Harri - Week Five

 What is the ‘shojo’ and how does it often function in anime?

I understand that anime is Japanese movie and television animation of different genres and themes. So how is ‘shojo’ linked to anime? Cavallaro (2006), simply states that ‘shojo’ is a subgenre of anime, and literally means “little female”. It is used metaphorically to suggest the changeover from infacy to maturity, as is it almost like a stepping-stone of become a women. What does this ‘shojo’ look like? They are fusions of Baywatch extras, Barbie dolls and Care Bears. (Brophy, 1995 cited in Cavallaro, 2006). Or in other words, wide eyed, sometimes lipless, long haired, Barbie, cartoon looking girls. Examples? Think of Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Sakura, Yu Gi Oh? But to be clear, I talking about the “little female” (girl) characters.

Cavallaro (2006), then goes on the explain that ‘shojo’ stories are “serenely dreamy and bathed in an atmosphere of magic”. Sounds like an attractive way that suggests a passionate nature! Nevertheless,  Cavallaro (2006), talks of how Miyazaki uses ‘shojo’. He describes that Miyazaki’s heroine are active, independent, courageous and inquisitive. Many traits which Princess Mononoke portrayed in her quest of reuniting the gods with her people.

Looking at Napier and Cavallaro (2006), discuss how anime is culturally ‘located’ – in the East or West, or somewhere else?

Although I have read through and through and after much consideration, I can’t decide where anime is culturally located. It seems that Napier and Cavallaro have avoided saying where, as it may cause commotion. (or I have just read the whole thing and seemed to have missed the point, lol). So for now, I’m just going to stick with my gut and say the EAST!  It is obvious that the West has definitely influenced the Japanese with their technique and approach into the media of animation.

Japanese animation wasn’t always perceived as part of the Japanese cultural, as it took awhile for this to be acknowledged by society, not only as a children’s genre. However, the message or themes are very heavy, in a sense that is it adult orientated and that storylines are complex? (though I may be wrong).

Napier (2006), suggests unlike cartons in the West, anime is mainstream pop culture phenomenon. Westerners were unexpected to see that an artistic form (anime), known commonly as children’s entertainment could deal with so many varieties. The intricate and interesting ways that anime project its stories, is the key element of its popularity. Not only do we see anime, on our tv screens, videos or dvds, it is now common and accepted to been seen in a cinema. 

Harri - Week Four

Is Tolkien’s notion of the ‘faery story’ linked to fantasy genre? How closely? 

Tolkien (1988), describes that ‘beast-fable’ is linked to fairy-stories, as the beast and birds talk like men in real fairy-stories. He implies that the magic of the ‘fairy realm’ is of its own nature, and that man cannot understand this. There are languages of birds, beasts and trees, which is main component in ‘beast-fable’ as the human race does not exist, and that animal form is only a mask upon a human race.

According to Tolkien (1988), the realm of ‘faery-story’ is filled with enchanted creatures such as beasts, birds, seas and beauty that is only present in this realm. The elements of this world create its own culture and genre as the strong hidden message, in which characters are subject to the capability of moral predicaments. In my opinion, Tolkien’s notion of the ‘faery story’ is linked fantasy genre because they both illustrate the means of the concept, which they both belong to the genre of imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure, especially in a setting other than the real world.

How does the fantasy genre relate to modern media such as video games?

Video games has evovled, as techonlogy is constistanly growing without us noticing this happening. We have come along way from playing ‘spacies’ to ‘sega’, to the different versions of ‘Play Station’ and now the portable devices of taking video games anywhere, and eveywhere you go. So has fantasy influenced this media? Most defintely! There are games such as ‘Final Fantasy’ and ‘God of War’ which portray the genre of fantasy. Although nowadays most video games are an adaption of movies. Harry Potter is one mainstream seen in video game form, along with Lord of The Rings. Having playing the games myself, there is something about it which draws my attention, and the need to play continously.

I guess the genre of fantasy relates to the media of video games, because the ‘player’ can control the characters destiny, and that the flavour of magic is the key that pulls you in. It captures you in a fanstastic place exciting wonder where imaginary creatures exist.

Sam wk6

Questions answered this week;

What are the underlying thematic of Princess Mononoke? How does it de-familiarize its historical setting, according to Napier (2005)?

Could Miyazaki's vision be described as in some sense religious (in as much as it conveys a sense of the sacred)?

Miyazaki de-familiarizing? The term aptly describes his efforts to dispel longstanding myths about Japanese culture, including those of it’s women too closely resembling subservient martyrs (those fragile little geishas!), and that of its intimate affinities and equilibrium with the natural world (compared to The West, by precedent criminally exploitative of the environment), a collectively peaceful communion with which implied in the decidedly feminine personification thereof; the passive, substantiating forces of ‘yin’, as if the Japanese were a nation of green-tea sipping contemplative monks (Napier, 2005).

Miyazaki offers a universe subverting these tenuous assumptions. Those of gender find relief in both the figure of Lady Eboshi (the female brute-capitalist) and her harem of opinionated ex-whores (not to mention the wolf-clan femme fatale herself, Princess Mononoke), and those of the Japanese being simpering nature-lovers  more poignantly remedied in Eboshi’s enactment of DOC nightmares and god-slaying, including the orchestration of petty bloodshed with neighbouring provinces over Irontown’s precious iron.

Napier (2005) also notes the film’s subversion of thematic conventions regarding representational norms of that (vaguely indicated) epoch in Japanese history. There are no patriarchal Samurai codes here, or even theatrically brandished swords for that matter; rather, the emphasis in Miyazaki’s mythic time period is on guns, a then-emerging technology of which Lady Eboshi is an avid enthusiast. This could be to give it’s conservationist idealism and Gaia-like threads of Nature vs. Man some modern relevance, to more closely resemble today’s world in which man’s sovereignty matches only his military might, the latter increasingly sophisticated with the advent of weapons technology.

Miyazaki’s pacifist stance on weapons of mass destruction and war in general is recurrent throughout his existing body of work; for example Howls Moving Castle in which the pandemonium of the London bombings is recreated with fictional nations warring over the ‘missing prince’ (who has actually been shape-shifted into a scare-crow) all of which is poignantly and yet satirically reminiscent of the events sparking World War One (though Ferdinand never suffered the magical-malady of Miyazaki’s own unfortunate prince).

