Week 14.2: Transmetropolitan In-class Response

1 1.   Are there any prominent symbols in the story? If so what are they and how are they used?

a.     The most prominent symbol that I was able to catch while reading through Transmetropolitan was the three-eyed yellow smiley face. Almost strangely similar to the smiley face seen in Watchmen, the symbol here is used, in my opinion, as a sort of political symbol for the Transient movement in the comic. The symbol has three eyes and is obviously used as a universal image used by those who are transient, or partaking in the major transhumanism event taking place within the city in the comic. It looks like it was meant to symbolize a non-human person through using a very well known image/emoji as it's base to connect with people who view it.

2.    What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.

a.     I was sort of able to connect with the protagonist of the story, Spider Jerusalem. He’s cynical but his distrust and general antagonistic attitude towards other people was strangely understandable seeing as he was a very hardcore journalist. Journalists get into the thick of things when it comes to general political movements, mass disasters, etc. It’s their job to get as much out of a story as they can so they can give it to a news broadcast or someone to get the word out. Maybe Spider just saw too much while he was a journalist and it got too him and that’s why he hid away for so long? Or maybe he’s just a cunning jerk of a journalist. I’m not too sure yet since I haven’t gotten too far into the storyline of the comic.

3.    What changes would make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?

a.     Mostly editing and watering down the story to fit it into a more watchable medium like television or a movie. The visuals would be doable though costly, but since it was originally a comic it would have to be widdled down for the sake of being able to make it into a move or television series. I have no doubt that the visuals would be doable, if not as outlandishly stylized and detailed as what’s seen in the comic at least. Some mature content may also have to be cut from the story as well depending on if it’s made into a movie or television show. The MPAA loves to tear at anything with content like Transmetropolitan so it would have to be carefully crafted so the essence of the story and its characters would still be translated into another medium form.