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

What The People Have to Say

You’ve read what we think and feel about Ariel Schrag’s Awkward and Definition, what do other people think? Here are a few reviews on her first two High School years.

“A joy—one of the most undervalued treasures of American comics.” —ComicsReporter.com

“Schrag’s perceptiveness and incredible eye for detail make Definitionbrilliant. Rarely have I seen such substantial work come from a person of her age.” –Jennifer Joseph, The San Francisco Bay Guardian

“Mesmerizing. Schrag, even at age 15, is a cartoonist whose ear for language and details and anecdotes surpasses many more established writers.” —GutterGeek

“Impossible to put down.” — Maggie Overfelt, The Minnesota Daily

“Humorous, honest, and engagingly simple, Schrag’s work is the definition of genuine talent.” — Feminist Review

“Ariel Schrag is the graphic artist every midwestern / east coast-ern / west coast-ern / southern / northern / everywhere-ern queer needs to experience. Her books, Awkward, Definition, Potential and Likewise document the uncomfortable twists and turns of figuring out your sexuality in high school, and the four graphic memoirs perfectly document the insecurities of developing self-hood and the never-ending, heart-rending cycle of “does she like me / doesn’t she like me / OH NO SHE DOESN’T LIKE ME.” – Whitney, www.autostraddle.com

“Ariel Schrag captures the American high school experience in all its awkward, questioning glory in Awkward and Definition, the first of three amazingly honest autobiographical graphic novels about her teenage years.” – www.graphicnovelreporter.com

*All links lead to the full length reviews of Ariel Schrag's Awkward and Definition.

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Ariel and the Drugs

     In Ariel Schrag’s first two books Awkward and Definition her character enters her first year of High School at Berkley. This graphic memoir follows her through all her awkward encounters, crushes, and her relationship with alcohol/drugs.

     The first time Ariel tried smoking weed was because a friend was doing it and she didn’t want to stand out by saying she had never done it. Although Ariel had never smoked weed before, she didn’t want her friend to think of her differently so she did it just to fit in. I enjoyed this scene in many ways, and find it extremely important to the book and her characters development because it shows the struggle that every new high school student has; trying to fit in, sometimes regardless of how you have to do it.

     Throughout the whole book Ariel is meeting new people who smoke weed and getting high or drunk with them, sometimes both. Ariels character would hide this particular hobby from her parents by trying to avoid them while she was drunk or high. During the book this caused a few problems as sometimes when Ariel and a friend were trying to leave while smoking her Dad stopped her and Ariel tried leaving in more of a rush causing her Dad to worry and question her.

     Ariel’s interest in weed and alcohol grows throughout the book from her just simply trying it to her smoking up whenever she hung out with her friends, and them drinking every weekend. For Ariels 16^th birthday a friend offers to buy her a new bong; this part shows the growth with her relationship to drugs because now Ariel isn’t just doing while out with friends, Ariel starts to smoke by herself, and is growing a ‘collection’.

     Near the middle of Definition Ariel and her two friends proceed to get really drunk and start running around like man men through the city. Both of Ariels books include a couple times in which Ariel and friends get drunk or high and do things that aren’t too safe, such as; racing while under the influence, smoking down dark alleys, and taking their clothes off in public.

Ariel’s exploration of weed and alcohol is a constant in Awkward and Definition, although Ariel isn’t always safe, she isn’t in any horrid danger throughout the books. Ariels character also still does well in school and maintains herself throughout the book which is an excellent thing to see. I enjoy this in the books because we can see a girl character do drugs and get drunk without dying, getting raped, or contracting a disease. It’s refreshing.

A page from Ariels book Definition

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Book Summary

     Taking place at Berkeley High School in California Ariel's book Awkward revolves around a strange love triangle between Ariel Michael and Margaret his ex-girlfriend. When not obsessing about Michael she writes about crushes, concerts, developing new friendships and her obsession with L7. 

    Then leading into Definition we see Ariel's interesting friendship with Leonard who has an obsession with her while she is obsessed with girls. Ariel explores her sexual identity in Definition strongly learning towards a stronger fascination with the female gender.   

    The visuals between the first section of the paper back start out very simple and childish. The young dialog is being written by a 15 year old so it creates an over all strong visual structure that reflects upon the dialog in a positive way.
Definition has artwork that again relates to the text in the sense of a great deal of growth. There is more confidence in the bold line and details. The development in both text and visuals creates an overall unique novel.   





Kristian Williams

"Awkward and Definition — have a sweet naiveté, and they’re full of promise. The art is crude, the writing is clumsy, and the characters are shallow in their gossipy drama and their obsessions with cheap alterna-pop culture. But Awkward andDefinition also convey the feeling of newness and enthusiasm and hope. The sense of exaggerated importance that attaches to everything is both the blessing and the burden of youth, its charm and its vice."

