Pretty much everyone’s heard of or seen Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, about global warming, right? Its insights into behind-the-scenes obstacles that block climate solutions opened our eyes to things like glaciers dripping into the arctic sea (Gore). Yet, for all the environmental activism this movie suggests, bureaucracies seem to be casually ignoring the warnings. As for a lot of us, we’re still hiding out under that blanket of denial to ward off feeling hopeless (or helpless). Hey, we get that this issue is a danger to our planet and all life. But then we think, could we really make a ripple? We might want to do something, but just don’t know what or even how.
Author Derrick Jensen and cartoonist Stephanie McMillan’s graphic novel, As The World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Stay In Denial, makes Gore’s inconveniences seem like a stroll in the park. In this story, robot extraterrestrials strike a deal with a greedy American President to exchange gold for permission to eat everything on the planet (Jensen & McMillan 45). Of course, corporations are upset by the aliens cutting into their profits. One CEO protests, “Aliens aren’t supposed to consume the planet, Mr. President. Corporations are” (93). This plot might seem silly in showing bunny “terrorists” being jailed (their leader is a one-eyed rabbit lab escapee). But, actually, it cleverly points out the absurdity of corporations who are as bad as aliens.
The plot opens with two little girls talking about ways to save the planet. One of them is excited about a list of easy things to save energy, like shorter showers and using energy-saving bulbs. The other is more cynical, insisting this just tricks people into believing the problem is not the corporations' responsibilities and the planet can be rescued without changing lifestyles (5, 7, 9). They both agree the only way to save the planet is to fight the system (violence is way better than silly biodiesel fuel!). Their ace in the hole is aliens are afraid of only one thing: the wild (182). To protect the survival of everything, the wild things step up (along with some humans) to fight.
You can see from this story how graphic novels are a great medium to share political conversations. They combine images and words for social commentary and activism so readers more easily decode a text’s meaning. Illustrations of the action are right on the page so you don’t have to work to visualize events. Instead, you can look deeper into the work’s underlying meaning. Rather than being limited to just reading, people get their own mental images through seeing the consequences of political and social movements. Even when they’re simple, these books can create moving stories that focus on current reality and movements as ways to promote justice.
Like many graphic novels, As the World Burns uses many rhetorical techniques to represent history and facts through narration. For instance, its persuasive language can influence audiences to its point of view. This story appeals to readers’ sense of logic or credibility through its thorough arguments. It mercilessly analyzes and then rejects society’s faulty assumptions.
Author Derrick Jensen and cartoonist Stephanie McMillan’s graphic novel, As The World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Stay In Denial, makes Gore’s inconveniences seem like a stroll in the park. In this story, robot extraterrestrials strike a deal with a greedy American President to exchange gold for permission to eat everything on the planet (Jensen & McMillan 45). Of course, corporations are upset by the aliens cutting into their profits. One CEO protests, “Aliens aren’t supposed to consume the planet, Mr. President. Corporations are” (93). This plot might seem silly in showing bunny “terrorists” being jailed (their leader is a one-eyed rabbit lab escapee). But, actually, it cleverly points out the absurdity of corporations who are as bad as aliens.
The plot opens with two little girls talking about ways to save the planet. One of them is excited about a list of easy things to save energy, like shorter showers and using energy-saving bulbs. The other is more cynical, insisting this just tricks people into believing the problem is not the corporations' responsibilities and the planet can be rescued without changing lifestyles (5, 7, 9). They both agree the only way to save the planet is to fight the system (violence is way better than silly biodiesel fuel!). Their ace in the hole is aliens are afraid of only one thing: the wild (182). To protect the survival of everything, the wild things step up (along with some humans) to fight.
You can see from this story how graphic novels are a great medium to share political conversations. They combine images and words for social commentary and activism so readers more easily decode a text’s meaning. Illustrations of the action are right on the page so you don’t have to work to visualize events. Instead, you can look deeper into the work’s underlying meaning. Rather than being limited to just reading, people get their own mental images through seeing the consequences of political and social movements. Even when they’re simple, these books can create moving stories that focus on current reality and movements as ways to promote justice.
Like many graphic novels, As the World Burns uses many rhetorical techniques to represent history and facts through narration. For instance, its persuasive language can influence audiences to its point of view. This story appeals to readers’ sense of logic or credibility through its thorough arguments. It mercilessly analyzes and then rejects society’s faulty assumptions.
