Freakin' Comics Friday!
Wherein the Sparrow Makes a Nest with Ideas
From the amazing Paul Griffiths!
Wherein the Sparrow Makes a Nest with Ideas
From the amazing Paul Griffiths!
I'm kind of taking a shaky cue from a bunch of bloggers I admire, and am trying to uphold some kind of weekly traditions in order to keep me on track with updating! Today will be me testing the waters a bit with a medium I have become freshly re-inspired by (see my last entry): comic art/graphic novels.
I'd like to devote the end of my week to some cool comics - either coming out, just released, or old favourites. I'll probably also include stuff I'm reading, or even artists that I adore, in addition to things I am ogling at and saving my pennies for! I'm going to restrict my list to 4 for now, but we'll see where it takes me. I hope that, when someone eventually reads my never ending rantables, these Fridays will encourage people to delve into a really epic medium that has been close to my heart since I first started collecting comics. I still have all my original Sailor Moons and Dragonball Z's!
I think to some extent, we all start out being passionate about art media with comics, whether it is instilled with your usual syndicated newspaper weeklies or the stuff your older brother keeps laying around. You know, the usual Batman, Spiderman, even those wonky Simpsons comics they were putting out for a while! All of these took visual storytelling to a completely different level - one people imagined would go the way of the dodo with cinema and animation. On the contrary - the medium has survived and thrived like a bromeliad on the rainforest floor. For that I am happier than I could have believed.
After having a really hard couple of years holding up a semi-full time job in conjunction with school, I lost the time and the energy to pursue the things I was passionate about. I didn't read as much as I could, I didn't produce as much art as I was inspired to do. My writing took the back burner in the wake of term papers and exams as it has for the last three years. All of my creative seemed to fold up and tuck itself into some dark cranny for safe keeping. After arriving here, that little prism of ideas seems to have shaken itself awake. I am constantly distracted with a sudden influx of new thoughts and ideas. I am consumed with this need to create, my hands quaking without a pencil in them. I went out and picked up some pencils/pens so I could just throw some stuff into my dusty sketchbook. I am inspired to write new material, and especially to draw again. I have become rusty, let me tell you! But I think the excitement will carry me through.
Anyway - comics. Like I said, I picked up quite a few, and it got me to thinking - how awesome would it be to work in production, design, editorial, or even marketing for the Canadian graphic novel scene? There aren't very many here, but our home talent has so much promise. Kate Beaton, Hope Larson, Chester Brown - it goes on. To be able to work with and give a hand up to many artists and writers out there with yet-to-be-heard voices gives me goosebumps the likes of which I have not yet experienced. So for every Friday, I just want to get down with some comics and see how the scene is doing as fresh material rolls off of the godly presses I imagine these tomes are printed with!
Flight Volume 1
By Kazu Kibuishi
Status: do want
The Flight series, now on its 7th volume (#2 and #6 have been nominated for Eisner awards) are beautiful graphic-novel anthologies that bring together some of the best artists and writers around, flashing their personal flavours for epic scenery and gorgeous stories. I have been longing for these volumes since I first found out about them, and apart from seeing them very briefly in the graphic novel section of Chapters, I have not had the spare change to procure them til now (I anxiously await mine in da mail!). Each story is about flying, a theme I hold pretty close to my heart in terms of my writing and artwork. Many of the artists in here are my absolute favourites, and I am very excited to see the work which has been hailed by fans and critics alike as a breathtaking journey of the theme of flight in its various incarnations. Some names here include Erika Moen, Hope Larson, Kean Soo and of course Kazu Kibuishi - it was through his site that I found out about this series, and yearned for it ever since. I can't wait to discover more awesome names and talents through these collections :)
That brings us to the end of the inaugural Freaking Comics Friday! I leave you with a little extra somethin-somethin for all the Beatonites out tha'!
