Week 9: A Wide World of Comics

This week I read The Black Incal, a graphic novel by Alejandro Jodorowksy. It is a very intriguing novel with vibrant and eye-catching illustrations. This unique comic is paired with an equally unique story as well; it is so bizarre and very different from anything I have read before in this class.

Right off the bat, we are introduced to the topic of suicide; an extremely heavy subject that is usually not joked about in today's media. However, nothing is stopping The Black Incal from speaking so lightly about it. Suicide is a term that is tossed around in this comic even if it isn't necessarily happening. For example, the man in the image above isn't trying to kill himself, he was thrown off the building but people exclaim that it's "suicide." The playful use of serious subjects is reminiscent to me of themes utilized in underground comics. However, this graphic novel was published in the 80s, so it makes sense that the content is very different from what people are used to seeing today.

Another similarity The Black Incal has to underground comics is its use of sexual themes. Nudity is commonly seen along with explicit acts. Regardless, the topics introduced in this graphic novel are no where near as severe as any underground comic I have read. The Black Incal is a good read, and I was invested in each panel.