Metacognition

1.  What I liked the most about creating my own graphic novel, was that it was fun to do. Also, there was not a lot of writing involved in creating the graphic novel. I could be creative and use pictures to help get my story across. Graphic novels are also less formal that a regular novel. This made working on this project seem less like homework.
What I did not like about creating the graphic novel was the time it took to make. Importing and finding the right pictures took a while to do, and re-adjusting the scenes took a long time as well. In total the graphic novel took me 10 hours to create and edit. This is a lot longer than it would take me to write an essay or short story. All in all, the graphic novel took a very long time to complete but was a fun project.

2. If i were to redo this assignment I would have started a lot earlier. I did not realize how long it takes to create a graphic novel, and if I were to redo this assignment I would have started it as soon as it was assigned. I would have also figured out how to make my comic into pages. Each page in the Bitstrips program contains 2 panels using the storyboard layout . So instead of doing 8 pages with two panels per page, I did 16 panels in total.

3. I tend to learn best by doing. Therefore, making my own comic gave me a better understanding of how comics work. Comics are about the pictures, the images are there to get the message across. Also, using Bitstrips to make my comic allowed me to learn how to use a program I ended up really liking. 

4. Advice I would give others about this project:

• Start as soon as it is assigned since making a comic is a lengthy process.
• Play around with the program you are using before making your comic. This will allow you to learn all the tools and functions the program offers.
• Get someone to review your comic when you are finished to make sure it makes sense.

In For The Holidays

This holiday season there are a few trends that seem to be very popular. These include faux fur vests and coats, exposed zippers, little black dresses, metallics, sequence, and lace. These trends are not only occurring in clothing, but in accessories as well. 

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=W0FK56H1G00&category|751=&image=W0FK56H1G00-HTGB

Lace accents or full lace garments are in this season. This dress from Guess has lace covering the neckline, another popular trend for the holidays.

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=W04K64K09X0&category|751=&image=W04K64K09X0-JBLK#

The Little Black Dress is always in, but for the holidays it is especially important. The black dress can be worn with anything, and works for every formal occasion. This dress from Guess would look great with tights and a jacket or blazer.

 http://www.bcbg.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10803185&cp=2901570.3915683&clickid=cat_leftnav_txt&parentPage=family

Sequence is another popular trend. The sparkle looks chic and adds a bit of glam to clothing. Sequence can be seen on dresses, tops, jackets, leggings, and accessories. This BCBG top is an elegant example of sequenced garments.

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=SU261706&category|4646=&image=SU261706-PEW#

Metallic accessories are another holiday trend. Metallics are great since they can be paired with almost anything. They can dress up an outfit, and add shine. This purse from Guess is a great evening bag for the holiday season.

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=W04K78C2100&category|751=&image=W04K78C2100-JBLK#

Exposed zippers are extremely popular in women's clothing. Exposed zippers can be anywhere on a garment, and is a unique fashion statement.This dress from Guess is just one example of exposed zippers in fashion.

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=W0F220MF820&category|752=&image=W0F220MF820-JTMU#
This faux fur coat by Guess is one of the many jackets we are seeing with faux fur. The cozy look is in for winter, therefore faux fur is everywhere.

Corsets

Corsets have been apart of fashion for hundreds of years. A corset is a garment that shapes the body, creating a smaller waist. A corset is laced up the back with cording or ribbon. The ribbon is laced through grommets, similar to a shoe lace. The corset contains boning, which keeps the structure sturdy. In the past boning was made of whale bones. As time went on boning was made of thin strips of metal, and today plastic boning is available. In the past corsets were worn as an under garment, creating the perfect silhouette for the wearer. Corsets kept the wear upright and allowed for good posture. The problem with corsets were if worn too tightly, the body will start to adjust to the corset, and the inside organs can get reassembled. Also, they can cut of circulation in the body, and restricts body movement. Today, corsets are no longer used as underwear, but as a fashion statement. Corsets also influence modern fashions. For example, some dresses lace up in the back similar to a corset. Overall, corsets may no longer sever a practical purpose, but are still an important part of fashion.

To learn more about corsets

LG Fashion Week 2010 - Pink Tartan

Easy Lux

Pink Tartan is a clothing line created by Kimberley Newport-Mimran, a Canadian fashion designer. She is the wife of Joe Fresh creator and designer Joe Mimran. In 2002 the clothing line was co-founded by Kimberley, and  today she is the president and head designer of the company. Her motto is "Simplicity is the secret to elegance."  Pink Tartan fulfills that statement, its' clothes are simple yet very feminine. The new collection from Pink Tartan is the summer/spring 2011 Easy Lux. Which is available at Holt Renfrew.
Easy Lux is one of my favorites for 2011 summer/spring. The clothes themselves are fairly simple in design, but the bold colours and prints make the clothes unique. It is a more youthful line, the bright colours and less structured peices make the clothes more appealing to a younger generation. The plunging v-necks, sunglasses, and neon coloured hats also give the collection a younger feel. The collection contains many long loose dresses and jumpers. Making the line simple but unique.Overall, Easy Lux contains a lot of simple fun pieces for the warmer whether.