Certainly, Miyazaki’s vision touches the ‘fantastic’, making allusions to godly or original forces predating the dominion of man and strangely dormant in the wake of his self-inflicted turmoil; but his themes are decidedly more spiritual than they are conventionally religious, paying no preachy reference to specific creeds or doctrines (except a humanist one?).

Princess Mononoke features a hierarchy of ‘celestial’ beings, gods and demons, the highest of these being the elusive and allusively Christ-like Forest Spirit, both giver of life and harbinger of death (Moro, Akoto). The face of the Forest Spirit, though described in the film by hearsay among different characters as being that of a man more closely resembles that of a goat (is this an incarnation of Pan?). What is more, it’s red eyes give it a ‘satanic’ look, and yet despite the demonization of the goat as the devils familiar and advocate Miyazaki’s creature as a symbol makes Base Nature, that Christian Evil, into a Good. If Miyazaki’s spiritual imagery is to be likened to any specific belief system (and here we must acknowledge that it is too universal for us to absolutely do so), then it could only be Paganism, in as much as it’s conceptions are vague, its codes barely existent and it’s aesthetic nearest to Mononoke’s polytheistic glorification of Nature. 

Week 5

In my opinion anime is culturally located in the East and primarily in Japan. Japan is anime's cultural hub and I dare say it's main centre in terms of popularity. As Napier (2006) puts it 'anime in Japan is truly a main stream pop-cultural phenomenon'.

Although in saying this anime's popularity is ever increasing and it's appeal is definitely being accepted by Western society. Napier (2006) goes on to confirm this by saying 'it is also a genuinely global phenomenon, both as a commercial and cultural force.'

Anime is gaining popularity due to the intricate and interesting way that ideas and stories are put across to the audience. Using modern technology of cinema as well as traditional Japanese art forms anime is the creation of a new literary experience. As in the example of 'Princess Mononoke' Miyazaki using the characters of ashitaka and san, teaches the values of courage, honour and loyalty as well as the pitfalls and hardships of war.

Napier (2006) sums up the appeal of anime perfectly when he states 'It is a unique artistic product, a local form of popular culture that shows clear indication of it's Japanese roots but at the same time exerts an increasingly wide influence beyond it's native shores.'

Another of it's appeals is the use of 'Shoujo' translated as either young girl or little female. The term is usually used for girls of pre-adolescent age around 12 or 13. The term is used metaphorically to characterise the change from infancy to maturity and in my opinion is effective as it also in a way characterises that change from a child's innocence to an awareness of self and an understanding of a persons place in the world.

Napier states; ' On the whole the world's depicted by 'shoujo' stories are serenely dreamy and bathed in an atmosphere of magic and wonder, in sharp contrast with the dark side of anime typically to be found in science fiction and wartime plots'. The use of 'shoujo' is significant as females spark more of an emotional appeal for both the male and female audience. Also due to the the 'dreamy' nature of 'shoujo' stories this can be more easily related to with a central female character.

Comments? :)

Gabriel Week 5

 Looking at Napier and Cavallaro (2006), discuss how anime is culturally ‘located’ – in the East or West, or somewhere else?


If one were to discuss 'where' anime is located it would be difficult to use the case study of Princess Mononoke as Napier discusses in detail the differences between 'traditional' anime and Miyazaki's interpretation of the genre, combining the traditional lore and aesthetics with western influences such as the cinematography and the conversion from television series's to feature length movies.


The line between east and west also becomes blurry. Miyazaki's influences from his culture are undeniable, but in doing so they also appeal to a universal audience as the message can still be interpreted openly. For as Napier explains Miyazaki's portrayal of aggressive expansion is not only explained by the reputation of the Japanese but is understood internationally because the issues being discussed are universal, rather than a story with socio-political issues only pertaining to his culture.

Gabriel Week 3

How is science fiction different from fantasy, according to Le Guin?

According to Le Guin, fiction is a story told using characters which do not exist in reality but yet in the story are interacting with places or people we know to exist (in reality). A fantasy story on the other hand is one entirely focused on what does not exist. For instance Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" consists of realistic characters, in real places, doing things, that although they may seem near impossible to achieve by regular people, have a sense of realism to them. Fantasy, as Le Guin states "is far more direct in its fictionality than either realism or science fiction" meaning that even thought the characters contain reflections of reality in their personalities the story can be as out of this world as the author can imagine because that is what the story is supposed to be, an escape from reality, while a fiction story is more an illusion of reality.

In what ways does Tax (2002) suggest Earthsea may still be relevant today?

I believe what Tax is trying to say is that although outwardly appearances may suggest otherwise the fantasy style with which this story is told provides and underlying message. As Tax states "they speak from the unconscious to the unconscious in the language of the unconscious". Messages passed through in the way we understand the story, but that are not obvious, put there to allow the reader to make his or her own meanings out of what the story is saying. For instance the Shadow from the novel, may to some only represent what we don't know of ourselves, but to another it could symbolize some addiction or a secret. I have not read the other stories but from what I understand of what Tax has written about them they also hold relevance to people of anytime, not just of today, in the sense that these stories all feature and under-dog, one who overcomes his or hers restraints and discovers themselves in the journey. I believe this to be a timeless message, one that seems always to reflect society even if it is one that did not exist at the time the story was written, because these are common traits in all of humanity.

Sam wk 5

Questions answered this week (tada!);

Is anime a genre or a media? Is it a branch of film or another mode?

Is it a high or low cultural genre, according to Napier (2005)? What are some of its subgenres?



Napier (2005), in seeking to differentiate anime from other forms of animation (thus explaining why it has flourished so broadly as a style in its own right), compares it to popular western styles (inevitably dredging Disney), anime having a comparatively diverse range of themes, frequently featuring content otherwise reserved for live-action films. Also, Napier observes anime’s ability to transcend ‘generational lines’, whereas western animation, though not exclusive to, generally produces for younger audiences (not excluding the wizards at Pixar whose films, though offering much for ‘adult’ viewers, does this almost slyly, as knowing aside and/or innuendo). Napier goes further than anime’s superior thematic range, citing Ledoux and Ranney in their observations of even earliest anime (circa the 1970’s), in it’s stylistic variation of “unusual camera angles and extreme close-ups”, as opposed to the “action obsessed middle-distance” of western styles of animation. Anime, then, offers a visual scrutiny, affectively constructing “unique aesthetic worlds” (Napier, 2005), outmoding near-infantilized American-produced animation in its current wide-spread (and escalating) popularity (Japan’s shamefully anime obsessed “otaku” roughly synonymous with ‘geek’, Napier, 2005).

