I decided, after some indecision, or more to the point it dawned on me that acrylic isnt really my thing, or at least it doesnt do anything for this comic.
So I printed out copies of the B/W version and switched to colour pencil as an experiment. I personally much prefer it. I also added more ‘dot’ detail with my black pen.
Here are trial pages 1a and 1b
Why do cosmetic companies, or any manufacturers for that matter, occasionally bring out an absolutely outstanding product and then stop producing it?
Like for example, Lakme’s Brilliance Blue eye liner [for the uneducated, its a thick, smooth, bright blue, glittery eyeliner]
It’s their best fucking product, why why why by all the gods did they stop making it??
And even worse replace it with CRAP eyeliners, you know, the dull blue that looks like black for the oh so dreary office worker, or the pale pale purple you cant even see on your skin.
Dammit man, I want that blue.
Arsonist Ball B/W. Click to view large
Sketchbook scrawl
Sketchbook scrawl of the steps
i feel quite frustrated with how the comic is turning out. when it was only a b/w inked drawing i thought or at least i imagined that colour would give it body, and, give it some kind of flow, but the first 4 pages that i’ve colored in just don’t seem substantial enough but in fact seem as my tutor put it, regarding my panel layout “fairly pedestrian”
the panel layout, can be called pedestrian, ‘ll agree but it was a conscious decision. I’ve always wanted to make a comic, for ages, and i always imaged that unlike so many other comics mine wouldn’t be so cluttered, the panels wouldn’t be crammed, the layouts would be beautiful and have a lot of space between them, but I’ve realized over time and many attempts at drawing out narrative that it just doesn’t work, sure Tom Gauld does it, but how does he do it? and what does he say? his short stories have a build up and then a punchline, for example, a man walks and walks through the comic and eventually returns only to realize he didn’t get milk. but this just doesn’t work in a general story, for example in ‘Maus’, i cant be bothered to flip through a bunch of pages to find out how his dad got out of the nazi camp.
anyway the colour thing just isn’t working. i feel fairly frustrated. should i print out the inked scans again and rework them? continue painting at random other panels and hope it all just works out? repaint the existing panels, paint all off them? shade them? what??
fuck man
Does anyone think Logan’s Run (1976) and The Island (2005) are remarkably similar?
The island is slightly updated to the times [i.e cloning etc] but essentially pretty much same premise.
Logan’s Run was much better
A thing called the ‘circuit’ that can teleport a person over for sex.
Those hot colour coded skimpy weird outfits. yellow for kids, green for the twenties red for nearing thirty, those round things in their hands that change colour according to age, A ‘heavenly’ carousel that is supposed to renew you, [same idea in the Island, the illusion of paradise].
And of course the ‘runners’.
I’m not sure what the point of this little ramble was really.
toodles.
My favorite poem.
An english lit student I met in a bar sent me a letter with this poem copied out.
The opening line of the letter said
“This is NOT a love letter.”
Our correspondence died out after a few letters sent back and forth, which reminds me, I need to send Mads a letter.
Song
Allen Ginsberg
The weight of the world
is love.
Under the burden
of solitude,
under the burden
of dissatisfaction
the weight,
the weight we carry
is love.
Who can deny?
In dreams
it touches
the body,
in thought
constructs
a miracle,
in imagination
anguishes
till born
in human–
looks out of the heart
burning with purity–
for the burden of life
is love,
but we carry the weight
wearily,
and so must rest
in the arms of love
at last,
must rest in the arms
of love.
No rest
without love,
no sleep
without dreams
of love–
be mad or chill
obsessed with angels
or machines,
the final wish
is love
–cannot be bitter,
cannot deny,
cannot withhold
if denied:
the weight is too heavy
–must give
for no return
as thought
is given
in solitude
in all the excellence
of its excess.
The warm bodies
shine together
in the darkness,
the hand moves
to the center
of the flesh,
the skin trembles
in happiness
and the soul comes
joyful to the eye–
yes, yes,
that’s what
I wanted,
I always wanted,
I always wanted,
to return
to the body
where I was born.
San Jose, 1954
Honour Roll
Lori’s Postcard
Susan’s Card
Dawn’s Card 1
Dawn’s Card 2
Katjus’s Card and Excellent Package
Fric’s Card
Paula’s Card from the Round Robin
Jackie’s Card
Kibas’s Card
Glos’ Card
Mark Pawson’s ingenious Card.
Unfortunately I didn’t get sent this, I just bought it from his stall at the book-fair.
As a human being he is a complete ass, but as an artist I like his work.
I have lately received the best bunch of handmade postcards and collage seems to be the most popular medium.
Charis or Harris, or even Charalambos Jason Louca the third, was blackmailed into sending me a postcard by far the most impressive one. Not only did I have to sign a special delivery package [I don't think he realized that regular stamps are just as efficient.] but the A4 envelope was so cello-taped up that it took nearly five whole minutes to get it open, then there was the inner package, a clear plastic bag and a cardboard backing.
So the suspense was adequately built for this work of genius, for some reason I was expecting macaroni and sequins, but here is the masterpiece….
The masterpiece stretched for four fab pages, here are the two main ones
Opening page perhaps of Val and Ken. The End page might have just ken holding a beer baby.
I think in general the comic should have minimal colour. I had thought i’d mix styles, like b/w ball-point, line drawing in ink, paint, colour pencil? Maybe it should all be paint? But really limited palette. prussian blue, burgundy, chrome, dark green,
I dunno. Maybe all pastel colors except for those colours. