WP 2: Rough Draft 2

Lucy and Bing is a comic strip written by Joseph Hewitt, is a non traditional medium used by the author to create arguments. Joseph Hewitt is an English teacher from Cormack, Newfoundland. He originally created this comic series for his students in his class. Lucy and Bing are a penguin brother and sister duo. This particular episode of "Lucy and Bing" argues that not everything that looks professional is credible and useful. This argument is made with the text and pictures of the comic.

This comic uses a technique that we commonly use to give human like qualities. This is called anthropomorpism.  The characters in the comic are made up of blue and white blobs and yellow triangles, yet we know that they are supposed to be penguins.  The penguins in this comic have hair and use their flippers as arms and hands. This brings an element that is more appealing to younger people. This makes sense as Hewitt created this comic series for his students. It also comes across as less threatening and more visually appealing. When these two things are done, it is much easier for a viewer to see the argument that the comic is making.

The conversation that our two main characters in the comic have bring us to the argument that is made. Bing is reading a comic that his friend has made. He makes a big deal out of the fact that it is astheticlly pleasing. The comic book has been stapled and photocopied. For two young kids this would be impressive. When Lucy looks at the comic book she is obviously less impressed, calling the comic stupid for not having a real story and showing pictures of two monkeys shooting each other over and over. Bing procedes to aknowledge the fact that the comic contains nothing. The star drawn in above Bing's head shows that he is so blinded by the fact that the comic book looks professional and credible that he sees the contents as something great.

This is a common theme today. Our society as a whole is far too
trusting of the internet. It is common practice to google something and read the very first link to get information. This practice is harmful in
the sense that not all sites on the internet are credible. For example, one widely used informational website is wikipedia. The problem with this site is that anyone can edit the information on any given page. This reinforces the fact that not everything we see on a site that looks professional is fact.

After all this there is something to be said for the materiality of some things. Does that make it more credible to us? In the comic, the material composition of the comic book that Bing is reading is what makes it so great and perfect for Bing. Things that are read in the newspaper do not tend to get questioned. That is because we have the physical paper in our hands. On the other hand, the same can be said for texts such as tabloids. Once something is in print it holds a certain legitimacy for the audience member looking at it. This can even be seen in the satirical newspaper on campus called the Daylier Nebraskan. Every once and a while, someone unfamiliar with the satire of the paper will talk about a story as if it is true. We privilege the materiality of texts.

Even though this may be true, this strategy does not reach the most people. Millions of people are connected instantly via the internet at all times of the day. That is most likely how this comic came to be on the internet. The author wanted more people to see his work. The easiest and most efficient way to do so is to post his cartoons on the internet.

While the internet has made communication and sharing ideas much easier, one must keep in mind that it is important to establish a certain legitimacy. Not all sites and not all searches will give the truth and real picture. Many things can look great but without that legitimacy, they are only what the audience makes them to be.

WP 2: Rough Draft 1

"Lucy and Bing"a comic strip written by Joseph Hewitt, is a non traditional medium used by the author to create arguments.  Joseph Hewitt is an English teacher from Cormack, Newfoundland.  He originally created this comic series for his students in his class.  Lucy and Bing are a penguin brother and sister duo.  This particular episode of "Lucy and Bing" argues that not everything that looks professional is credible and useful.  This argument is made with the text and pictures of the comic.

 This comic uses a technique that we commonly use to give human like qualities.  This is called anthropomorpism.  The penguins in this comic have hair and use their flippers as arms and hands.  This brings an element that is more appealing to younger people.  This makes sense as Hewitt created this comic series for his students.  It also comes across as less threatening and more visually appealing.  When these two things are done, it is much easier for a viewer to see the argument that the comic is making.

