Persepolis

After reading the graphic novel Persepolis, along with Eisner and McCloud, I have developed a completely new appreciation of graphic novels, and comic books in general. I never thought that pictures could tell a story quite like it does in Persepolis. I had no idea what was truly going on in Iran about Thirty years ago, and now I have an understanding of what was going on, and the revolution that the people had to undergo. Strapi does a phenomenal job describing the beginning of her life using images. A lot of what she does goes back to McCloud, and how he broke down the dynamics of a comic. Although her pictures are not detailed like Eisner, they still do the job of telling a story and getting it across to many people. In Persepolis, I also like how her growth as a person is shown throughout the book. She starts off as a kid who has no cares, and throughout the whole entire novel, she grows into a women who understands the war, and has her own ideas and values. I also feel, after watching the movie, that a lot of Marijane's story is left out. The book describes her life in much more detail, which is generally what happens. It's just surprising to me because it was a comic book that she had written so people tend to think that it is shorter but that was not the case. I feel after reading these three pieces really shows how comics are much more then pictures in the paper, but actually stories that can outline someones life, and tell amazing stories.