung issues that affect people that might be aided by the creation of a graphic narrative to explore and promote the new ideas. We are now in an era where what has been outside of the mainstream can be embraced by a majority of readers. Our work should be useful and change how the world sees things.

ADDITIONAL LEARNING MATERIALS FOR THIS SUBJECT

If you would like to know more about this subject then you can watch a video presentation of my Challenging Times lecture here (duration: 35 mins 50 seconds). Please note only those registered at The University of the Arts, London can watch this video presentation at this time.

References

Baker, K. (2008) Nat Turner. New York, NY: Abrams.

Johnson, M., Pleece, W. and Robins, C. (2018) Incognegro. First Hardcover Edition edn. Milwaukie, OR: Berger Books, an imprint of Dark Horse Comics.

Lewis, J., Aydin, A. and Powell, N. (2016) March. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions.

Meacham, J. and Lewis, J. (2020) His truth is marching on. First edition edn. New York: Random House.

Turner, N. and Editions, M. (2021) The Confessions of Nat Turner. Berkeley: West Margin Press.

Proposition Time Part 5

RIGHTS OF PASSAGE ZINE

Choose and issue that you feel is unsung and generate an eight page zine about it. This publication is intended to act as an incubator project for something bigger and bolder later on.

Select and A3 sheet and fold as shown in this Video (they are using a sheet that is closer to A4 in size but the principle with work with A3 too). Your drawings and ideas will of course be superior to those in the example Zine. Bring the Zine to the next lecture on Thursday 21 March 2022.

Here is a list of a few issues that affect people to help you to get started with this task.

Access to Water

Establishing Adulthood

Forms of Aggression

Gender Assignment

Oil and Gas security

Passing for another race

Period Poverty

Space Pollution

Greta and the Giants

Written by Zoë Tucker

 

Illustrated by Zoe Persico

 

ISBN: 978-0-7112-5375-9

 

Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

 

Reviewed by Karl Andy Foster

 

Publishers website https://www.quartoknows.com/books/9780711253773/Greta-and-the-Giants.html?direct=1

 

Zoe Persico website http://www.zoepersico.com

 

Review

 

Greta Thunberg is a 17-year-old, Swedish school child who has become famous through her stand to save the world, beginning when she was 15 years old outside the Swedish Parliament one Friday afternoon. I have written reviews for stories about living people before and it’s usually a real-life account that has been adapted to help craft the story into a cohesive narrative. This time a real person has been cast in a fictional tale to help children grasp the concept of activism.

 

The cover is like a poster for a classic Western movie where our heroine stands legs apart ready for the final showdown with an unknown foe. Her face is stony in its resolve but her weapon is a large placard stating “Strike for Climate.” In the background are two silhouetted figures, could these be the Giants mentioned in the books title? The production of this book using UK based suppliers and printers align with its ethical stance. Greenpeace is a beneficiary of the sales of this book.

 

Zoë Tucker has framed this story of defiance into a magical fable in the mold of Hans Christian Anderson or a Charles Kingsley creation. Children take on the adult world because they have to in this story. In such cases of adversity, we need the children to ask themselves if it’s possible to inspire by your words and actions and can they see themselves as capable of making a difference to the world. Greta has spoken truth to power across the globe and has as many fans as detractors, therefore she must be doing something right.

 

Zoe Perisco’s illustrations are bold, sophisticated, loose, dynamic using subtle tones of yellow, purple, brown, sage and hooker green. The figuration of the giants helps us to appreciate that they are engaged in their lives without much thought for the impact their desires are having on the planet. There are striking spreads in the book e.g. the city consuming the forest, the children marching, placards in hands and the resolution images showing us what the world could be like if we all acted to save it. The three circular vignettes towards the end of the story are rather ambiguous despite the text underneath them. The text refers to the behaviour of the Giants after Greta confronts them but the images look more like the children characters who are doing the protesting. I do wonder if an error has been made here.

 

We want our children to be the future but it is a complex matter these days. What will happen? Will the real Giants think about changing the world or is this an impossible future? Can children convince adult readers to engage with change to make a difference? Out of small acorns mighty oaks spring forth.

 

21 February 2020