Link 


- Claire

My Take on Awkward and Definition

Over all I found Ariel's novel to be extremely honest and accurate of what it is teenagers go through during High School. Everyone is trying to fit in and not be judged in a negative light. You try to discover yourself all while trying to fit in, the pressures of growing up is something everyone goes through. I find it inspiring that at a young age Ariel was able to be so honest and upfront with herself.

The book reminds be of the years I would write in my diary growing up. Concealing my most inner and honest thoughts. Although Ariel of course has produced a much more creative and unique take in expressing herself. I feel both a diary or graphic memoir at the age of 15 presents the same purpose to have a place to be accepting with yourself in writing in private. Ariel is far more brave then most people would be at such a young age to allow people to read her most private thoughts is not something most people would ever do.

There is a possibility that a child with a very sheltered up brining and never experienced drinking or drugs at such an early stage in life may have a harder time connecting with her work. In my case I has begun to experience such things when I was in grade 8 and continuing into High School. I find this novel allowed me to see just how closed off I am from people. I can keep secrets and most heart breaking thoughts to myself entirety if i choose it. This reasoning is why I find Ariel to be in some ways a stronger person to me because she is always open the moment she chose to make her books public. I truly enjoyed reading Ariel's journey through her first two years of high school, i found myself laughing and relating to her experiences.

-
Claire




Interesting blogger shares her opinions on Ariel's writing.

Feminist Music Geek

How the Memoir Made ME Feel

     Ariel Schrag’s graphic memoir Awkward and Definition is the first graphic memoir I have sat down and chosen to read. Previous to reading these two books I knew who Schrag was and what her books were about. Before I started reading I had an assumption of how I would feel about her books. Her memoirs are full of brutal, unflattering honesty, and to me this was refreshing; normally when I read books I read about situations that will never/could never happen to me, but her books are the complete opposite. Schrag’s books re completely ordinary. They’re about her dealing with relationships, her obsessions, and her exploration into sexuality as she discovers her bisexuality. Her books remind you that it’s okay; that even though it may seem awkward to you, other people have probably done it too. Although some parts of the memoir felt unnecessary it she writes in such a lighthearted way about her teenage years, and failed threesomes. I think Schrags book is well written and enjoyable for a graphic novel. 

     I enjoy her quirky drawings and that her book looks just like personal journal extracts. I feel all these details help with the reminiscing feeling these memoirs put out. Her book may be confusing or boring at times, but it is about real life events, and I feel this reminded me that ‘ya, sometimes life is boring’. Although Ariel Schrag could have easily made up her stories, her memoirs make you feel like she could have been your best friend in high school, she even reminded me of an old acquaintance from high school. Schrag's book amkes her feel very down to Earth and friendly. Ariel Schrag may not have been my typical high school friend, but this book reminds you that its okay to be awkward and unsure at times. This book reminds you that completely ordinary isn’t always boring. 

Due to it being near Christmas, I felt you guys would enjoy this.

                                                                             
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Technical Aspects of Schrag's 'Awkward and Definition'

Schrag’s graphic memoir Awkward and Definition is about her first two years attending Berkley High school. During this two-in-one book Ariel recaps the great bands, the great friends, and the not so great lost ‘loves’ and the while trying new drugs, becoming involved with science, and finding herself.

Within this memoir Schrag lets us relive her life through her own drawings. These drawing are laid out in a comic layout design along with a comical style of drawing. These drawings use thick lines and shading that makes a lot of her drawings look indistinct and messy. Ariel draws people with round heads and humongous eyes; although these are fun to look at, her characters do start to look like one another after seeing so many similar sketches. Schrag’s book is also printed in black and white which doesn’t provide and further information to differentiate between characters.

Aside from the drawings Ariel does to accompany her memoirs she has adds narrative pieces and speech bubbles to her comics. Schrags work is directly reflecting her first high school experiences and this is clearly visible throughout her comics. The text is in penned hand writing in an imprecise manor throughout this whole graphic memoir and at times the narrative may be hard to follow because you’re not always sure what to read first.

Schrag does an excellent job of highlighting her true feelings through her drawings in her memoir. When something important happens during her life she highlights it by creating a bigger/bolder comic slice which immediately draws your attention; although it is distracting from the story at times.

 After reading Awkward and continuing on to Definition right away you can see an improvement and slight change in Schrags style; this is her transition from 9^th grade to 10^th grade. When Schrags drawings improve, and her style changes, even though it may be slight, this lets the viewer(s) feel like Schrag is maturing right in front of us through her work.

The first photo is a page from Awkward and the second one is half a page from Definition.

After briefly viewing these two comics you can see the slight change in Ariel Schrags style. 

These two pieces reflect most of Ariel's drawings and writing within Awkward and Definition.

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