This week I read two titles, or at least a large portion of each. I peeked at Diary of a Dominatrix by Molly Kiely first at the very beginning of this course out of pure curiosity and wasn't disappointed; I'm not usually drawn to explicit comics, but this one reads very matter-of-factly, and its more of a how-to guide than anything. The main character is emotionally distant from her work but a sympathetic figure in that she comically struggles with satiating her clients while upholding boundaries. I thought DoD was graciously real in its exploration of Zelda's reasons behind what she does, the mundaneness of it, and the comforting domescity of her home life.
The second title I started was one I've read before: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki. Truthfully, I haven't gotten far enough to experience any heavy plot, but the story is familiar to me with its summer camp/vacation-focused setting and themes. I've gone to summer camp in the woods almost every summer since I was 11, so I'm familiar with the strange friendships that blossom over a season and are anually revisited like nothing ever changed. The art style lends itself to the narrative with a refreshing and breezy look to it, which reminds me of Hayao Miyazaki films and Craig Thompson's Blankets. Panel-by-panel the story seems kind of mundane and unimportant, but it is ultimately ramping up to more serious themes. This One Summer easily brought me back to days of tweenhood, questioning my relationships, surroundings, and my own body, longing for the nostalgic feel of when everything felt calm and natural.
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