Today's morning spread.
Got inspired to properly revisit WATCHMEN after burning through WATCHING THE WATCHMEN. I can't even remember when I last reread it and wonder how it'll read this time around.
Still reading the LONE WOLF AND CUB omnibus which is wholly different, with each chapter being a stand alone “adventure” so to speak. It's really just a samurai getting into a different fight each episode, somehow involving his kid one way or another. Still, very different than say, the superhero villain of the month stuff that was coming out of America at around the same time, especially in terms of the storytelling techniques employed. A lot of mood, atmosphere, and case and effect. And of course the more impressionistic ink work. Frank Miller's genius isn't his level of craft or artistry, but his ability to study and absorb a multitude of different comix-making techniques and make them his own. The influence LONE WOLF AND CUB had on him, and subsequently American comix-making at large is so so obvious, and for good reason.
THE SOLAR GRID is arguably my WATCHMEN in that it is one large arching story, but once it is complete I'd really like to do something more episodic in nature, so LONE WOLF AND CUB is a good primer for that (also: FELL by Ellis and Templesmith and GLOBAL FREQUENCY by Ellis and various).
REBELS AGAINST THE FUTURE I return to often, largely as research for Chapter 07 of THE SOLAR GRID, a sequence of which takes place in the year 1818 A.D.
Also on today's plate is a little prep work for my upcoming talk organized by Ohio State University and The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.
More TSG thumbs to map out as well, and a dig through the archives for what will make up my second wave of affordable posters.
#Journal #Work
It has arrived.
Big bastard of book too. Here it is compared to the original material it's meant to unpack:
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One of my favorite stages in creating comix is the thumbnail stage, where you plan out your pages in miniature form. This is where the bulk of creative choices in regards to storytelling, transitions, reveals are made. First 3 chapters I used regular letter-sized printer paper, folded in half, but the pages were loose and I misplaced them often, so for Chapters 4-onward, I adopted an A6-sized blank Leuchtturm 1917 notebook, which I like very much. I imagine it'll serve as my vessel for all manner of comix-thumbnailing for the foreseeable future (which will hopefully result in the accumulation of a whoooole stack of them 🤞).
My thumbs aren't pretty—nowhere near the tightness of say... a Dave Gibbons—but for those who are into this sort of thing, I've made available the entire thumbs for Chapter 4 of THE SOLAR GRID, my longest chapter to date.
#journal #work #comix #TheSolarGrid
The 3rd track in the sonic companion to THE SOLAR GRID graphic novel has dropped! THE SOLAR GRID SOUNDSCAPE by N Slash A is absolutely wild. I cannot stop listening to all three tracks back to back.
#Journal #Work #TheSolarGrid
Putting together this talk for Ohio State University's Global Comics Lecture Series (the title of which was actually suggested by the organizer) and I'm starting to notice how quite a bit of my work on THE SOLAR GRID is informed by those outrageous times some ten years ago. And of course, a lot of what I did back then, be it on walls or in galleries was itself informed by comix. Everything feeds into everything.
It'll be fun to talk about, even if it's all virtual with no actual meeting of people in meatspace (hey, I'll take what I can get). Will include some shop talk on the making of THE SOLAR GRID as well.
October 19th is the day, 2:00pm is the time (EST, I'm assuming).
RSVP here.
Radix Media is also organizing an online event, comprised of Molly Crabapple, John Dermot Woods, Matt L. and myself. Anything involving Crabapple is a joy.
#Journal #Work #Talk
Long night ahead. Long day tomorrow.
#Journal #Work
The Küelox #500 nib flows fast and smooth like a Sable brush, and requires very little pressure. A light grip and fast strokes is all you need to get good lines, which requires a little getting used to, and until then, some lines will wobble, but they will still be very alive. Not a nib for noodling; ink is laid out thick as far as nibs go, but still offers a pretty broad range in line weight. Overall, it keeps you from getting sucked into ornamentation, and instead forces you to think about the broad shapes and only the very necessary of lines.
Which is a good thing.
#Journal #Work #Tools
New goodies have arrived. As far as nibs go, I've only ever inked with a G (center). Excited to put the rest to the test.
Generally speaking, I find that the more I use nibs and brushes, the less I enjoy working with pens.
Digital I've come to loathe.
#journal
Two new lovely tributes have arrived in honor of The Lit One. A children's book by none other than John J. Muth, who I had no idea even did children's books (I know him from a couple of his more grownup oriented comix), and a can of Robin Sloan's own brand of olive oil, Fat Gold!
No sender information came with the Muth book, but huge huge thanks to the anonymous sender. I will likely get a kick out of poring over it numerous times before Moony every manages to.
The olive oil came from a dedicated group of very fine individuals who frequent my forum, Restricted.Academy. I gotta say, I dig how it comes with a funky risoprinted single-sheet zine with a little info on the making of olive oil, a recipe, and some recommended reading (Can this olive oil get even more tailored to me?! I don't think so!).
Very lovely surprises to find in my mailbox.
In other news, congrats to my friends at Radix Media who after only 1 week into their kickstarter have made it to 50% of their target! Very excited for their graphic narrative collection, but of course I'm biased given that it includes a 10-part hardcopy serialization of THE SOLAR GRID, delivered monthly starting April 2021!
#Journal
Six days since my last entry, which although not entirely blasphemous is still not ideal. I want to get back into the habit of blogging everyday, because it helps keep things arranged in my head, and gives something of a metronome to my otherwise very fluid existence.
Knowing that kids learn by observation more so than telling, I'm trying to be mindful of the amount of screen-time I spend per day, because even if my child is only a couple months old, he... he stares. He stares at me intently all the time, and I don't want the unshakeable image he registers of me to be daddy-staring-at-screen, be it computer or phone.
But with that being said, I'd still like to blog everyday. I imagine entries will start being a bit more concise.
Today and yesterday he helped daddy fulfill orders, getting quite a kick out of the sound of folding paper and cutting tape :)
#journal