Issue Identification (SPE-210)

Democrat Al Gore speaking about emissions.

Now I'm sure we can all look back and remember when this issue first came up in the political arena, and even today it's a debated subject -- I'm talking about global warming. Now it was brought to prominence in the 2000 presidential campaign by Al Gore, and even today it's unknown if global warming is a legitimate claim. As of today, the issue is argued both ways...

CO2 levels in the atmosphere over 3 centuries.

Liberals and conservatives both argue that there is a change in the Earth's temperature, but they differ in the reason for why there was a change. The liberal party states that global warming is caused by an increased production of carbon dioxide through the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).  They point out that the U.S. is a major contributor to global warming because it produces 25% of the world’s carbon dioxide. To fix the issue, they propose laws to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S. and place them with high importance -- urging them to be enacted immediately to save the planet.


On the other side, conservatives argue that the change in global temperature is natural and happens often over long periods of time. They claim that research has not shown that humans can affect permanent change to the Earth’s temperature. In contrast to the liberal perspective, they would say that proposed laws to reduce carbon emissions will do nothing to help the environment and will cause significant price increases for all.

Which side is right? Unfortunately, no one knows the answer to that question. There's significant scientific research that supports both claims equally.

Earth's temperature change over 2 millennia.

It's true that the U.S. contributes 25% of the world's carbon dioxide, and that the temperature has increased, but no one can say that there's a correlation between the two. Scientists can look back on the history of the Earth and see that the temperature has risen and lowered drastically throughout time. Who's to say this isn't just another natural phenomenon that is completely normal and unavoidable.


However it seems that only time can tell whether global warming a true environmental threat, and until then, we can only guess.

Dissection of a Comics' Lines (SPE-370)

This is probably my favorite blog assignment yet, so I hope I don't mess it up -- here goes nothing!

The main reason why I'm was so excited to write this blog is because I've grown up reading and drawing a lot my own comics. I love 'em! They're fast-paced, action-packed (at least the ones I read), and usually have fantastical story lines. One of my favorite comics is titled "Naruto." As you may have guessed, it's Japanese anime, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's some silly story about giant robots or sea creatures. It's really well written and the illustration in it supersedes all others.

Here's an example of one page...

Putting the story and dialogue aside, this single page is amazing. The author, Masashi Kishimoto, has done a lot in this page to make an art form that is perceived as stationary, have motion. He uses harsh directional lines to mimic the effects of movement and uses them to accomplish two things -- indicate the general plane on which an object is moving and emphasize urgency.

If you look at the prominent frame in the center where one character is pouncing on another mid-air, you can see how Kishimoto indicates the general plane on which they are moving. We don't know which direction they are moving, but we know it's vertical. From other clues like posture and context we can surmise that it's downward.

In the lower right frame with radial lines all pointing inward we can see how Kishimoto plays with those same directional lines to make us assume the point-of-view of the attacker. We are the one falling from the sky to ambush those on the ground, and even though we aren't literally falling we get the feeling as though we are moving down.

Kishimoto also uses textural lines to illustrate backgrounds like trees and rocks, as well as scuffs and dirt on skin and clothing. If you look at the characters closely you can see that he uses many tiny lines to indicate as though the skin is scratched and/ or bruised -- adding to the intensity of the scene.

And last, but not least -- there is the use of gestural lines. If you draw your attention to the top left frame there is obviously some sort of explosion -- the dramatic impact of the attacker being launched into the ground. The lines around the explosion are jagged and sharp, which gives the reader a sense for how severe the impact was. You can almost hear it in your head. It isn't a soft and poofy explosion, it's the kind of impact you imagine when you think of a missile rocket colliding with the ground. It's thunderous and deadly.

All together, I think Kishimoto is an amazing artist who uses different types of lines in ingenious ways -- helping the reader feel as though they are watching the events in his comics unfold in real life.

Rossin Wood, The Icon. (SPE-370)

Today, my professor asked us all to decide on an icon or image that would best describe ourselves, and at first I thought,

"Pft. Piece of cake!"

But let's face it. This is difficult... Least to say, after a long search through Google's infinite database of images, I decided on this.

Production still from "Big Combo" (1955).

As the caption states, it's a still frame from the famous 1955 motion picture titled, "Big Combo" starring Cornel Wilde, Ricard Conte, and Brian Donlevy. It's a good movie, if you're interested, but that's a story for another time. I now have to rationalize why I choose this picture.

Film noir lighting at its best.

First off, the image let's everyone know how much motion pictures mean to me. Ever since I was a child I loved going to the movies, where a daring car chase and a thrilling shoot-out are always possible. It was a world that kept me on the edge of my seat and hanging on the characters every word. One day I hope I can pay it forward, and make movies of the same caliber that enchanted me as I grew up. What made me choose this movie still, instead of any other, is the fact that it presents my favorite cinematic style -- film noir. Those artsy black-and-white movies where every thing is in shadows and contrasted by islands of beautifully lit actors and actresses. Detectives languishing in their offices wearing iconic 40's threads and illuminated only by long bars of light casting through Venetian blinds. "Big Combo" is the film people think of when someone mentions film noir, and it's all thanks to legendary cinematographer, John Alton. He's a genius, and I can only hope to aspire to his level of skill.

Besides me being an avid film connoisseur, I love this image because it's moody -- kind of like me. It's mysterious and leaves the viewer wondering,

"What's beyond the fog? Are they in danger, or safe?"

Basically it's iconic, and reminds me everyday why I love cinematography so much.