ENG 4433: Topics in World Lit

Climate change is real. Somehow, that's still a controversial position to take. Every day we're growing closer to destruction, if we haven't already sprinted past the point of no return, and every day we have more people insisting that the planet isn't in any danger. Being a filthy millennial, I can't say I'm thrilled to have been born into this mess. It's difficult for me to remain hopeful in the face of all the ignorance and greed that drives this controversy, and despite trying my best to limit my carbon footprint, I often feel like it's all pointless so long as green policies are considered unprofitable. As the World Burns , a cartoonishly cynical take on this crisis, reflects my thoughts well. Let's dive in. Graphic novels aren't often thought of as an effective tool for social activism. No matter what, we're always going to have people who think all comics are Mickey Mouse and cheesy Superman  serials--not that there's anything ...

As a high school English teacher, I often struggle with getting my students to read something other than Instagram captions. Lately, I've been having some luck with getting them to read graphic novels, however. I have one student in particular who struggles with sitting down and reading anything or an extended period of time. Yet as soon as we begin talking about anything social justice oriented, particularly anything in regards to climate change, she becomes suddenly engaged. So, Monday, I let her borrow my copy of  As The World Burns: 50 Things You Can Do To Stay in Simple Denial ,  a satiric graphic novel about modern environmental policy. Of course, as teenagers do, this one walked off with my book and has yet to return it. But, I'm really kind of okay with it. The right book in the hands of a teen can change their world even help them change the world, and graphic novels seem to be better equipped than most books to do so. Lately, I've been throwing graphic nov...

I often find myself entertained by politicians and certain "activist" groups that have come to the undeniable conclusion that global warming does not exist, and that there couldn't possibly be any reason for the earth dying any time soon. I mean, what evidence do we have really? Ice caps melting, record temperature highs, species endangerment....? Nope, not global warming. It's clearly just a hoax to stop large corporations from profiting. But, for the sake of argument, let's imagine that the earth isn't indestructible and that what we do to this planet while we live on it can and will have a significant environmental impact. How does that change things? And, if it does change things, how do we begin to spread awareness of our carbon footprint? It has become increasingly clear to me that trying to change the world is no longer possible through word of mouth, especially in a society that has become overwhelming introverted and opposed to human interaction (gene...

So what do global warming and global graphic novels have to do with one another? More than you might think. For example, they both have become more prevalent over time, there is evidence of the effects they can have on climate… political or otherwise, and together they can go hand in hand to make a statement. As the World Burns by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan is proof of graphic novels taking a stance in social activism. The stinging satire begins immediately on the front cover where a subtitle reads: "50 Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial." Simplistic cartoons, earth-eating aliens, and a one-eyed bunny might first appear to be something to dismiss with a good eye-roll, but stay with me here. It is the unembellished design and hyperbolic story in  As the World Burns   that makes this graphic novel so effective. Satire through Simplicity As the World Burns does not sugar coat or hide behind incredibly artistic or detailed images. It takes simple black and w...

There are many ways that a point can be made, but what better way to touch an audience than with the many unique qualities that a graphic novel has to offer! After reading a wide variety of them, I was able to pinpoint that what makes graphic novels so effective is the use of closure and style of art. So what do I mean by closure? Well let’s take a look at As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan. According to McCloud, there are six different types of closure, “moment to moment,” “action to action,” “subject to subject,” “scene to scene,” aspect to aspect,” and “non-sequitur.” On the page above, we can see how McMillan, the artist, uses moment to moment closure on the first two panels, and the bottom three are scene to scene. Let me say that the images on this page broke my heart. I'm the type of person that easily cries while watching a film, and I think the music has a lot to do with influencing my emotion...

Something that I have noticed lately is this new wave of caring for the earth and the ecosystem. People like Bill Nye and Neil degrasse Tyson have been using their platforms to cry out for help on behalf of the earth. The younger generation has been using their voices too, creating protests and rallies to advocate for climate change. It makes sense to use a graphic novel to bring more awareness to the new generations, since they will soon be the ones making these decisions. One of my favorite ways that the authors of As the World Burns  do this is to have the animals speak for themselves. These animals are literally begging not to be tested on, not to be seen as disposable, not to use their homes as dumping grounds for toxic waste. It's one thing for an academic, scientific journal to discuss these issues at length, but it's something completely different when drawings (however crude) of these animals are begging for help. While I can make the argument that there are too many...

Helllooooooooo my good people! Tis' the season! Christmas is coming up and things are just so bubbly and colorful around the world :) (i love Christmas time) what better time to have a blog on something like this? Makes you want to be more appreciative, alert and knowledgable about your surroundings. ... as usual click the link to check out this vid! If you could change the world, how would you? I hope this week is GOOD TO YOU! Be good to YOU! and those around you... peace and blessings guys! :)