Overall Comments

Rating: 8 out of 10

I really enjoyed the political aspects of Watchmen. Most comic books I have read in the past are quite simplistic in its plot, all in all the good guy defeats the bad guy. But, in Watchmen none of the superheros end up being 'right', in an absolute sense. The entire point of the book was to break the conventions of the average superhero. Which I liked because I came into the book knowing the tropes of the superhero, due to pop culture, but had never read many superhero comics myself. This made Watchmen's message really effective for me, parodying the expectations I first had. I also liked the fact that the story uses actual American history, and twists it to suit the plot. This takes the book to a higher intellectual level, which other comics do not come close too.

Another aspect of the book I found intriguing was the artistry. The pictures were greatly detailed, and perfectly depicted the books dark tone. The colours in the book also make it stand out from other comics. The artwork itself can be appreciated by almost anyone, comic book fan or not.

The only thing I disliked about Watchmen was how complex it could be at certain points. To fully understand this book it must be read multiple times. The political references in the book confused me a bit, and I had to research topics I did not understand. During the reading process this annoyed me, but in the end I learned a lot of new information I would have otherwise not known. Also, the graphics helped me understand the plot a bit better. If there was something I did not understand in the text, I could try to figure out what was happening through the pictures.

All in all, Watchmen is a great book. I would recommend that others read it. This book will change the way you look at comic books forever. It might take you a few reads to fully grasp the concepts, but it's worth the trouble.

Artistic and Visual Style

John Higgins and Dave Gibbon are the visual masterminds behind Watchmen. The book is advanced in artistic style in comparison to other comics books. Artist Dave Gibbons used harsh pen strokes to give the characters a less stylized, more realistic look to them. In fact, the entire novel is drawn fairly realistically. This matches the dark tone of the book very well. Higgins compliments Gibbon's realism with a grimy palette of colors. Watchmen makes use of secondary colors in its world. There are a lot of browns, yellows, and greens used throughout the art. This was very unconventional for its time since the normal palette for comics were made up of primary colors and shades of black. Watchmen did the exact opposite.
Watchmen uses visual motifs constantly. The most obvious and famous one being the blood stained smiley face. The smiley face being a symbol of the tainted classic superhero that Watchmen portrays. Another big symbol is the clock. The clock is used as a heading for each of the twelve chapters, and is a constant reminder of nuclear war in the world.
Overall, Watchmen is one of the most artistically dense comics in existence. Almost every panel contains some sort of visual symbol that furthers the story messages and the world it portrays. All of these little things add up to immersing the reader in Watchmen's unique artistic style. One that uses the artistry of a comic to portray the conventions of comics in a different light. 

PLOT DEVELOPMENT

Watchmen progresses similarly to an ordinary novel. The story starts off as a mystery, and builds up to reveal Veidt's  plot to unite the nations. As the plot progresses, we see the true colours of each character, proving that not everything is in black and white. The people who seem to be the 'good guys' are not always the perfect hero. For example, during the first few chapters of the novel, most would assume Rorschach to be the 'good guy', but as the story goes on we learn more about his troubled past and his unstable personality.

The novel itself is divided into twelve chapters.In each chapter the story is told by either a narrating character or by a newspaper article. During the beginning of the story the main purpose seems to be finding out who is responsible for The Comedian's death. But, as the plot goes on we learn that there are more important issues at hand. The fate of New York rests in the hands of Veidt. When we learn that Veidt is planning to destroy most  of New York, and that he framed Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan, the reader automatically writes him off as the 'bad guy'. But, when his purpose, to bring the fighting nations together, is revealed he does not seem completely evil. This proves one of the books main themes, which is things in the real world are never black and white.

The novel ends with Dr. Manhattan killing Rorschach, who wants to reveal the truth about Veidt's plan. The plot of this story involves a lot more thought than I would have expected from a comic book. Lastly, the reader needs to have background knowledge of the cold war and America's involvement to really understand the plot of the book.   

HACKED BY RYAN!

:D:D:D:D:D:D;D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D::D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D::D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D::D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
HEY, IT"S LAMBCHOP"S PLAY ALONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Characters and Setting

Rorschach/ Walter Kovacs- Rorschach is the last of the masked vigilantes that is still active.

