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.  

WP 2: Pre-Writing Assignment 1

The comic that I chose is a simple multi paneled comic.  The context of this comic is quite simple.  Lucy and Bing are brother and sister and are elementary school students in Ice Valley, Antarctica.  As one may be able to tell, they are also penguins.  Writer Joseph Hewitt created this series for his own students.

The characters relationship is established in this comic in two ways.  One, they are pictured together in the majority of the frames.  This makes the viewer actually see that the characters are together.  The second is there dialogue.  The Lucy and Bing are talking interacting with each other through conversation.  We see that the characters never change location in the series of panels through a couple different conventions.  The first is that the background does not change.  This implies that they are not moving.  The second is that Bing is seated on the floor the entire comic.  As we all know, it is very difficult to change locations sitting on the stationary ground.

This comic is very simple and is something I would be interested in doing.  I am considering doing option two for this assignment and I would be able to do a comic like this one.  I like the simplicity and quickness of this comic.  It is easy for the viewer to understand what is going on and to get your message.

Wp 1: Final Draft

Authors Note:  

This essay was a great learning tool for me as a writer.  I learned among other things how to truly analyze a photograph.  I never would have spent this amount of time looking at a photo unless I had to as I did with this project.  It was easy for me to pick out the vectors of attention, framing, coloration, and context of this photograph.  Where I struggled was with trying to figure out what argument the photograph was making.  In my statement of purpose, I eluded to an argument that the emotions of the entire country were changing in the 1940's.  At that point I was basing it on mostly symbolic things that I had made up and even included the photographers motivations. 

I continued to fallow that first thesis through my first rough draft.  I really struggled to create water tight arguments for what I was trying to argue.  That is where the process became tedious and at some times painful.  I continued to analyze the physical photograph and developed some more concrete ideas.  After the first peer edit, I was given feedback that helped me to create a more solid argument.  I also changed the order of my paragraphs to better reflect the strengths of my arguments.  This also helped in the development and persuasiveness of my project.    

In the second rough draft, I kept the same thesis as I felt that the arguments were more solid with the help of a classmate.  At this time, I also received feedback from the professor.  The review from him was great.  It really pushed me into a direction where the argument fit.  

This brought me to the final draft of writing project one.  I now had a completely different thesis and strong arguments to back it up.  My thesis was "Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, reinforces that idea World War II encouraged urban migration patterns."  Essentially, the arguments did not change, just the context that I created did.  Context really is everything.  With my new thesis, I was able to link my arguments and really bring a persuasive element to the essay.  I felt much more confident in my writing after I completed the final draft.  

This essay came a long way from that very first pre-writing assignment.  I learned a lot about the process of writing and more importantly I now know that each step is very important.  I was not one to ask people to look over something I had written.  After all of the help and comments I was given by the three people that helped develop this project, I will be sure to get those revisions now.  It is very satisfying to see an entire project from pre-writes to the final draft, and have a final product you are proud of.       

Rough Draft 2

Rough Draft 1

Statement of Purpose

America was in a time of continued rebuilding in the early 1940's. World War II was in full swing and the nation was supporting the men on the front lines through manufacturing. The United States had factories that made everything from weapons to munitions and even clothing for our troops over seas. This had created large and populous urban environments that were growing in size and diversity daily. The farming industry had taken a huge blow in the depression.  Many farmers simply could not make make ends meet during the depression.   The country was self-sufficient and well on its way to putting all effects of the Great Depression behind. The people of America regained their optimism and could look forward to a day where there would be peace and happiness in the United States once again.

The photograph, Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, was taken in 1943 by John Collier Jr., a photographer for the Farm Securities Administration and the Office of War Information. The Farm Securities Administration, or FSA, was put together during the Great Depression to purchase dying farms and provide some sort of support for farmers in need. Much of the time farmers who could not afford their farms any longer were relocated to urban areas of the country.  Once they were relocated, the FSA helped them get a job.  Despite the fact that the farming industry was on the rise, the relocation and reemployment of farmers left farms all over the country abandoned post Depression.  The project that Collier did in the 1940's would have been documenting farms all over the country. The purpose of this photo shoot was to show the American people what was going on in the rural areas of the country in this World War II era.  Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, reinforces that idea World War II encouraged urban migration patterns.  This can be seen by analyzing the coloration, framing, and vectors of attention of the photo and their appeals to logos and pathos.  

The coloration of this photo works together with the other elements to create logos. All of the hues in the photo are very natural tones. The eye is first drawn to the rustic and weather structures that stand out against the lush green of the landscape and the blue of the sky. The different hues of green create a depth for the photo and add to the vastness of the land all the way back to the Catskill Mountains on the horizon. The natural lighting allows the viewer to see this valley as if the viewer were there.  The abundance of clear blue sky also reinforces that idea of a very "natural" photograph.  The importance of coloration in this photograph is mainly to create and maintain that sense of realism so that the viewers  could relate to it.   

