Chapter Titles

     The Chapters within Awkward and Definition change between books. In Awkward we see that Ariel accompanies every chapter has a title and small illustration of sorts that represents what is to happen. While Definition has the same large bold chapter and number stated but no actually title accompanied like in Awkward.

    Comparing the two works I feel that the stronger of the two would be Awkward simply because I enjoy the creative presentation she chose to execute each chapter with. The chapter title was placed in a much smaller form then in Definition but because the actually title of each had a unique look you find yourself admiring her work. There was also more of a flow having the chapter title leading into the next section of her story. For example this is shown in chapter 12 when the title is illustrated in graffiti artwork and then she expresses her personally experience had taking part in doing graffiti.

    The way Ariel decided to put chapters in her second book Definition was to have a large bold black box of ink covering the top of her page and have the text showing white indicating the chapter number. There was also far less chapters in her second book then in her first and the bolder graphics of her illustrations in Definition matched her decision on keeping that same bold look to her chapter numbers.        

Claire

Sexual Themes in Awkward and Definition

    Sexual Themes within Ariel Schrag's graphic novel I find to be very explorative. Ariel is very unsure of her sexual identify throughout both Awkward and Definition. She is entering into high school that has a great deal of pressure to fit into the norm. Making it hard for her to come out and accept her attraction to females. In Awkward especially we see how obsessed she becomes with Michael, this desire to receive attention from a boy and without it she feels lost. She is looking to feel accepting from his affection but never fully receives what she thinks she needs.

    In comparison between Awkward and Definition there is a great difference in detailed illustrations. Especially in sexual context Awkward has scenes of sexual interactions but without showing nudity. While Definition has a very in your face approach and detailed nudity. When reading Awkward there is still a great deal of honesty that is not expected. She exposes her first sexual experiences with her readers. Thinking the first book is honest brings a surprise when reading Definition because the detail and sexual exposure grows even greater. Overall Ariel brings a unique and honest take on her sexual experiences. I find this to be a brave thing to come forward and share at such a young age which made me appreciate her as a writer even more.    

We see in many instances throughout the Ariels experiences she has a much stronger appeal and desire towards women. I find her attraction towards female musicians a strong indicator that she is far more interested in the female sex. For instant when Ariel sees No Doudt in concert she faints and when she is brought back stage and meets with Gwen she is taken back so much she is almost speechless. I feel she has a stronger interested in women because the reaction she has to women is the same reaction I have to men. Especially in the case of musicians her expressed feelings indicate she will result in being a Lesbian.  



No Doudt

- Claire

Voice, Tone, and Structure of the Graphic Novel Itself

The voice, tone, and structure of Ariel Schrag’s graphic memoir Awkward and Definition are quite unique and very interesting in a comic book stance. The term voice may be used to define a writer’s viewpoint toward his/her subject or reader whether is a serious, condescending, patronizing, or in this case humorous voice in the memoir. Ariel carried a successful voice throughout her memoir representing the trueness of her documentation.  The memoir has a sincere honesty about it speaking of her most venerable and embarrassing moments to the maturing and growing up she went through. Ultimately giving the story a true power of the message of ones life – to simply be human; explore yourself and find who you are. You’ll never lose you who are in growing up despite the climatic rollercoaster that it makes itself out to be you will always keep your true spirit. This memoir was a lot about growing and finding who you are – all through the awkwardness to defining your actual self. Therefore the voice that Ariel found within her memoir evoked a powerful, mystical force that conveys truth and the inner quality of the story itself. The tone typically refers to the author’s attitude toward his/her readers and message. Specific documents or authors can be described as having a condescending, arrogant, pedantic, racist, confident, or satirical tone. However Ariel uses humor, which is an important tone and can be written different types including surprise, exaggeration, incongruity, absurdity, and parody. The tone of Ariel’s memoir is much more easy-going and comedic staying true to its comic book structure. The mood the writer creates on the reader also has an effect on the reader, for example while reading this memoir the dialogue and the topics of speech were quite relatable to a teen age group. As drastic as they were they it was nonetheless very interesting to read about. Often looking back to my own high school years reminiscing upon the events that took place and compare and contrast them with hers. Although significantly different and clear we grew up in different times it was still very intriguing. Thus the tone of the memoir is very relatable to a teenage audience with its sometimes slang dialogue and overall comedic – awkward tone. The structure of the memoir is very casual, it is laid out in a comic book structure with images to illustrate each moment.  This benefits the memoir because it becomes all the more significant to the target audience and helps visualize the events of her life.