Napier cites animation scholar Paul Wells in asserting “the primacy of the image and it’s ability to metamorphose into a completely different image”, before crediting anime with this very ‘primacy’ in it’s embodiment of the hyper-relativity of “fluctuating post-modern identities” (2005). According to Napier anime does this in assuming three almost archetypal discoursal modes; apocalyptic, festival and elegiac (being not absolutely categorical, rather frequently overlapping).

For an example of anime’s ‘apocalyptic’, we can look to its numerous ‘cyberpunk’ entries (e.g. Akira), these being often cynical reflections (and paranoid visions) of techno-culture, artistic reconcilement of collective anxieties over the possible trajectories of technological development and advancement in society. Anime indeed acts as ‘high cultural medium’ when voicing these shared digital nightmares (Napier, 2005).

For an explanation of ‘festival’ Napier (2005) cites Mikhail Bakhtin’s “carnivalesque”, namely, “the pathos of shifts and changes, of death and renewal”, the “joyful relativity” of norms transgressed and inverted. An obvious example from the anime canons is Satoshi Kon’s ‘Paprika’ (2005), borrowing science-fiction threads from it’s cyber-punk sibling. Paprika is a ‘super-shrink’, offering therapies in which, by the grace of cutting-edge a nano-device, she descends into the dreams of paying subjects, battling emancipated psychological demons, as her subject’s orgiastic subconscious marches literally ‘carnivalesque’ through suitably whimsical dreamscapes. Visually, she is a scantily clad vixen, and her liaisons with ‘paying customers’ resemble shady meetings in prostitute dens, only it is She being paid to ‘penetrate’ the psyche of He. This deliberate sexualization and reversal of roles in what clearly parallels a sex act is exactly the type of gleeful norm-inversion constituting festival anime.

Finally there’s ‘elegiac’ anime, “lyrically mourning” in it’s emphasis on cultural loss, with Napier’s examples ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ chronicling actual historical events towards the end of the Second World War, and ‘Princess Mononoke’, lamenting the wedge driven between humanity and it’s initial environmental equilibrium, the latter lost with the advent of the industrial age (2005).

In the rapidity of it’s thematic/visceral transformations, Napier concludes anime an encapsulation of the ‘post-modern’ melting pot that is identity politics (more so than it’s tenuous western counterparts, that one sense has no such lofty aspirations anyway), making it by the sheer magnitude of it’s depth and range more a (high-cultural) media/medium than a ‘genre’ (the latter better describing obvious throwaway commodities of the entertainment industry which anime, though not without it’s fodder, is decidedly not).

One could go so far as calling anime a modern, globally minded cultural phenomenon (the otaku/geeks will be happy).

Sam wk 4

Questions answered (attempted) this week;



How does Tolkien (1964) define fantasy? Compare and contrast this to the other definitions from last week’s reader?


Is Tolkien’s notion of the ‘faery story’ linked to fantasy genre? How closely?


Style is important in fantasy for the same reasons consistency is (Attebery, 1980); namely, readers are entering newly constructed realms and the nature of these worlds, their different socio-cultural and geographical flavours are as strongly impressed on readers by the style of the introduction, as much as they are the characters and narrative itself. Stylistic undertones or subtly fixed modalities of description strengthen the idiosyncrasies and subsequent individuality of that world. Tax (2000) enthusiastically confirms Le Guin as a master stylist, recognizing the Earth-Sea books as the result of a writer truly devoted to her craft. She goes on to compare Le Guin to J.K. Rowling, the latter being Tax’s example of an author having allowed herself, and more importantly the Potter universe, to be made a commodity of. The production-line speed at which Rowling produces her next installments (galvanizing an all too eager movie-machine) differs vastly from the meandering arrivals of Le Guin’s Earth-Sea sequels, with many self-reflective years in-between for Le Guin to really expound on her established universe. In Tax’s opinion, Rowling cannot be seriously considered a fantasy writer when she’s stylistically closer to “contemporary realism”, plotting her worlds with parody rather than invention (2000).


Tolkien (1988) identifies the ‘happy ending’, infamously exclusive to the fairy-tale, as that which separates the fairy-story from high-fantasy. Lord of the Rings, what with its “happy ending” could, by a willful amnesia of its monolithic reputation, be considered an elaborate fairytale, rather than the intricately realized fantasy epic it’s been lauded as for decades. Earth-Sea on the other hand is ambiguously tolerant of it’s evil or ‘shadow’, the Roke masters preaching balance over the indelible (dare I say it, Christian) suppression of separatist forces in the land. Earth-Sea, though appearing to end ‘happily’ what with the survival of Ged and tearful reunion of Vetch with Yarrow, remains ideologically (or theologically) un-sugarcoated. Earth-Sea then, by Tolkiens standards at least, is high-fantasy in it’s refusal to designate Absolute Good and Evil in the composition of its unique universe.

Tolkien (1988) also closely observes the ‘fairy’ (or faery) of the fairy story. According to Tolkien it is not the ‘fantastic’ or ‘fairy’ elements of such a narrative constituting the genre, rather constitutive factors are strong moral overtones in which characters (admittedly more ‘fantastic’ than those featured in regular fiction) are brought to moral cross-roads and exposed to the unconscionable, subject to carefully crafted moral dilemmas. In the traditionally oral origins of like-fables (Tolkien, 1988), target audiences would undoubtedly have been children, parents wrapping moral lessons in suitable whimsy hoping to instill the story’s morale with the lure of the ‘happy ending’. Tolkien himself cites the marchen (1988), one of the earliest spoken forms of the faery story as serving purposes far beyond the entertainment-value modernity has stripped them down to, such as imaginatively reconciling the sense of class-oppression as well as the aforementioned moral lessons for the young, among other things.

