The Underground Maus

Without the rise in power of the underground comic, graphic stories and ambitious beliefs would not have came to be as prevalent as they are today. One of the more famous artists to come from this era was Art Spiegelman. Best known from his graphic novels based on The Holocaust "Maus."
The story follows the authors father with his experiences before and after The Holocaust, and how it has changed him as a man. The difference this story makes is that this story is told in the third person perspective, and it has a unique way of delivering its messages. The Jews are represented as mice, while the Nazi's are represented as cats. This is set in a world where humans are only represented as animals, symbolic for their behavior in the world.
One of the ways this story is compelling to read, and how it highlights one of humanities worst conflicts in such a compelling way is its presentation, and art style. If the characters were human, it would not be such an easy read to get through. However with the characters represented as animals, it makes it more understandable given the nature of animal behavior. The mice represent the Jews being captured, and tortured by the Nazi's, so they must go into hiding. The cats on the contrary represent the Nazi's, the pursuers of the mice, and will stop at nothing until they are all eliminated.
It's a very unsettling story, with themes of loss death and misery to give the story its sense of identity. However it still has themes of hope to keep readers wanting more.

Will Eisner's Writing Vs. Craig Thompson

Will Eisner is to many people in the graphic novel world like a prophet. Being one of the earliest artists in the comic business, his legacy is carried out to this day with his work on comics based on the Great Depression with Jerry Iger. As well as writing his stories based on his service in World War 2. However his biggest comic, and arguably most iconic graphic novel was "The Spirit."
Another comparison to Eisner's comics was Craig Thompson. Best known for his work on "Blankets" a story about a young boy coping with his life growing up in an extremely Christian household, and his experiences throughout growing up. This reaches its apex when he meets a girl at his holiday Christian camp named Raina, who he grows a large relationship for, and becomes his first love. The novel focuses primarily on what it means to love, and even defying fate.
While Eisner was born before Thompson it may be evident Blankets took a little inspiration from The Spirit. Though it's a lot more graphic, and violent in instances both view the human condition in the same way. Almost all aspects of writing in these stories feel overly dramatic, and tell stories that while they may seem sad are really excellent in their structure.
Though Craig Thompson's story focuses on a regular viewpoint people may have when they grow up, Eisner's novel feels more like fantasy. That's why Thompson's Blankets is more relatable to the reader while The Spirit is more over the top, and non relatable. Though both stories have fascinating worlds, and characters in them making them both unforgettable.

The Writing of Charlie Brown

During the week, I read the comics and short stories of Charlie Brown, and the Peanuts Gallery. It was a well read, drawn well, and had some humor that stayed relevant today. However while I was reading it something felt off about it. Not in terms of the writing, or the drawings but rather in terms of how easy they were to understand. It may have to do with how short each comic is, and how they're written primarily for children, but writing in The Peanuts felt so much easier than what it was before.
Another thing I noticed while reading the comics were the fact that they felt too simple compared to the animations of Charlie Brown that would follow soon during the 1960's. One thing that sets the two apart aside from the fact one is animated, and one is drawn out is the style of animation the show follows. The design is similar to the comics which makes it unique, and memorable in its own style, but by todays standards of animation, it feels a little too simple.
At the end of the day, both the comic, and the cartoon are meant to appeal to children, and I do not discourage them for doing so. In fact I commemorate them, it's just to me The Peanuts doesn't seem as complicated, or as hard to follow as it used to be for me. And for me that's a good thing.