And, it’s not afraid to make an emotional appeal. I was tricked into reading this childishly drawn book, thinking it’s just some silly environmentalist thing. After all, doesn’t “bunnista” look just like the cute toy rabbit some of us had (complete with a lost button eye)? And the little girls have such cute pigtails! But satire rears its head through the ridicules directed toward other characters. This deflected them away from me, so the author could voice his thoughts without my feeling alienated. Then, boom! The arguments come right at me. I felt criticized for my naive thoughts and traumatized by the bloody battle scene where baby animals die in their mothers’ arms. This rhetorical device warmed me up to the argument so I’d believe the author shared my views.
Just look at the panel bleed of the final battle picture between alien robots and humans and animals. This gives you a kind of space not limited by time (McCloud 103). Words and pictures are balanced here through a kind of duo that combines to give specific meaning (152-153). The speech bubbles elaborate on the images, as well as express ideas pictures can't really convey as well alone.
Just look at the panel bleed of the final battle picture between alien robots and humans and animals. This gives you a kind of space not limited by time (McCloud 103). Words and pictures are balanced here through a kind of duo that combines to give specific meaning (152-153). The speech bubbles elaborate on the images, as well as express ideas pictures can't really convey as well alone.
Jensen, Derrick, and Stephanie McMillan. As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial. Seven Stories Press, 2007, p. 218.
Jensen and McMillan work with other visual techniques, like the President and CEOs being drawn with dense heavy black areas for clues about their evil qualities. Using black and white and cartoony lines with gentle curves provokes certain feelings from the audience. Even though this book covers distressing subject matter, it uses this art to express a feeling of youth and innocence (126). This intentionally contrasts with the important emotional message.
The contents of panels here also translate time and space time for you (94). See how in this example panels are different sizes to express the plot’s importance? There are multiple panels communicating one event, which means time has passed in the story. Notice how you don’t see everything in the panels. But you know it’s there by using something called closure to translate what happens in the space between images (63). This page also creates a mood through its visual perspective and point of view. Here, you see the “bunnista” is dwarfed by the black menacing exterior of the lab (Jensen & McMillan 113).
Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth (Movie), (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.algore.com/library/an-inconvenient-truth-dvd.
Jensen, Derrick, and Stephanie McMillan. As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial. Seven Stories Press, 2007.
The contents of panels here also translate time and space time for you (94). See how in this example panels are different sizes to express the plot’s importance? There are multiple panels communicating one event, which means time has passed in the story. Notice how you don’t see everything in the panels. But you know it’s there by using something called closure to translate what happens in the space between images (63). This page also creates a mood through its visual perspective and point of view. Here, you see the “bunnista” is dwarfed by the black menacing exterior of the lab (Jensen & McMillan 113).
Jensen, Derrick, and Stephanie McMillan. As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial. Seven Stories Press, 2007, p. 113.
This novel offers convincing arguments that we’re not doing near enough to stop the earth’s destruction. Why are we still trusting politicians and CEOs who tell us everything’s fine when that clearly is not true? Maybe it's just easier to ignore the fact that our lifestyle has helped ravage the planet (because, doesn’t everybody say the American way of life is the best?). Whether or not you agree with this book, its themes of being in denial, rejecting the use of violence to stop greater damage, and questioning slow reform over armed resistance are important.
Let’s face it. I’m not looking at becoming an environmental terrorist who will bomb dams. But I have been pushed into certain realizations. I now believe our current methods are insignificant. As The World Burns has convinced me to become more proactive before time runs out for all of us. After all, polar bears might soon be a thing of the past. Do you really want to leave a legacy like that behind?
Let’s face it. I’m not looking at becoming an environmental terrorist who will bomb dams. But I have been pushed into certain realizations. I now believe our current methods are insignificant. As The World Burns has convinced me to become more proactive before time runs out for all of us. After all, polar bears might soon be a thing of the past. Do you really want to leave a legacy like that behind?
Work Cited
Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth (Movie), (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.algore.com/library/an-inconvenient-truth-dvd.
Jensen, Derrick, and Stephanie McMillan. As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial. Seven Stories Press, 2007.
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