Beast fables and/or fairy stories in which the ‘fey folk’ literally feature, Tolkien suggests are representative of mans desire to commune with non-human intelligences (1988). It could be speculated that these stories in which animals and ‘sprites’ (or spirits of the earth) speak to man reveal a desire to reconcile his exploitative dominion over the earth, an unconscious wish for equilibrium in which humanity’s needs are met without irreparably exhausting the earth’s resources. Certainly, Earth-Sea is an example of conservationist idealism; the Roke masters themselves warn against manipulating nature, an excess of which might cataclysmically derail the natural order. Earth-Sea’s ‘natural order’ is all-inclusive of what, in other fantasy works, is conventionally labeled ‘evil’, and with it’s protagonist fearlessly merging with his ‘shadow’ encourages readers to similarly face the ‘existential discard-pile’ of other theologically-oriented works (e.g. Tolkien, Lewis).

Fantasy and the faery story are similar in their explorations of good vs. evil. However, the latter hasn’t the scope to question the established conventions thereof, and in fact has other purposes, like with the marchen; it’s the unquestioned absolutism of a faery story’s right/wrong that drives it’s narratives to their happy endings, satisfying in their simplicity. Alternatively, fantasy has the option of breaking with convention, of climactically inverting its good/evil conflict, like with earth-Sea. However fantasy does not have to make use of this potential, and can have the broadest scope while clinging strongly to the devout good/evil simplicity of a faery story, like with Lord of the Rings.

Week 3

Five interesting examples that I found from Attebury regarding how fantasy has been defined as a genre all come from the main basis that fantasy is, if not a direct contradiction to reality then definitely a supreme exaggeration of it.

As Irwin, W. R. (1976) states fantasy is "An overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility" (cited in Attebury 1980). Irwin, W. R (1976) is further quoted as saying 'a narrative is a fantasy if it presents the persuasive establishment and development of an impossibility, an arbitrary construct of the mind with all under the control of logic and rhetoric.' Attebury (1980) goes on further to say "Any narrative which includes as a significant part of it's make-up some violation of what the author easily believes to be natural law - that is fantasy." These definitions assert that the author tells a story which is significantly different from that which is likely to happen in the world as we know it. For that reason I particularly like the next definition which is 'Fantasy involves wonder by making the impossible seem familiar and and the familiar seem new and strange'. The term 'wonder' instantly puts a picture in my mind of something magical and maybe out of this world. When reading the Wizard of Earthsea it is easy to imagine that wizardry is a normal everyday occurrence and when Ged is building a boat it is easy to question why he doesn't just magically make one appear. I think the story is so effective because Le Guin defines her version of magic and why Ged would rather make a boat then magically create one. In the story every act of magic has it's own consequence which helps lend to it an aspect of reality making it easier to connect with a fantasical story.

One definition that Attebury wrote of however seems to contradict the above definitions of fantasy. As cited in Tolkein(1965) he writes 'founded upon the hard recognition that things are so in the world as it appears under the sun; on a recognition of fact but not a slavery to it. Have I interpreted this wrong or does this appear more to be a definition of science fiction?

On the point of science fiction I read the article by Le Guin in which she details the differences between science fiction and fantasy. According to Le Guin (n.d) 'science fiction is a branch of realism'. Science fiction can either re-write the past or invent the future. As the future is basically whatever the imagination would like to make of it science fiction uses the basis of reality and stretches this image to create a new existence. As Le Guin (n.d) states realism and science fiction both employ plausibility to win the readers consent to the fiction'. They use scenarios which are an exaggeration of how readers view the world in the present (without streatching the truth to far) to help us believe that the event could occur in another time. She further goes on to state 'Fantasy is far more direct in it's fictionality than either realism or science fiction.' Fantasy doesn't cause the reader to question whether the story really could occur as the reader already knows that the story is not based in truth or reality.

Harri - Week Three

What are some archetypes (e.g. common character types) of fantasy fiction?

There are many archetypes or common characters in fantasy fiction. You’ve got your typical characters such as; the chosen one, a wizard or sorcerer, the best friend, sidekick or companion, a love interest, dark wizard or witch, role model or parental figure. The list can go on, but its time for some examples.

Harry Potter is a classic example of the ‘chosen one’ as he bears the scar of a notorious foe – Voldermort. He cheated death, as he was the only being to withstand the great Voldermort as this created the saga of ‘the boy who lived’. Harry Potter overcomes many obstacles and battles with new enemies, although he makes a lot of eminent friends. Everyone knows the legend of ‘the boy who lived’ and because of this Harry is seen as a big threat, but we all know that he is destined to be the prime wizard of all time.

 In fantasy fiction there is always a love interest, and sometimes this can cause distraction or mayhem for the ‘chosen one’. Disney’s adaption, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice illustrates this as Dave turns down the option of being a sorcerer because his childhood crush has feeling for him, and he wants to retain a normal life, without the concept of magic existing. However the plot changes, as Becky accepts Dave fate, and together they overcome barriers that interrupt his journey of becoming a sorcerer.

Now a role model or parental figure is not common in fantasy fiction but is it the reader who can interpret these archetypes. I have seen (more like interpreted) that most characters are independent, however some rely on others to guide them on the right path. In Harry Potter, Hagrid and Dumbledore are like father figures and role models for Harry. Although he may not always be open with them, he knows that there is someone he can always turn to in time of need or advice.

In what ways does Tax (2002) suggest Earthsea may still be relevant today? 

Le Guin’s series of Earthsea is indescribable as Tax (2002) describes her work as “unpredictable books whose meanings are too elusive to be easily controlled”.  Her themes in her stories express all sorts of ideas, which relate to today’s society. Tax (2002) talks about political and social themes that Le Guin uses, for example the concept of the typical male hero, and how women are left to do chores and work such as farming. Although is took Le Guin at least 20 years to produce the third Earthsea book, she wanted to position herself in the book, now showing a female’s perspective, as she wanted to know “what would happen to a woman in a ‘Tolkien’ world”.

I guess Le Guin, opened a door for female writers of fantasy fiction, in a way that sci –fi and heroic fantasy began as the province of men. (Tax, 2002). Despite the fact that there was that time and era that everything was seen from a ‘mans’ point of view and that it was a ‘man’ world, Le Guin has definitely made an impact of the means to be a female writer, and to pour ‘femaleness’ (if it’s a word) into context for all to read. Earthsea lets us “wind into our imagination and help set us free”. (Tax, 2002)

SCREENING THIS WEEK

There will be a screening of Hayao Miyazaki's PRINCESS MONONOKE on Thursday 19th in WT 901 from 12 until 2.20 pm. It's a long film so we will need to start immediately after 12. Attendance is mandatory.