I'd like to devote the end of my week to some cool comics - either coming out, just released, or old favourites. I'll probably also include stuff I'm reading, or even artists that I adore, in addition to things I am ogling at and saving my pennies for! I'm going to restrict my list to 4 for now, but we'll see where it takes me. I hope that, when someone eventually reads my never ending rantables, these Fridays will encourage people to delve into a really epic medium that has been close to my heart since I first started collecting comics. I still have all my original Sailor Moons and Dragonball Z's!
I think to some extent, we all start out being passionate about art media with comics, whether it is instilled with your usual syndicated newspaper weeklies or the stuff your older brother keeps laying around. You know, the usual Batman, Spiderman, even those wonky Simpsons comics they were putting out for a while! All of these took visual storytelling to a completely different level - one people imagined would go the way of the dodo with cinema and animation. On the contrary - the medium has survived and thrived like a bromeliad on the rainforest floor. For that I am happier than I could have believed.
After having a really hard couple of years holding up a semi-full time job in conjunction with school, I lost the time and the energy to pursue the things I was passionate about. I didn't read as much as I could, I didn't produce as much art as I was inspired to do. My writing took the back burner in the wake of term papers and exams as it has for the last three years. All of my creative seemed to fold up and tuck itself into some dark cranny for safe keeping. After arriving here, that little prism of ideas seems to have shaken itself awake. I am constantly distracted with a sudden influx of new thoughts and ideas. I am consumed with this need to create, my hands quaking without a pencil in them. I went out and picked up some pencils/pens so I could just throw some stuff into my dusty sketchbook. I am inspired to write new material, and especially to draw again. I have become rusty, let me tell you! But I think the excitement will carry me through.
Anyway - comics. Like I said, I picked up quite a few, and it got me to thinking - how awesome would it be to work in production, design, editorial, or even marketing for the Canadian graphic novel scene? There aren't very many here, but our home talent has so much promise. Kate Beaton, Hope Larson, Chester Brown - it goes on. To be able to work with and give a hand up to many artists and writers out there with yet-to-be-heard voices gives me goosebumps the likes of which I have not yet experienced. So for every Friday, I just want to get down with some comics and see how the scene is doing as fresh material rolls off of the godly presses I imagine these tomes are printed with!
This week's Fab Four Alert
Not only was this a really well produced piece of artwork, the story was gripping, edgy and tough without taking itself too seriously. The story follows the world post-rapture, after over a hundred thousand 'believers' ascend to heaven, and the world continues as normal - except the people left behind find themselves able to perform magic. From an aloof talking dog to a raven girl who can make blackbirds from ash, to a mummy with a third eye, this is a remarkable story of what happens when religion gets the better of us, and we remember to just believe in ourselves. The style was very sketchy, yet had a particular depth and volume that really moved the action and characters with a tremendous fluidity. Salgood Sam also drew a sassy dog for me on the inside cover which I now covet! He was a very sweet, charming guy to be sure. I'd love to pick up Sea of Red next, which features his art once again.
#3
Louis Riel: A Comic Biography
by Chester Brown
Status: read
A friend that I met up with at the convention passed by the table where this was proudly displayed, and demanded I get it and love it simply because I am from Winnipeg. Back home, we consider Riel somewhat of a pop icon and hero, what with his various statues, tributes, and t-shirt campaigns.
At any rate, my friend was right. I had heard of and seen this particular work around and I knew it was necessary for me to eat it up ASAP. I read this the next day and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it is a blatant support of what some have called a mad prophet, Brown sticks really well to historical truth, and makes an endearing case for one of Canada's unsung heroes. Without this man Metis issues would never have been brought to the forefront, nor would there have been action to deal with them. Though controversial, he was an important man to the fabric of Canada's crazy cultural quilt (alliteration much?) Though very dialogue/fact heavy, the art supported the subject matter with frank simplicity, and did not distract from the issues this comprehensive biography embodies.