The conversation that our two main characters in the comic have bring us to the argument that is made.  Bing is reading a comic that his friend has made.  He makes a big deal out of the fact that it is astheticlly pleasing.  The comic book has been stapled and photocopied.  For two young kids this would be impressive.  When Lucy looks at the comic book she is obviously less impressed, calling the comic stupid for not having a real story and showing pictures of two monkeys shooting each other over and over.  Bing procedes to aknowledge the fact that the comic contains nothing.  The star drawn in above Bing's head shows that he is so blinded by the fact that the comic book looks professional and credible that he sees the contents as something great.

This is a common theme today.  Our society as a whole is far too trusting of the internet.  It is common practice to google something and read the very first link to get information.  This practice is harmful in
the sense that not all sites on the internet are credible.  For example, one widely used informational website is wikipedia.  The problem with this site is that anyone can edit the information on any given page.  This reinforces the fact that not everything we see on a site that looks professional is fact.

After all this there is something to be said for the materiality of some things. Does that make it more credible to us?  In the comic, the material composition of the comic book that Bing is reading is what makes it so great and perfect for Bing.  Things that are read in the newspaper do not tend to get questioned.  That is because we have the physical paper in our hands.  On the other hand, the same can be said for texts such as tabloids.  Once something is in print it holds a certain legitimacy for the audience member looking at it.  This can even be seen in the satirical newspaper on campus called the Daylier Nebraskan.  Every once and a while, someone unfamiliar with the satire of the paper will talk about a story as if it is true.  We privilege the materiality of texts.

Even though this may be true, this strategy does not reach the most people.  Millions of people are connected instantly via the internet at all times of the day.  That is most likely how this comic came to be on the internet.  The author wanted more people to see his work.  The easiest and most efficient way to do so is to post his cartoons on the internet.

While the internet has made communication and sharing ideas much easier, one must keep in mind that it is important to establish a certain legitimacy.  Not all sites and not all searches will give the truth and real picture.  Many things can look great but without that legitimacy, they are only what the audience makes them to be.

WP 2: Statement of Purpose

As we have already learned, arguments can be presented via mediums we do not normally think of.  Photographs and paintings can pose arguments just as strong as a well written essay.  The purpose of this writing project is to rhetorically analyze another text via ethos, logos, and pathos.  The text we are to analyze is a comic, which combines written words with pictures.  While the purpose of comics is generally thought to be for only entertainment purposes, very important messages and arguments can be made through this medium.  To better understand  how to analyze a comic, it was necessary for me to read chapter 15 of Compose Design Advocate.  In this chapter, Wysocki and Lynch discuss the terms and ideas associated with comics to help the readers better analyze comics themselves.  Using this knowledge, I will be analyzing one of Joseph Hewitt's Lucy and Bing comics.  Fully understanding the context in which I am analyzing the comic and who my audience will be will create a better analysis.

While the primary audience of the project will understand the nature of the assignment, I must keep my secondary audience in mind while writing the project.  The primary audience is my professor as he will be the one grading this writing project.  The project will also need to be unique for the purpose of making it stand out in my professors eye as he will be reading and grading multiple projects of the same genre.  Since this project is once again posted on the internet, that means that the secondary audience is theoretically boundless.  To ensure that anyone that may read and understand this writing project either intentionally or by just wondering upon it, I must be sure not to be too general in my explanations and use of terms and concepts from Compose Design Advocate and the McCloud essay.  I will also need to explain necessary background information on comics.

Since this project will be posted on the world wide web, it allows me to call on multiple sources to aid my argument.  Multimedia elements will be included through video, pictures and other images, and links to other websites that contain information that will be valuable to the audience members.  Since it is on the internet, my project must be credible for it to be of any use to anyone.  This can be done with citations, both in line and in a works cited section.

The best possible outcome for this project would be to clearly state and reenforce the comic's argument, therein earning a good grade for the project.  This presents an potential obstacle for the project.  If I do not clearly support the argument, the project has failed.  This must be done in a way that appeals to the audience.  If that does not happen, the project will be weak, therefore nullifying the main goal and best possible outcome for the project.  As I continue with this project, I must take in and use the comments and critiques of my professor and classmates.  I also have a responsibility to do the same for my classmates and provide them with critical feedback on their projects.