Aimee - Week Three

Hey there, late to the party as usual...

For this post I'd like to look at the archetypes found in fantasy.

Something that (speaking from personal experience here) seems common to all fantasy is the New Guy. Or the Young Apprentice, or even the Chosen One (But Shhh, He Doesn't Know It Yet). Each of these archetypes are generally the same character. You know the one; the guy who stumbles into a new world or situation, maybe flubs the first meeting, or has to blindly feel his way through all the madcap craziness around him. He'll be someone unassuming, someone you won't expect. He's the one to whom all this is new, and so he's the window, the set of eyes that the reader/viewer can most comfortably look through. After all, we're new to it all too.

Examples? Easy. Toilkein's Frodo Baggins springs to mind, or any of his young hobbits...although, now that I think of it, Sam Gamgee might be a better fit. Sam is entirely unassuming, completely humble, and utterly unselfish. He doesn't see his role as great until it is pointed out to him by Frodo ("What about Samwise the Brave...Frodo never would have got as far as he did without Sam, you know...") and despite the overwhelming nature of Middle Earth, Sam just keeps going.

Another? Sure, how about Pug, from Raymond E. Feist's Wizard's Apprentice. Now, I didn't particularly like this book, nor did I finish it, but I didn't have to to see that Pug fits this role perfectly. He's a bit of nobody, but through a rather odd series of events, some how manages to end up apprenticed (there's that word...) to the Castle's wizard. Add to that, Pug not only has power magic lying dormant inside him, his magic is different from everyone else's. Pug goes from being something of a communal errand boy to The Next Big Thing.

Let's go for three; Harry. Poor Harry Potter. This kid has got to have the shittiest end of any stick that ever was. I mean, really. This is pretty much his archetype, right here. This kid has pretty much nothing growing up. Knowing what I know about child development, its a miracle he didn't grow up to be a rampaging sociopath. Harry is the foundling, the orphan (and also the Chosen One, but shh, he won't find out til the fourth book). He comes into the Wizarding world without a clue and is pretty much hurled into the deep end. Since this is all completely new to him, the reader has no problem relating to his wonder, his fear, his delight in this new world.

There are a million more that I can think of off the top of my head, but I'd been here all day and so would you.

So, moving on.

Another archetype, which I'm sure everyone is familiar with, is Wizard. You've all met him. Gandalf, Dumbledore, heck even Terry Pratchet's Ridcully, though he's a little unorthodox. Each of them harks back to that old time religion of the Norse gods. Tolkein drew heavily on Norse and Celtic myth, especially for his creation of Gandalf and his opposite, Sauron, the pair of them being the two aspects of One-Eyed Odin.

As I'm sure you can guess, the Wizard is generally a noble creature, perhaps a little eccentric, who appears as a grey bearded old man (whether he actually is old, bearded or in fact a man is sometimes questionable) who has the tendency to be relclusive. His hermitry is generally impeded or broken completely by the Young Apprentice, although in some cases it goes the other way (Frodo and Gandalf, Harry and Dumbledore).

Merlin is probably the one we all remember best from childhood, especially in the Disney rendition "The Sword in the Stone". Disney's Merlin was one odd guy, but he was rather endearingly crotchety...and the perfect introduction to the archetype. His more adult incarnations include Mary Stewart's Myrddin from "The Crystal Caves" and Sam Neil's character in the eponymous mini-series "Merlin", neither of which flinched from the wizard's darker sides.

Which brings us to the final archetype of this diatribe: The Dark Lord. Or Dark Queen, depending on your favored fiction. Now these guys and gals you will find everywhere. I mean, even the very first My Little Pony movie had a Dark Lord. Rescue from Midnight Castle was a classic (I don't care what you say, it was awesome) and its dark lord Tirek was actually pretty scary for a story that was supposed to be all about the glitter and cuddly equines. Other examples include the aforementioned Sauron as well as his predecessor Morgoth, JK Rowling's Voldemort and on the Dark Queen side of things, The White Witch from CS Lewis's Narnia series, Morgra the wolf sorceress from David Clement-Davis's "The Sight" and, let's face it, Maleficent from Disney's "Sleeping Beauty". That chick scared the crap out of me as a kid.

Anyway, I've rambled about as far as I sanely can, so this is me, asking for a few other contributions. Anything you guys wanna add? I know I've missed a few (understatement) so... Any takers?

Week One - Filip

Hello everyone :]


Starting with the more personal question of whether comics are for children or adults, my heart shouts a simple answer; adults are just big kids!



A 'rock solid' grounding in reality is how Farr (1991) justifies Tintin's appeal to readers across generations. Farr also cites Herge on the strength of the comic's characters; 'words would come directly out of the characters' mouths' and as Herge seemed to live vicariously through Tintin 'rather than becoming a reporter himself', he'd have felt more genuine to readers.

Putting more of the real world and himself into his work made it all the more relatable.
'The main newspaper's circulation quickly doubled on Thursdays when the supplement appeared with its latest installment of Tintin, it subsequently tripled, then sextupled.'
Following the feat of fuelling sales of its debut newspaper alone, his first publisher for the comics couldn't keep up with the demand. That's amazing; the proof is in the pudding!

Authenticity helps the credbility of a story and is something Herge took seriously.
'Every motorcar was an exact model, revolvers were copied from arms manufacturers' catalogues...'
(I sure feel better about keeping my personal archives of pictures now :3 )
'He was almost obsessive about keeping material that could on some occasion be of possible use.'
I see this obsession in minor details from my reading of 'Tintin and the Blue Lotus'; like giving insight to how the blades of Chinese swords would be sharpened such that even finer objects like paper or hair would cut themselves against the blade with the lightest touch.
The details are also used to supplement the element of mystery, as in a case where the character of Tintin deduces a scenario following the clue of a car's presence evidenced by a fresh patch of oil on the street.



