As I was reading "A.D. - New Orleans After the Deluge" by Josh Neufeld, I found it interesting that the aftermath of Katrina was written in comic form. I would think that this would make an argument like this less powerful. As I continued to read I noticed that the use of profanity was not only used to show realism but also the irritated and heated tempers of the characters and situation. I also noticed that the illustrations used a very disturbing background that was full of dirt and trash, clothes lying all over the ground, and sweaty characters. These details were used to heighten the extreme dilemma's of the aftermath.
Over and over this comic shows the irritations of the characters situations and how they were not receiving any aid from the government. There supply of water was running low, yet they still had cigarettes and booze and other items they looted from surrounding businesses. The only people that would help were gang members that wore Disney shirts with Disney characters on them. It sort of helped to make them appear less dangerous. The continuing notion that the government didn't care or were trying to kill them in careless ways was a ringing tone throughout the comic.
The one anomaly that I found in this comic was a couple driving in Muskogee, Oklahoma. I found it weird that this couple had anything to do with the situation at the Convention Center. I can only think that Neufeld used this as a counterargument to an outsiders point of view like the one the couple over heard on the radio. This allowed Neufeld to blend it in with the couple responding with an explanation an outsider was clearly not thinking of. I did also find it odd that these people could not clean up after themselves. It was almost as if they could not function on there own. I mean your looting for things that you need like food and water, why not some cleaning supplies.
Hi Carlos, I love the word "heighten" that you use in the first paragraph of your post. I think definitely the language in the comic and all the small details that Neufeld shows contribute to the urgency of the moment and take it to a more intense (more realistic?) level. You wrote that "The only people that would help were gang members that wore Disney shirts with Disney characters on them." I do think the Disney characters made the tough guys seem less dangerous... but it is very strange to see a guy holding a gun with all his muscles flexed... and a teddy bear or something on his shirt!
ReplyDeleteYes, the scene with the couple driving definitely stands out, especially since it's the only time we get to escape from the Superdome. I think you're accurate when you say that scene adds an outsider's point of view... how else could Neufeld depict that caller on the radio, who seems to embody the "ignorance" of the outsiders? Your idea of "outsiders" is strong, and I think it's something you can pursue more this week. Continue to ask yourself, who are the outsiders? How do you know? How does Neufeld depict the outsiders in his drawings and through the eyes of the characters? And, if you look at how he represents "the outsiders," what does that tell you about Neufeld's own feelings or emotions surrounding the events?