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The Smithsonian Collection: Buck Rogers (4 Points)

 One of the comics strips that I found interesting among all of these newspaper comics was the Buck Rogers comic. To me, it felt more like a page out of a comic book than something that belongs in a newspaper, which is why I think it stood out to me from the rest. There are a few key factors that made the comic feel less like it was from the newspaper and rather made it feel more like a comic book. I think the art direction, the panel diversity, and the thought-out story work together to make this comic strip stand out from the rest in newspaper comics. The art direction shows that the creators put a lot of time and care into the comic. There are a lot of unique designs for outfits, characters, and worlds. Additionally, the color choices, while very saturated in some cases, help to differentiate the background and foreground well. The panel diversity also assists the comic to feel different from the rest. Few panels in the comic break themselves from the traditional square column-row format that most newspaper comics follow. Some panels jump in and out of others, while others are rectangular and do not follow a strict line of where to begin and where to end the sides of the panel. Furthermore, the story in Buck Rodgers is more than just a jump to the punchline. Many of the other comics in the collection rely on quick wit and humor or offensive dialogue in order to attract the attention of their audience. Buck Rodgers, however, relies on world building and in-depth story telling to captivate their audience. Additionally, it does not seem to fall into the sexists tropes, but rather it gives the women in the comic intelligence and authority. 

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