Encouraged by a priest who worked with Chinese students, Herge sought to develop the authenticity of his work further and improve its quality by looking beyond cliches of his comics' topical cultures.
In 1934, he met with Chang Chon-chen, a student studying sculpture. The two got along well, and Chen gave Herge great insight into Chinese culture. Chen's name is given to a character in The Blue Lotus whom Tintin bonds with, providing an analogous relationship which dealt, in Herge's words, 'the sweeping away of prejudices.'

Herge began to take his research even more seriously when concerning cultures at this time, sketching activities and dresses of the culture he was studying.
This synergized with his journalistic edge in a political accuracy which was very sensitive to current events, notably the threats of world war.



Edward W. Said (1978) looks at Orientalism specifically not as the glorification or demonizing of a culture, but the integration of the culture -'It is, rather than expresses, a certain will or intention to understand' (p 90)
While Tintin has its subversion of stereotypes, Herge's geopolitical awareness extends beyond that; seeking to understand and not just merely sympathize.



Varnum (2001) gives two key differences between images and words.
Drawing support from Plato's Cratylus, Varnum reasons images can stand the test of time, while words 'are useful only insofar as their signification is commonly understood.'

I wonder about classical literature and the language aged just a couple of hundred years which can dilute a reader's understanding, whereas a cave painting has little trouble in delivering its message across thousands of years.
Varnum then cites Gotthold Lessing's eighteenth century works. 'It is that while words must be spoken or written one after the other in time and are apprehended sequentially, the elements of an image are arranged side by side in space and are apprehended all at once.'
There's little doubt in my mind this plays a large part in the success of visual media Varnum describes early in his text.
Varnum considers comics a hybrid, '(blurring) the distinction between literature and the visual arts.'
And with regard to controversy surrounding comics -'...no combination of the two could be made without compromising the integrity of both.'

Comics should be regarded as a literary genre, though with the distinction of being a hybrid medium.
They are becoming more accepted as more literary purists are bred out over the generations.



Anyone else notice more of a stigma against comics from literary critics than visual art critics?
It makes me wonder :]

What does Baetens (2001) mean by ‘monstration’, ‘graphiation’ and the ‘graphiateur’?

Graphiation is defined as 'the narrative and graphic enunciation of the comics'. I believe this to mean that how the illustration is drawn also serves to depict the attitude and feel behind what is occuring, it is all very well to show a person hiding around a corner but graphiation would be the addition of darkness/shadows and from which point of view the illustration is drawn. Colours and shades are indicators, used by the author to show the emotion and mood of the scene which are not depicted simply by the expression of the characters face or body language and the graphiateur is the person who combines the written words with the images showing how the narrative is developing.

Monstration is the further development of the illustrations, in the sense that a single scene without words or description manages to depict the narrative, as Rizwana said it can be likened to a silent movie, in which the plot develops with images, without the words telling the audience what is going on.

Week One

'Do you think comics are a children's or adults media?

Tintin comics are somewhat blurry when trying to analyse whether or not comics are an adults or childrens genre in the sense that, obviously they appeal to children through the cartoons and humorous action delivered through herosim and adventure. But where it becomes slightly more mature are when the plot of the comic becomes centered on drug trafficking and kidnapping. I remember reading about the multiple kidnappings of Lois Lane in the Superman comics when I was younger, but with that level of fantasy in the story, the kidnapping serves only as a trap for the superhero to come save the day. Tintin is a little different, he is not a superhero, he is a human and therefore anything happening to him has a much more realistic impact on the audience. Comics have always exaggerated the antics of its protagonists so it will appeal to the little boy/girl who wants to fly around and save the day but they also contain themes, as to also appeal to the adult audience. The Blue Lotus for example contains the typical hero story in which the good guy saves the day, but an adult can see the messages put in by the author which speaks of drug epidemics and the lunacy associated with drug use, all of which a child may find amusing but to an adult is a commentary on society.

'How and why are comics becoming more accepted as an art form? Can/should they be accepted as a literary genre?

To argue that comics are not a form of literature would be close minded, obviously with much of the story delivered through text and what the character's saying, the literary aspects cannot be ignored but in saying that, comics do contain less literary quality than say a novel or a poem. The words, although the plotline requires them for clarity reasons, are not always well chosen, nor is it of a high quality, but as Varnum and Gibbons (2001) state that "stories, in comics are received as a graphic whole and as the creation of a single 'graphiateur'". Suggesting that although the comics are a mixture of both art and literature, the purpose is to unite the two, allowing the reader to see the comic as a whole rather than a story with pictures.

In that same sense they are becoming more accepted as an art form because the illustrations are not just the charicatures and characters but also the speech bubbles and the words being spoken by a character. (Varnum and Gibbons 2001) mention that Kordoc focused on the speech bubbles in Asterix, stating that "the ballons tell the reader how to hear the message. They are visual symbols for sound". This is why I believe comics should be classed as both art and literature, not excluded because of it's hybrid nature.

Sam wk 3

This week I've attempted to answer the following questions;

How is science-fiction different from fantasy according to Le Guin?

Can you identify any common fantasy meta-narratives from your own reading/viewing?

Note while you are reading A Wizard of Earthsea Le Guin's depiction of race and/or gender. Is there anything surprising in this? Why?


Fantasy, (both Attebery, 1980 and Le Guin agreeing) generally has to mitigate it’s whimsy with consistency as (for example, with Earth Sea) original universes are being established and an author cannot rely on a readers previous impressions of place; rather a reader must be taken in hand and introduced to these invented realms fully realised. Earth Sea’s introductory geographical descriptions, elaborate and consistent throughout, substantiate Le Guin’s ‘secondary world’ occasionally allowing it to touch with naturally occurring phenomena of the actual, if only to further “extrapolate” it from the real, anchoring fantastic narratives in a believably parallel world (Attebery, 1980). Tolkein was aware of this, having written pedantically about the panoramic layout of his Middle Earth before plotting or even populating it.

This then separates fantasy from science fiction in that the latter builds no alternate reality, rather juxtaposes the mundane world with supernatural happenings and, as it hasn’t constructed it’s own rules (as with the world building of fantasy), is forced to bend or break the rules frequently calling on a readers suspension of disbelief, as opposed to the initial affective ‘wonder’ of fantasy (Attebery, 1980). Meaning with this that fantasy lays it’s foundation tax of the imagination, expanding from and maintaining this while science-fiction is a succession of absurdist ‘what ifs?’.