I actually came across this today during class when I was zipping around the internets. I stumbled on Hope Larson, a name I had heard after reading one of her first works, Salamander Dream. (For some reason I thought it was Kean Soo's...he corrected me when I asked him about it!) This looks like a really neat book, with clean lines and an interesting story taking place in present day and 150 years past Halifax. It revolves around a mysterious family house, now burned, and the story that involves its fiery past. I am really intrigued by this and I hope you are too! You can purchase the book here, like I will sometime soon. I think I've been buying up too many books of late; I need to read what I have before I buy more!
#4
Therefore Repent!
by Jim Munroe (Salgood Sam)
Status: read
by Jim Munroe (Salgood Sam)
Status: read
Not only was this a really well produced piece of artwork, the story was gripping, edgy and tough without taking itself too seriously. The story follows the world post-rapture, after over a hundred thousand 'believers' ascend to heaven, and the world continues as normal - except the people left behind find themselves able to perform magic. From an aloof talking dog to a raven girl who can make blackbirds from ash, to a mummy with a third eye, this is a remarkable story of what happens when religion gets the better of us, and we remember to just believe in ourselves. The style was very sketchy, yet had a particular depth and volume that really moved the action and characters with a tremendous fluidity. Salgood Sam also drew a sassy dog for me on the inside cover which I now covet! He was a very sweet, charming guy to be sure. I'd love to pick up Sea of Red next, which features his art once again.#3
Louis Riel: A Comic Biography
by Chester Brown
Status: read
A friend that I met up with at the convention passed by the table where this was proudly displayed, and demanded I get it and love it simply because I am from Winnipeg. Back home, we consider Riel somewhat of a pop icon and hero, what with his various statues, tributes, and t-shirt campaigns.
At any rate, my friend was right. I had heard of and seen this particular work around and I knew it was necessary for me to eat it up ASAP. I read this the next day and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it is a blatant support of what some have called a mad prophet, Brown sticks really well to historical truth, and makes an endearing case for one of Canada's unsung heroes. Without this man Metis issues would never have been brought to the forefront, nor would there have been action to deal with them. Though controversial, he was an important man to the fabric of Canada's crazy cultural quilt (alliteration much?) Though very dialogue/fact heavy, the art supported the subject matter with frank simplicity, and did not distract from the issues this comprehensive biography embodies.
#2
Mercury
by Hope Larson
Status: just released
by Hope Larson
Status: just released
I actually came across this today during class when I was zipping around the internets. I stumbled on Hope Larson, a name I had heard after reading one of her first works, Salamander Dream. (For some reason I thought it was Kean Soo's...he corrected me when I asked him about it!) This looks like a really neat book, with clean lines and an interesting story taking place in present day and 150 years past Halifax. It revolves around a mysterious family house, now burned, and the story that involves its fiery past. I am really intrigued by this and I hope you are too! You can purchase the book here, like I will sometime soon. I think I've been buying up too many books of late; I need to read what I have before I buy more!#1
Flight Volume 1
By Kazu Kibuishi
Status: do want
The Flight series, now on its 7th volume (#2 and #6 have been nominated for Eisner awards) are beautiful graphic-novel anthologies that bring together some of the best artists and writers around, flashing their personal flavours for epic scenery and gorgeous stories. I have been longing for these volumes since I first found out about them, and apart from seeing them very briefly in the graphic novel section of Chapters, I have not had the spare change to procure them til now (I anxiously await mine in da mail!). Each story is about flying, a theme I hold pretty close to my heart in terms of my writing and artwork. Many of the artists in here are my absolute favourites, and I am very excited to see the work which has been hailed by fans and critics alike as a breathtaking journey of the theme of flight in its various incarnations. Some names here include Erika Moen, Hope Larson, Kean Soo and of course Kazu Kibuishi - it was through his site that I found out about this series, and yearned for it ever since. I can't wait to discover more awesome names and talents through these collections :)
That brings us to the end of the inaugural Freaking Comics Friday! I leave you with a little extra somethin-somethin for all the Beatonites out tha'!
Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant!- Case of the Two Watsons from Squadron B on Vimeo.
Lumiere!
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