Nite Owl II/ Dan Dreiberg- One of the many retired superheros. Dan feels that his glory days are over ever since he retired from crime fighting.

Silk Spectre II/ Laurie Juspesczyk- Dr. Manhattan's long time girlfriend. She often makes reference to her mother whom she dislikes, the original Silk Spectre. She is glad that the Keene Act which outlawed superheros is in place.

Dr. Manhattan/ Jon Osterman- He is a scientist that has supernatural powers, and is employed by the U.S. Government. In 1959 he was caught in a

Intrinsic Field Subtractor that which caused he him to gain powers.

The Comedian/ Edward Blake- The Comedian was the second superhero who was employed by the government. He is murdered at the beginning of the story. He was not a well liked man, and tried to rape Laurie's mother years ago.

Ozymandias/ Adrian Veidt- Is supposedly the smartest man in the world at the time. He is also a retired superhero who has devoted the rest of his life to his enterprise.

The story is set in an alternate history of 1985 New York during the tense social climate of the Cold War. Due to a series of superhero instigated changes to modern history, Richard Nixon is still President of the United States, serving his fifth term in office. Vietnam was won and the Watergate Scandal was never uncovered. The existence of costumed crime fighters has been a part of American culture since the early thirties, though they now have little place in modern society. The city has become grimy and eroded due to the instability of the previous decade. The people have met a similar fate, as the threat of nuclear war looms closer to them every day.

Breaking News

BREAKING NEWS :
Everybody wanting a piece of Michael Jackson.
Reporters stalking the moves of Michael Jackson.
Just when you thought he was done,
he comes to give it again.”
no matter what, you just wanna read it again
no matter what, you just wanna feel it again
now is that strange that i fall in love
who is the boogie man you thinkin’ of
all went crazy coz im just in love
this is breaking news X2
everybody watching the news of michael jackson
They want to see that I fall,
cause I’m Michael Jackson
You write the words to destroy
like it’s a weapon
you turn your back on the love and you think you can get it again
no matter what, you just wanna read it again
no matter what, you just wanna feel it again
now is that strange that i fall in love
who is the boogie man you thinkin’ of
all went crazy coz im just in love
this is breaking news X2
now is that strange that i fall inlove
who is the boogie man you thinkin’ of
all went crazy coz im just in love
this is breaking news X2
all the news today they say CRAZY time
who is stranger today we want this day baby
now is that strange that i fall in love
who is the boogie man you thinkin’ of
all went crazy coz im just in love
this is breaking news X2
now is that strange that i fall in love
who is the boogie man you thinkin’ of
all went crazy coz im just in love
this is breaking news X2
YOU’RE BREAKING NEWS

More info

Michael Jackson's new song Breaking News is one of the first to be released from his new album. The album includes many unreleased songs he recorded before his death. This song in particular was recorded in 2007 in New Jersey. The song has raised a lot of controversy since its release, many fans believe the voice in the song is not Michael. People who have been listening to his music for years believe that the voice in the song does not sound like him. Whether it is Michael or not, the song makes me a little sad. A line in the song really got to me, They want to see that I fall, cause I’m Michael Jackson. You write the words to destroy like it’s a weapon.  This song reminds us all of how badly Michael was treated before his death. The media was constantly out to get him and many people thought ill of him. But, as soon as he died all the negativity was forgotten and everyone loved Michael again. It is sad that he had to die in order for people to realize how great of an artist he really was. On a more pleasant note, his new album will probably do very well and is to be released in December.

Michael Jackson - Breaking News

Point of View, Diction, and Syntax

Watchmen is defiantly unique in comparison to other comic books, especially when in comes to diction and the different points of view. The story is told from a few perspectives, and the words uses are much more complex than the ordinary comic book. Overall, the story contains many abstract ideas which are voiced through it's diction.

The point of view in Watchmen shifts every chapter to a different character's perspective, though the main narrator of the story is Rorschach. He narrates and reflects on the plot through his journal entries, scattered throughout the story. Also, at the end of every chapter there is a newspaper clipping of some sort, sometimes it is the meta story Under The Hood by Hollis Mason. Other times it is various newspapers and essays about the world the story takes place in.

When either Rorschach or Dr. Manhattan narrate the story, they have a very specific way of speaking. Rorschach speaks in messy distorted half sentences. Dr. Manhattan on the other hand speaks in monotone concrete sentences, which have a sense of emotional disconnection to them. This reflects the characters psychology. Rorschach being unstable mentally, Dr. Manhattan being cold and all knowing. Also, Rorschach's journal bubbles are coloured yellow to suggest crudeness in his tone, while Dr. Manhattan's dialogue bubbles are coloured blue to suggest calmness and coldness in his tone.