Fantasy can also operate as allegory (which of course science fiction can too), writers utilizing these alternate realities as open spaces in which the mysterious or threatening forces of our own reality can be archetypally reconciled. Attebery (1980) identifies the moral and the philosophical as fundamental elements of the fantasy genre, most notably the thematic recurrence of ‘good vs. evil’, which can be seen in anything from Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter. It could even be said that many western literatures of the genre incorporate biblical threads to elevate their good/evil conflict to the status of myth or fable. Le Guin’s Earth Sea is rife with such references (debatably there to reinforce the messianic nature of her protagonist). For example, during one of Sparrowhawk’s sea voyages an unruly wind is roused by his shadow, closely resembling the story of Jonah, the stowaway fugitive from god whose ill favour with the divinity made the seas storm (until a fellow crew member kindly suggests casting him over board, successfully placating the weather).

However, in Earth Sea Le Guin seems to have unnecessarily borrowed some of the bible’s prejudices, namely those denigrating of women. For example, Duny’s crone mentor is presented as being a crooked or fickle practitioner of the craft, with the additional old Gont saying “weak/wicked as woman’s magic”. Throughout the text there’s a decided lack of women in the mage-world, as if they’re somehow unfit to wield magic, being innately impotent or amoral. Unfortunately Le Guin offers no clue as to why Earth Sea women are positioned as subordinate, or why the practice of magic is an almost exclusively male-dominated one.

This is perhaps an attitudinal by-product of the earlier time period in which Earth Sea was written, or at least Le Guin could have excused herself as such before a chapter in which the novel’s only major female character plays a role excruciatingly similar to Eve’s, the great temptress of Genesis guilty of smuggling sin into a perfect world, and single-handedly marring the moral aptitude of mate Adam. Sparrowhawk, unwittingly driven by his shadow to a mysterious stone-tower, is almost seduced into relinquishing his power to a terrible, ancient force in it’s foundation; attempted seduction committed by none other than the beautiful Serret, female agent of a nameless evil. Le Guin’s gender bias is inexplicable, and barely redeemed with the entrance of Vetch’s younger sister Yarrow, who despite being less-nefarious remains a weak, ‘Lolita’-styled representation. Again, if fantasy must labour to convince it’s audiences by intermittently curbing it’s ‘fantastic’ realms with doses of the real, then Earth Sea’s sexism might just be an un-critical reflection of that time.

Let’s hope so.

Week 2

This week I am going to discuss further what Harri has posted in regards to 'Monstration', 'Graphiation' and 'Graphiateaur'; and also give my opinion on what Khardoc thinks the Asterix series does better that Herge's Tintin.

Baetons (2001) describes Graphiation as 'the narrative and graphic enunciation of the comics' and the Graphiateaur as 'the agent responsible for it'. I understand this to mean that Graphiation is the style in which an image is drawn which creates a certain tone or setting for the story. The tone and sentiment of the author can be detected by the way in which lines, contours and colours are used in the comics images and this is then underlined by the accompanying utterance.

Monstration is described as 'events are performed by the characters themselves in a situation in which the story seems to narrate itself, without any narrators intervention'. In this instance the process is like a silent movie in which all information is gained by seeing the character in action.

Khardoc explains how narration can detract from the Graphiation in a comic and how for this reason as well as others he believes the Asterix series does better than Herge's Tintin. He explains that in the Tintin series speech balloons were used as well as narrative commentary at the bottom of each panel in order to further explain the story. However this proved confusing to the reader as the focus was then split between the image and the narration . In the Asterix series the use of speech balloons helped to create an idea that the utterances were coming directly from the character which helped to sync the the image to what the character was saying.

The Asterix series also uses various strategies to create 'sound' in order to promote the humour of the cartoon. Herge does not use many 'sound' techniques in the Tintin series, however Khardoc does allow that this could be due to the more intricate nature of the comic.

Harri - Week Two

According to Horricks (2004), how have perceptions of comics as media changed?

According to Horricks (2004), in the 1950s there was a widespread concern on the influence which comics have on young readers in New Zealand, and what about the mediums of music and television which also influence the younger generation? This has changed over time as comics have made a big leverage in society, in movies, books, and TV programmes. The whole concept of hero versus villains is adapted from the medium of comics. Although comics are looked upon as drawing in boxes that tell amusing stories, Horricks (2004) describes comics as graphic novels as they are known in book-length form. Horricks (2004), also argues that comics aren’t given as much appreciation as it applies with other literature book, and that we should consider the ‘beauty’ within a comic, almost like judging a book by its cover scenario.

Horricks (2004), explains that we often find ourselves puzzled by the popularity of a new genre or medium as some people relate to this when working with or reading comics.  He also suggests that we always focus on components such as the characters, plot, and narrative structure, so when we come across a piece which is weak within these areas, we dismiss the medium, and so goes on the perception of comics as a media.

What does Baetens (2001) mean by ‘monstration’, ‘graphiation’ and the ‘graphiateur’?

Baetens (2001), describes ‘graphiation’ as the distinguishing factor between the narrator and the graphic artist – a maker of images and calligrapher, but the ‘graphiateur’ is what makes these two elements different. The graphiation is where the individual artist aims to coincide the meanings of his or hers drawings with the targeted theme or genre of a comic. Baetens (2001) also implies that “every drawing bears the trace of graphiation” , and that the interpretation of lines, colours, letter or words give the concept of what the graphiateur and his or her graphiation is likely to provide.

Monstration, however is a different element from graphiation and graphiateur, as they are both linked to each other whereas ‘monstration’ and a different concept. According to Baetens (2001), she indicates that ‘monstration’ is linked to the theory of storytelling and how graphiation and the graphiateur are not involved in this process.  Baetens (2001) cites Gaudreault’s theory of ‘monstration’ is hidden in comics as we heavily rely on the graphics to tell the story, even though narration is present, as the process of ‘monstration’ tends to go unnoticed and not shown.  

Sam, wk 2

(Know it’s a little bit late but will definitely catch up within the week. Also, I’ve answered the following two questions in the one post, as instructed/corrected.)


According to Horricks (2004), how have perceptions of comics as a media changed?


Compare the relationship between images and words and how these differ in Hergé (1933) and Spiegelman’s (2004) works.

