Blankets Redo

I would have to say that Blankets is easily my favorite graphic novel, and will remain in my memory for years to come. I’ve wondered what sets this piece of literature apart from so many other graphic novels. To me, what sets Blankets apart is the honesty present in this work. I would be hard pressed to find another graphic novel that digs so deep into the authors personal life. In the novel, we cover such topics as sexual abuse, religious angst, and first encounters with love and physical intimacy. Such topics are not particularly easy to talk about, no matter what the context. Thomson discussed these ideas not in a ambiguous way, but pertaining directly to his life. He delves into, with much passion and detail, the most intimate aspects of his life. We are brought close into Thomson’s person experiences, and held there in a way that is directly relate able, no matter how similar or different your own past might be.

This graphic novel is very successful as an autobiography. Many autobiographical works I have read have been dry and lacking of any entertainment value or are devoid of any connection to the reader/viewer. Blankets, on the other hand, is a terrific piece of work that can only be looked upon more fondly knowing that it is a factual account of the authors life. While being entertaining and moving, Blankets also manages to capture what is most likely the most important aspects of Thomson’s early life. We not only see the struggles Thomson had to endure, and the Joys he experienced, we FEEL them. This, is in my opinion, the greatest achievement of this graphic novel. This book riveted me; I found Thomson’s struggles to be my own struggles, and likewise when he experienced his first love and liberation from oppressive beliefs and family bonds, I felt elation and relief. Many of the aspects of Thomson’s life he included in the graphic novel I vividly remember living myself; on the other hand though, many aspects of his life I can’t say I had to deal with whilst growing up. Impressively though, this didn’t make it any harder to relate to; no matter how different my life story was from Thomson’s, I still found it no less difficult to relate.

Milk and Cheese

As weird as it is, I enjoyed Milk and Cheese. The comic provides fast paced, easy to digest physical humor, coupled with frequent bad puns.

The premise of the comic is focused on an unlikely duo; two dairy products, milk and cheese, that have “gone bad” and are terrorizing the world with their ill tempers and disdain for everything.

I love that even the basis for this comic (dairy gone bad) is a pun in and of itself. This serves to prepare its viewer for the weird, hilarious escapes that the two will undertake.

Within the comic, milk and cheese go to various locals and carry out everyday tasks. What is amusing is the manner in which these two go about everything they do. Every action the pair engages in is filled with as little class, and as much malice as possible.

The only visual element that makes them anthropomorphizing are surprisingly serious faces and small hard to notice limbs. What had me laughing while reading this comic was the amount of destruction that these most unmeaning characters committed, and the way the two were drawn. I suppose I just found the level of contrast in the comic hilarious; one would never expect such hatred from milk and cheese.