This photo was very specifically and intentionally framed in this manner. The old buildings are clearly the main subject of the photo. However, the fact that so much of the sky and landscape are in the photo means something. This photo captures the beauty and vastness of the Catskill region. The vastness is important.  It shows that there really is nothing there.  Pasture lands that were once filled with grazing livestock were now empty.  It is important that the viewer see the emptiness of the photograph as if it were not, the buildings would have been centered and closer.  Being abandoned, the buildings create that same pathos.  There are no workers in the barn or hay or feed being stored there.  They are simply empty buildings and a reminder of only what used to be on this farm.

Vectors of attention are very important in this picture. The first thing that the viewer's eye is drawn to are the very rustic structures that are prominent in the photo. They are the closest subjects to the camera in the photo. The next subject that demands the viewers attention is the vast amount of blue sky that is in the photo. The eye then shifts down to the abundant pasture land that is below the sky. As the viewer follows the tree lines and hills, eventually he/she is led to the barely visable outline of the Catskill Mountains. The very last thing that is noticed when looking at this photo is the small part of a road that is barely noticable in the lower right hand corner of the photo. 

Farmland in the Catskill Country, New York State creates a feeling of emptiness through different vectors of attention, specific and deliberate framing, and coloration via hue and saturation. The war created opportunity for the once downtrodden people of the country. Urban factories were able to provide the most relief for the farmers who were no longer able to make a living working the land so urbanization and the abandonment of farms continued.  

Works Cited

"Natural Agriculture." 18 Feb 2010. Catskill Mountain Foundation, Web. 18 Feb 2010. .

"Biography of John Collier Jr. ." The American Image. 2000. University of New Mexico, Web. 18 Feb 2010.

WP 1: Rough Draft 2

America was in a time of continued rebuilding in the early 1940's. World War II was in full swing and the nation was supporting the men on the front lines through manufacturing. The United States had factories that made everything from weapons to munitions and even clothing for our troops over seas. This had created large and populous urban environments that were growing is size and diversity daily. The farming industry was also on the rise as farmers had to provide food for more people. Namely those who were working in the factories and could not grow food for themselves in the urban setting. This being the case, the national income of farmers more than doubled from 1940 to 1943. The country was self sufficient and well on its way to putting all effects of the Great Depression behind. The people of America were optimistic again and could look forward to a day where there would be peace and happiness in the United States once again.

This photograph, Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, was taken in 1943 by John Collier Jr., a photographer for the Farm Securities Administration and the Office of War Information. The Farm Securities Administration was put together during the Great Depression to purchase dying farms and provide some sort of support for farmers in need. Much of the time farmers who could not afford their farms any longer were relocated to suburbs of the large cities where factories were and helped them get a job. The project that Collier did in the 1940's would have been documenting the farms that were now beginning to flourish again. The purpose of this photo shoot was to show the American people that the country was on the right track again. This would have calmed those who felt that the country was in trouble and created a feeling of happiness. Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, enforces that idea peace and happiness were on the horizon for the people of the United States. This is shown through elements such as vectors of attention, framing, and coloration.

The coloration of this photo works together with the other elements to create that pathos. All of the hues in the photo are very natural and earthy tones. The eye is first drawn to the rustic and weather structures that stand out against the lush green of the landscape and the blue of the sky. The different hues of green create a depth for the photo and add to the vastness of the land all the way back to the Catskill Mountains on the horizon. The natural lighting allows the viewer to see this valley as if the viewer were there. While these hues are all natural, they create a contrast that evokes more emotions. The saturated blue sky in the top right hand corner of the photo helps the white clouds stand out more in the photo.

This photo was very specifically and intentionally framed in this manner. The old buildings are clearly the main subject of the photo. However, the fact that so much of the sky and landscape are in the photo means something. This photo captures the beauty and vastness of the Catskill region. This beauty appeals to pathos to create that feeling of happiness or peace. The amount of landscape and sky in the photograph create a depth as well. The eye is seeing much more than if the buildings were centered. However, through the buildings, the viewer is reminded that this is a farm and is serving a purpose for the country.

Vectors of attention are very important in this picture. The first thing that the viewers eye is drawn to are the very rustic structures that are prominent in the photo. They are the closest subjects to the camera in the photo. The next subject that demands the viewers attention is the vast amount of blue sky that is in the photo. The eye then shifts down to the abundant pasture land that is below the sky. As the viewer fallows the tree lines and hills, eventually they are led to the barely visable outline of the Catskill Mountains. The very last thing that is noticed when looking at this photo is the small part of a road that is barely noticable in the lower right hand corner of the photo. The vectors of attention take the viewer in a counter-clockwise circular path through the photo as the road brings the eye back to the old structures.

Farmland in the Catskill Country, New York State creates a feeling of peace and happiness for the American people through different vectors of attention, specific and deliberate framing, and coloration via hue and saturation. The war created opportunity for the once downtrodden people of the country. Urban factories and the rural farms were giving people much needed jobs and boosted the economy of the United States right out of the Great Depression.

Works Cited

"Natural Agriculture." 18 Feb 2010. Catskill Mountain Foundation, Web. 18 Feb 2010. .

"Biography of John Collier Jr. ." The American Image. 2000. University of New Mexico, Web. 18 Feb 2010.