Many details of the characters can even be found in the structure of the book. Laurie is another main character, who's personality is reflected in the technical aspects of the dialogue. Many of the words in her dialogue bubbles are in bold, to show that Laurie has a very edgy way of speaking. For example she says, “Rape is a moral lapse? You know he broke her ribs?” Her emphasized words show her anger and her tell it as it is personality. Dan on the other hand has almost no emphasize to his words, suggesting the passivity of his character. Adrian's dialogue is often verbose and long, taking up most of the page, this shows both the love for himself and his superior intellect.

All in all, the many different types of vocabulary and points of view in Watchmen adds to the complexity of the story and to the many subplots.

Joe Fresh - "It goes like this"

Joe Fresh

Joe Fresh has become one of the most popular clothing lines in Canada, it combines low prices with wearable fashions for people of all ages. Joe is sold at almost every Lablaws and Real Canadain Superstores across Canada. The clothing line is trendy with simple classic designs that will work on almost everyone, and are very easy to wear. The line includes menswear, womenswear, footwear, accessories, swimwear, and baby/children's clothing. It has even extended its line to include cosmetics, beauty products/treatments and hair products. The designer behind Joe Fresh is the one and only Joseph Mimran. Joseph is a Canadian designer originally from Morocco. He began his career in the dressmaking industry in 1977. In 1985 Joseph and Alfred Sung opened Club Monaco on Queens Street. Joseph also contributed to Alfred Sungs self titled clothing line. He has also contributed to his wife's (Kimberley) clothing line called Pink Tartan. Pink Tartan is available at Holt Renfrew, and is a very feminine line which includes lots of bright colours and bold prints. Pink Tartan's spring/summer 2011 collection was featured in Holt Renfrew's LG fashion weeks show, celebrating Canadian designers.
 Joe Fresh has become so popular it even has its own Ipod app. The app is called Joe Fresh Style Fashion Shaker. When the Ipod is shaken outfits on the screen change, showing you how to put outfits together. Joe's website has even become your very own personal stylist. There are many different mix and match activities that teach you how to mix and match Joe's clothing to create different looks. To visit Joe's site: Joe Fresh

 

Joseph Mimran 

TOFW SS 2011: Holt Renfrew Presents...

Holt Renfrew Fashion Show

Holt Renfrew showed off some amazing Canadian talent during its LG Fashion Week show. The runway show featured nine clothing lines Holts carry. Each line was created by a Canadian designer, this included Pink Tartan, Jeremy Laing, Lida Baday, Line, Smythe, Wayne Clark, Mikhael Kale, Wings + Horns, and Denis Gagnon. Each line/designer showcased five looks, resulting in 45 amazing looks. Model Coco Rocha was also featured in the show.The runway was lined with a variation of looks for spring/summer 2010. The show was a great way to show off amazing Canadian talent, and gives Holt's costumers a sneak peak of whats in store for spring. A few of my favorites from the show are...

I really like this dress by Line. The design itself is fairly simple, but the overall print and tie in the front makes it unique.

Even though I could never pull off this jumper by Pink Tartan, the bright blue is an amazing colour!

This dress by Mikhael Kale is by far my favorite. It is defiantly one of the more glamorous pieces for spring/summer.

This dress by Wayne Clark is gorgeous and the colours are really cool.

Holt Renfrew

Holt Renfrew is a high-end Canadian department store. This is my favorite department store, and has been around a lot longer than most would assume. The store was first opened in 1837 as a hat shop in Quebec City. In 1889 a Toronto store was opened. Since then stores have also opened in Ottawa, Winnipeg, London, Edmonton, Calgary, Hamilton, and Vancouver. In 1987 the store came out with its own fashion magazine. In 2006 Holts magazine split into two different issues, one for men and one for women. And in 2004 Holt Renfrew was named the 'Store of the Year' by the National Association of Store Fixtures Manufactures. Holts has been compared to many high-end department stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys, and Bloomingdale`s. Holts sells designer brand clothing, jewelry, accessories, footwear, fragrances, and beauty products. A few designers carried by Holts include Mark Jacobs, Coach, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Christian Doir. Holts has gained many celebrity costumers over the years, and have added special services to suit their needs. Personal shoppers and exclusive fitting rooms/suits for their celebrity clients are available. Also, Holts recently added its own restaurant Holts Cafe to three of its locations. Overall, Holts has grown into Canada's most fashionable store, and is continuing to prove itself as a  major fashion icon.

To Learn More Visit Holts Website