First of all, this graphic adaptation really makes me want to read Terkel’s original book about the lives of these people. I thought the people and their stories were so real, poignant and profound in the messages they pass along to their readers. The inclusion of Terkel’s original introduction provided a very good account as to why he decided to interview these individuals and how he views work. I was moved from the first sentence.
That being said, I do agree with what Raymond said about some artists depicted word-by-word what the storyteller is saying, which made me realize I was only reading and not seeing the interplay between the graphics and text. Prime examples would be the stockbroker, the garbageman, and the carpeter/poet. However, I also think the success in utilization of sequential art also comes down to the artist’s art and the large range of stories you’re given. I think it is an entirely different art to stay true to the storyteller and still render an interesting piece, especially when the format you’re given is in a narrative format. Some of the artists did it better than others; some got creative and even though they depicted word-by-word, they made the graphics interesting enough that I wanted to read the text and look at their art side-by-side. One favorite example is the Farm worker. Although there is a good amount of text, I thought Miner’s choice to base his drawings on Mixtec codices was innovative and fitting for the text he was given. In many cases Miner wove the text into his graphics, which really pulled me into his art. I also think Tooks’s art in depicting the waitress was also fitting because the juxtaposition of Dolores with the background visuals which range from cartoons to clip art-like images to photographs helped her stand out. Of course, here is a good example of a good story as well. I believe that Dolores’s story and personality fit with Tooks’s art well but I didn’t get the same draw with the Jazz musician or the bar pianist and I believe it was due to the combination of story and art.
But I digress. I believe the most important part of this adaptation is the text itself, because they represent word-for-word the voice of these individuals and this is what ultimately moves me. The graphics bring the storytelling to life and an individual with a good story and message that is depicted by an artist well-informed and innovative artist will make a bigger impact on the reader, in my opinion. The organizer’s story, and how Kuper complements Talcott’s strong voice with his art, was what really produced an “aesthetic response” in me, to use the words of McCloud. First of all, being in the midst of job recruiting and job searching, especially when I don’t really know what I want to do with my life but desperately wanting a job that is both stimulating and allows me to “make a difference,” I found myself envious of Talcott. It is obvious that he has a strong ideology and sense of purpose and his words on pages 33, 37, and 39 really hit me. But what made his story come alive for me was the art. Kuper’s illustrations are strong; he utilizes multiple thick lines, harsh, blunt angles, and lots of black to add to the sense of ruggedness, determination and influence I sense from Talcott’s words. In addition, the imagery and symbols Kuper includes really reinforces Talcott’s message and makes him real to me. For example, the motif of text bubbles in the shape of gears illustrate that the narrator gets his hands dirty and produces something tangible. The image of the scissors cutting up the panels as Talcott talks about his family getting “clipped” alongside the falling money emphasizes the powerlessness and dissatisfaction they feel. The power pyramid with the struggle for power by opposing parties ad the exertion shown on their faces helps me visualize with the masses in this dog-eat-dog world. It is obvious that Kuper has really thought about how to represent this text when he switches from panels to a splash page (31) to simply juxtaposing insets and Talcott with plain text, especially when the text itself is already powerful and needs less imagery to make its impact. I love the imagery of the arm and fist and the symmetry on page 35, the juggling of so many contradictions and further symmetry on the next pages. The use of time images and gears on page 38 really reminds me of how McCloud depicts his art because McCloud is able to bring alive simple narration through interesting art forms. I also thought the ending was perfect, which shows the work of the adaptation of Pekar. Through these techniques, the storyteller is now “Bill Talcott” to me, not “the Organizer.”
As for a story/art that is closest to McCloud’s definition of sequential art, I believe the story about idleness did it best. Many of the artists in the adaptation used the text they were given to illustrate the actions of the narrator that he or she is describing. Essentially, many are a graphic representation of the past. In this sense, Rudahl does it best in weaving images of the past with the text; my favorite is the Mail Carrier because the story length is just right the fluidity of the images match the fluidity of Fuller’s words. However, Reilly’s decision to depict the interview itself as Terwilliger tells her story sets it apart from the rest. Kuper does it a little bit with Talcott but in that vignette, it wouldn’t have worked to approach it the same way Reilly does with Terwilliger because of the content of the story. Terwilliger is idle so it is fitting that her story is represented through a conversation with a few flashbacks. I like that the text bubbles are actually Terwilliger speaking in real time and that we can see her moving around her home as she relives her past and talks about what she thinks of work and love and idleness. Terwilliger is talking to the reader indirectly and the art is sequential because as she talks, she is moving around and there are close-ups and flashbacks. The flashbacks are nicely placed to further illustrate her words, but is not overwhelming; rather it reinforces her story like Kuper did with Talcott, but in a much subtler way.
I’m drawn to these two stories really for the impact it makes in the combination of the storyteller, his or her message and the “perfect” graphic representation of their story. But overall, every one of the stories tell me something about the individual, the working world, and life itself.
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