Lit. and Media

The medium is the message was a really cool read. I especially liked how the typography was used in the composition of the pages. It felt very expressive and didn't take itself too seriously. There are a few puns here and there that also made the book all the more fun to read. On the left is the page I illustrated, I wanted to make it very playful. I wanted the words to dictate the shape of the mouth making it very wide and open, just like the statement being told. I also added the yellow stripes in the back to kind of simulate caution tape as if the message being told is risky or not safe to say.

Deadly Class is a comic book that has been a part of my life since I was in high school. It really helped me with not feeling so alone with who I was. Anything you want in a story is in here, from a gang of Yakuza members wanting the main character dead to an acid field road trip thru the desert, this comic has it all. Written by Rick Remender and drawn by Wes Craig, it tells the story of Marcus, a homeless teen wandering the streets of San Fransisco. Marcus was orphaned at a young age and has learned to survive on his own for most of his life, that is until he meets Saya, a student at the King's Dominion Atelier of the Deadly Arts, a school which trains the next generation of assassins. Here Marcus meets a whole class of crazy and lost souls like himself. This comic is filled with a lot of heart, it's honest in its portrayal of characters and doesn't hold back with the violence. The art especially stands out to me, Wes Craig does a great job of keeping the book's qua...

Mr. Robot is a tv show that I kept hearing nothing but positive reviews of, all of which ended up being true. I watched the whole first season in two days, and it felt like I needed to know what was going to happen next. Which is something this show does a great job of, that is of grabbing the viewers attention through out the entirety of the episode. This is a show that requires focus and attention, its not meant for background noise. I really enjoyed the character of Elliot, who is not a trustable narrator. He often contradicts himself and things that happen in the show are jumbled in  time, Elliot sometimes forgets what happens. This is a very interesting mechanic they play off in the show, Elliot is clearly not in full control of his actions which creates conflict everywhere he goes. What I love most about this show is that characters grow and progress. They become stronger individuals, sometimes broken individuals as they are casualties in Elliot's overarching plan to take ...

Reality for me although sometimes may not be the best, I know that it doesn't care for me. Life doesn't owe anything to anybody, it just keeps running its course wether you want to be a part of it or not. I choose to believe that it is up to me and the way that I choose to views things that really shapes my concept of reality. Ready Player One offers an escape from reality, where you the player are in full control of any situation. You can be whoever you want to be in virtual reality, that is if you have the skill and aptitude for it in game. Some people strive in situations like this, like our main character who eventually becomes the unlikely hero of the story. I enjoyed this read very much although I wish I could've read it earlier like at the beginning of high school which would've been the perfect time to be exposed to a book like this. 

Marriage of a thousand lies was an interesting read. It definitely depicted a variety of different perspectives and cultural norms that I wasn't too familiar with. SJ Sindu does a great job of showing parallels between the main character Lucky and her sister, who both are women but have different views on what they want for themselves in life, something that they don't have that much control over. For example Lucky's sister is part of an arranged marriage and unlike what comes to mind whenever we think of arranged marriages, in this story the circumstances are different. Lucky's sister is not displeased or unhappy, she is satisfied and contempt with her life as is. SJ Sindu portrays this marriage as one that's successful, something that caught me by surprise, I don't think I've read any other story where the arranged marriage worked out and both partners were happy. This book tells a story of rebellion and how things just sometimes don't work out but it...

The book "Cosmopolis" by Don Delillo tells the story of Eric Packer, an insanely wealthy man who is the head of a financial firm. The plot is simple, we follow Eric as he rides his limo on his way to get a haircut. What's interesting about this story is that our lead, who definitely sees the world through a much more privileged set of eyes, expresses his desire to get a haircut in a not so luxurious establishment but more so from a little shop across town. A contradiction that makes the character of Eric much more complex, he is in many ways aware of how the world around him is in shambles but chooses to believe that he is not a part of that world but more so just a spectator passing by as he continues with his everyday routine feeling like he is supposed to be in the position that he is in. Eric shows the capability of treating people as equals, especially when he interacts with his barber. He treats him with respect and doesn't dismiss him as another peasant ever...

If I were to design a Wonder Woman theme park I would highlight what makes her character so different from the rest of the DC characters. Wonder woman is more than just your average man in tights, she is a goddess that comes from the island nation of Themyscira, home of the amazons. She represents the unrelenting strength and resilience of a strong woman. I'd like to definitely put in display the parallels between the fictional stories of wonder woman and the real life stories of women figures who shared her same strength and impact through out history. Including women inventors, women's rights activist, musicians, writers etc. I want to have rides that are exciting but tell a narrative. I want to implement her weapons of choice, most notably the lasso of truth, I want to create the carrusel of truth. Encouraging people who get on it to reveal a secret or come clean with whoever they are with. I want the parkgoers to leave with a new perspective and appreciation for wom...

When watching True Grit for the first time, it surprised me to see a female lead not being the damsel in distress, especially in films from around this time it's more common to see male leads driving the course of the story. But in this film the main character, Mattie, is brave and dead set on accomplishing her mission but more importantly she has grit. A resilience or capacity to withstand any adversity that may get in the way of getting what she wants. Her companion, Rooster, is one that is morally ambiguous, although not completely evil, some of Rooster's views are more skewed to his best interests and what benefits him the most. There's definitely a bond that develops between these two characters, both of them learn from each other and grow through out the film. One thing that I learned from this movie is that we could all use a little bit more grit. I for sure need to take some pointers from Mattie. 

Prologue:     As a not so frequent reader, it's hard for me to not think about reading as a chore. I'm used to reading comic books and graphic novels. Books that incorporate imagery along side their writing. I can't remember the last time I read a book that wasn't assigned for a class. Not to say that I don't enjoy a good book but it takes a lot for me to sit down and stay invested. With that said I'm abandoning any and all preconceived notions of what I used to consider a boring read and opening up my mind to this thing people call books.