Week 1

WEEK 5: THE EMERGENCE OF GRAPHIC NOVELS 

Life On Another Planet

            The work that I read was Life on Another Planet written by Will Eisner. It is an interesting graphic novel because it is set during the time of the Soviet Union/Cold war, but it takes place in New Mexico.  Life on Another Planet affected me on a personal level because I could see it being turned into a feature length film.  I am a film major, and reading this action packed/science fiction graphic novel is something that I see as a possible inspiration for a feature film.  It also has elements of history in it such as a confrontation between a Soviet agent and two American men.  I’ve always been interested in American history and have tended to find films that take place in the past and focus on a famous event in American history entertaining and good to watch. 

            The novel begins with Dr. Argano finding a signal from other intelligent life forms.  He is ecstatic because he thinks he can keep this discovery to himself until he can get some advantage from it.  He makes a deal with his friend Malley, and a man called Cobbs. After the deal, it is later revealed that Mr. Cobbs is a Soviet agent/spy who wants the information about the signal to be given to the Soviets, but also to have all the information shared with the rest of the world. Argano and Malley discover Cobbs’ intentions when they watch him through a window talking on the telephone with the KGB. Cobbs hears them making noises, and catches them before they can run off.  Next, there is a standoff between Argano and Cobbs.  Cobbs offers to share the credit with Argano and have Argano defect to the U.S.S.R. He appeals to Argano’s desire to be famous by telling him that he could be famous in the Soviet Union. Instead Argano kills Cobbs and tells Malley that they’ll get rid of the dead body and cover up the evidence of Cobbs’ death. The reason why Argano kills Cobbs is not because he is patriotic but because he wants to get all the credit for the discovery. He is obviously egotistical and power hungry, which is why he is eager to keep the information secret, until he feels it helps him to his advantage.

            In conclusion, this scene had an impact on me because it showed a greedier side to an American rather than a Soviet.  It is different because during the time of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was typically portrayed as a power hungry regime, trying to dangerously influence the world, and control other countries. To conclude, Will Eisner in my opinion is trying to show that even if the U.S.S.R was evil, America can be just as bad as a dictatorship. I think this would make an interesting theme for a feature film these days, now that the Cold War is over and people are having doubts about the morality of the United States.