The Secret Language of Comics

Link: https://wordpress.com/page/micomicah.wordpress.com/20

The two most influential essays I’ve written in my life are the first and last ones I’ve written up until college: a small assignment back in 3rd Grade, and my Personal Statement that I used during the college application process. Throughout my career as a student, I never considered writing essays to be any different from solving a math equation, as I was only writing things for a grade. But once I was faced with what was arguably the most important essay of my life, I had to revise my way of thinking about essay writing. For me, seeing this new approach pay off was like taking a breath of fresh air.

I enjoyed the freewriting exercise, although I did not end up using it in my literacy narrative. Before this assignment, I never reflected on how I wrote essays despite how many times I have done so in my life. My favorite sentence in my essay, and the one I think many readers would also find interest in, is this: “I was confident in my ability to trek any essay during school, yet I felt that I couldn’t get a grip on how to answer the prompts on my Common App.” Overall, I found this assignment to be interesting and I realized how many memories I have of writing essays throughout my lifetime.

This sketch is a flashback to my childhood. I’m from Nashville, and college football probably could not have been a bigger spectacle among my friends and family. One big issue for me was that my parents both went to Furman for college, so I didn’t have a team to rout for. As a kid, Oregon’s flashy jerseys and electric play style captured my attention, and by the age of 6 or 7 I was hooked. People would always question me about my fandom of a team so far away, but I honestly didn’t care. Even the duck itself became one of my favorite animals, so of course I had to be the kid that tried to imitate one using two Pringles as a beak. They are also a great casual snack to eat while relaxing on a fall Saturday, watching Oregon’s dominant offense. Weirdly enough, my former high school teammate is now one of their star running backs. Go Ducks!

All Photos are Creative Commons:

Duck – https://flic.kr/p/9wwAHm

Pringles Can – https://flic.kr/p/9arzt6

Oregon Logo – https://flic.kr/p/ezYgiR

Pringle Beak – https://flic.kr/p/4RR6YY

In this photo, I depict the cables on my table as a dish of spaghetti & meatball (singular) complete with a plate and tomato sauce. The inspiration for this came from friends who visited and complained that my desk was a mess – specifically when it came to my cable management. As garnish, I used my cable head as a ‘meatball’ to complete the replica of one of my favorite comfort foods.

Sketch 2: Sunday Sketches

I went home for Labor Day weekend on Friday and when I came back to my dorm, I found my precious succulent shriveled and dying from the lack of water and sun. Several of it’s leaves had fallen on the window sill, but just as I was about to throw them out, I realized that some of them take the shape of a flipper! I took one and started to rotate it, positioning the leaf in different angles. Alas, I discovered that it was only right to donate this green flipper to the only green creature I could think of… a turtle!

Due to the organic form of the succulent leaf, I understood that it had to belong to a turtle in motion, which is why I specifically chose a sea turtle. There is also a fluid quality about the leaf, making it a perfect reason to illustrate the sea turtle swimming alongside it’s other ocean friends.

Sketch 2: Sunday Sketches

Recently I have been making a lot of new friends. We have been playing poker almost every day for fun and to hang out socially. When I was looking at the prompt for this assignment, I had the playing cards on my desk from the previous night. I threw the toy car into the mix (my roommate’s) and came up with the climate-conscious title when I saw that the Ace of Spades, my favorite card, had the word “Bee” on it. More wordplay exists in the title than what originally meets the eye. The word “electric” not only refers to the car, but has recently taken on a new popular meaning. Many teenagers and young adults now call their favorite activities like Football or Texas Hold ’em Poker, electric, meaning instead magical or stirring.

https://engrd101f23.davidmorgen.org/assignments/sketches/sketch-2-sunday-sketches/

I choose Stitch as my avatar because he is my favorite cartoon character. Stitch is mischievous, adventurous, and fiercely independent. These traits contribute to his irresistible charm. Despite his initial trouble-making tendencies, Stitch undergoes a transformation as he bonds with Lilo. His personality evolves into a heartwarming mix of loyalty, empathy, and a desire to protect those he cares about. His evolution mirrors my personal quest for self-discovery and the value of surrounding oneself with supportive, caring individuals. My avatar is a tribute to the enduring lessons Stitch imparts about acceptance, love, and the beauty of becoming a better version of oneself.

For my Sunday sketch, I was having trouble creating an idea that used a 3D object. I am at home for the weekend and searched my room for something I thought would fit.After being stumped on what to do, I decided to do something that represented my current state of mind. I found a sponge. I drew the arms and legs on the sponge to give it human-like features. The human-like features of the sponge represent what many other college freshmen and I are feeling right now: The constant need to absorb and adapt to the new experiences and challenges of college. More specifically, the thought bubbles help with representing trying to balance all of what college offers: academic rigor, social experiences, living on your own, and trying to make this place your home. 

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