Week 12: Comics by Women

This week, I read My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris. It is a compelling graphic novel with amazing artworks that truly stand out. Karen, the protagonist, is a little girl who is portrayed as a monster compared to her normal classmates. This was inspired from Emil's childhood, in which she had scoliosis. Emil imagined herself to be a monster as a child, so this graphic novel is her way of sending this message out to the world. It is unfair to treat people differently because of their appearance and things out of their control. Everyone is the same on the inside, so reading the bullying Karen suffered made my heart weep.

Besides Emil's story, her artwork is absolutely fascinating. The way she utilizes repeated small strokes in order to create texture and value is beautiful, and makes for a graphic novel that is really unique. The majority of the novel is black and white, however the focal point is always in color, like the red heart in the image above. Overall, My Favorite Thing is Monsters is a well done comic.