Acme Novelty Library ~ Week 11

For this week we were asked to read comics that are in the category of contemporary literature. I ended up reading Chris Ware’s Acme Novelty Library.

 

Acme Novelty Library has adopted numerous formats in the course of the series and, similarly, doesn't feature a continuous cast of characters. Ware's first major graphic novel, Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, was originally serialized in Acme Novelty Library between 1995 and 2000. Jimmy Corrigan is the saga of a lonely childlike man and his alienated ancestors, partly inspired by Ware's hopeful but unhappy reunion with his absentee father. Issues are imbued with the defining characteristics of Ware's work; a pervasive sadness and nihilism

permeate tales of disappointment, thwarted affection, and the dehumanization of the individual in a modern and mechanized world. Through the use of apparently extraneous novelties, such as cut-outs and flip-books, and prose parodies set in tiny fonts.  Ware blurs the boundaries between author, the reader and the character.

This comic was my favorite so far. I really like the different formats he does and the art style. When I look at the main character I think of the baby from Family Guy.  I'm pretty sure when these characters were developed they were most likely looking at one or another. I don’t know which

one came first. 

The author uses a lot of different formatting within this comic. One example of the use of color in the artists format is that he has one half the page in a monotone color palette and the bottom of the page being completely different monotone color palette.  It is an interesting way to set the mood clearly and easily.  Another thing that the author does is he uses color and black-and-white sections spread throughout the comic. I really enjoy seeing the two different types the artist uses and seeing how he incorporates them into his work. His building and landscape drawings that he does is really amazing and the mood that he sets up from them is really impressive and you can get the mood instantly. The comic is really enjoyable to read and it is an easy read. I highly recommend it.