 “Humourous, honest, and engagingly simple, Schrag’s work is the definition of genuine 

talent”– Feminist Review

-Cassandra Tatarnic

The Journey of Ariel's Career and Awards

Ariel Schrag speaking of her work, influences and her story

Ariel Schrag’s Awkward and Definition was selected for the American Library Association Rainbow List. Her book Potential written during the summer following her junior year at Berkeley High School was nominated for an Eisner Award and is currently being developed into a feature film by Christine Vachon’s Killer Films (Boys Don’t Cry, Far From Heaven, Mildred Pierce). Potential describes Ariel’s first real relationship and first ever love with a girl, her mission to lose her virginity to a boy, and her parents’ divorce. Also including the personal and social difficulties of writing about her life as she lives it. Schrag wrote the screenplay adaptation. Likewise determines her unsettled journey through high school in the final volume of her series of incredibly honest autobiographical graphic novels. It was nominated for a Lambda Literacy Award. Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age (Viking) an anthology of comics about middle school was selected for New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age in 2008. Her illustrations and comics have been in publications such as The San Francisco Chronicle, Time Out New York, The Village Voice, Juxtapoz, and Paper. Her original art has been displayed in museums and galleries across the United States as well as in Austria, Spain, Canada, and the United Kingdom. She also does live performances of her comics across the country, which include projected slides of comic panels with herself reading the voices and a musical soundtrack to benefit the story, which brought her touring the United States and Canada in 2009. Ariel was the subject of the short documentary film Confession: A Film About Ariel Schrag by the director Sharon Barnes. Confession played on PBS and Channel 4 in England and won the Audience Award at New York New Festival. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a degree in English Literature and since 2004 she has taught the course Graphic Novel Workshop in the writing department at The New School, as well as other classes at Brown University, New York University, Butler University, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, and Intersection for the Arts. She was a 2012 Radar Lab and Yaddo fellow now living in Brooklyn, New York.

-Cassandra Tatarnic

The Influences

Ariel was obsessed with Disney and For Better or For Worse – all she wanted to do was draw comics. She explained in an interview, that if “you see the thing you love and you want to do it” then why not go for it and nothing gave her more pleasure than reading comics. 

As a teenager her influences varied from film especially “Natural Born Killers” to comic strips, such a Calvin and Hobbes and For Better or For Worse.  She mentions how comics are just the best way her brain works. Her and her sister used to spend the most of their time drawing and telling stories to each other. Eventually she started writing down the story at the tops of paper in speech bubbles, creating some of her first comic panel sketches. 

Her earliest and most significant influence was Disney.  It was something about the exaggerated emotion and movement of the characters in the early Disney films that perfectly captured how she felt “like seeing emotions dancing in front of you.” The early films were inspirational to her as well with the wonderful painted backgrounds and imaginative illustrations. Schrag loved the idea of this universe. Another influence that was extremely important to her was the comic strip For Better or For Worse. She loved the realness of it. How honest and true it really was. That as she grew up, the characters grew up too. She went through the ups and downs with them from elementary school all the way to high school and anything in between. Johnston the cartoonist of these books is highly inspirational to her own work. 

click here for a detailed interview on Ariel's school days, influences, and books

-Cassandra Tatarnic