Horricks (2004) first defines the comic, differentiating it from the static image in that it’s a succession of panels dictating a narrative (in which the SPACE across panels is read as TIME), the narrative comprehension invisibly occurring in-between these panels aptly called ‘closure’. The ‘closure’ of Tintin is conventional in that it’s sequentially linear, panels succeeding each other in a classical narrative grid which, considering the simultaneity of Tintin’s ‘younger’ audiences could be seen as both deliberate child-friendly simplicity, but also as proof of an emerging format establishing it’s basics before its popularity could allow any such ‘experimental grandeur’ of modern pioneers, the likes of Spiegelman. At the core of each work, that of both Herge and Spiegelman, is a shared unrest over current political events, though in Herge’s work there’s some reason to identify as his underlying incentive an optimistic reversal of then-widespread xenophobic attitudes, Herge’s political allegories being but vehicles in his whimsically ambitious bid to integrate all the cultures of the world.

Tintin himself is a somewhat stereotypical ‘British fellow’, the new-and-improved ‘colonist-as-tourist’ whom Herge hopes will take a similarly ‘white-collared’ readership with him (every man and his iconically British ‘snowy’ dog) on his wide-eyed globe-trotting, sharing in the same epiphanies and cultural insights, rousing in a dated-British reader a heady, then-modern sense of the ‘global village’. Horricks (2004) cites the ‘jingoistic’ nature of some American comics as one of the earliest causes for criticism against the infant genre. Tintin is no exception as Herge chronicles the discovery of exotic realms and races through European eyes, suggesting the European outlook is not only somehow superior to those stumbled upon off the continent, but also as transcending the category of ‘race’; rather it is the perceptual framework of the human experience itself.

Spiegelman’s “In the Shadow of No Towers’ is similarly patriotic, but seeks to distil (or instil) a subverted patriotism, offering views and political insights that argue rather than compliment the standard American identity, blindly trusting of (obedient to ) it’s government. Also unlike Tintin, Spigelman’s closure functions sporadically, the grid of his narrative broken, the effect of which is immersive and plays out closer to Kochalka’s world building; SPACE=SPACE over SPACE=TIME (Horricks, 2004). This then marks the modernization of comics in that Spiegelman’s ‘Towers’ does away with allegory, being openly commemorative of 9/11, mapping emotional landscapes with its anarchic panelling instead of simply ‘plotting’ and inhabiting these highly subjective spaces with American’s that, unlike Herge’s Tintin, are bewildered, despairing and ultimately disillusioned about their national identity; no ‘jingoistic’ characters here, rather the ‘Towers’ populace are the anti-patriots.

That ‘Towers’ does away with the tentative political allegory of Tintin (which in its time was ‘controversial’), replacing it instead with overt illustrated-complaint without guise of innocent fable, says much about both the democratic atmospheres then and now, and also the comic-book genre itself, both of which having seen immense shifts in (aesthetic) paradigm (Horricks, 2004). That such subversive and politically oriented subject matter can be put forth in the pages of a comic book signals the maturation of the genre, that comics can now significantly communicate with audiences beyond escapism, perhaps even (as with Spiegelman) capture the unheard voice of a generation. Indeed, Spiegelman even ironically uses the comic-book, discussing America’s loss of innocence through a youth-affiliated medium so that his means is as much a message as his text. Truly, when the genre is harnessed as the unitary point of so poignantly layered a cultural awareness (such as Spiegelman’s), then that is a ‘comic-book’ worthy of a spot in ‘significant’ canons of literature; we might even be moving into a trend of ‘significant comics’ in which the genre is the preferred medium for subversive illustrators, looking for a more ‘knowing’, instantaneous or immersive means of communication. It makes sense that somone so politically driven would choose the comic-genre in that, visually, the emotional brunt of any message can be instantaneous, as opposed to the gradual digestion of text alone; it has an urgency which books lack.

(I know there’s basically an underground society when it comes to comics, so pardon my ignorance if we’re already in the midst of the above proposed trend).

Harri - Week ONe

Do you think comics are children or adult genre/media?

Comics. Are they children or adult genre? The first thing that comes to mind when someone speaks of ‘comics’ is a book full of pictures and fictional characters suitable for younger readers. We think of heroes such as Superman and X-Men, and the many times that they always win the battle. However, comics are a fascination and as Rizwana stated below “they cater to a wide range of audiences...” The genre of the comic depends on the readers preference and interest, but we also need to realise that as a reader we interpret our own way of understanding the storyline and that opinions may differ in regards of whether the context of the story was appropriate or not.

In Herge’s production of the Tintin series; Tintin in the Congo, he received some criticism with characters and racial context he used. Characters are imitated with childlike natives. The colour of skin stands out (used pitch black colours as skin tone), facial details such as big noses or lips have also been used and cultural background is also depicted through the themes in its story. (NZ Herald, 19 July 2007). Although young readers may not interpret such a meaning, where as an adult reader could clearly see how racial themes have been used throughout the story.

Herge tries to correct racial stereotypes of Chinese among Europeans in Tintin and the Blue Lotus. Tintin explains to his dear friend Chang that not all ‘White’ men are wicked or conniving people and that we shouldn’t judge people based on what others perceive them to be. So to finally answer the topic question, comics are both children and adult media as this media considers all its potential readers.

How might Herge’s The Blue Lotus address or relate to what Said (1977) terms ‘orientalism’?

Tintin and The Blue Lotus has by far been Herge’s best work out of all the Tintin series, The Blue Lotus has been carefully well thought out as it is portrayed through the Chinese culture and art applied in Herge’s work. Herge’s cultural inspiration comes from a Chinese art student Chang Chong-chen (Farr, 1991) who’s name ‘Chang’ of Tintin’s Chinese companion in The Blue Lotus. Chang Chong-chen’s contribution, lead Herge into his oriental state, where he could research and elaborate the Chinese culture and portray this through the images and context we read and see in The Blue Lotus.

According to Said (1977) he describes the Orient being a European invention as it represents “material civilization and culture” (pg. 88). Also to take in consideration, Herge was Westerner and his views or ideas about China, is what Said (1977) suggests as ‘orientalism’, the idea that a Westerner establishes ‘the East’.  Herge has done this through The Blue Lotus, as he expresses Chinese culture through images, colonial themes, and characteristics of certain characters.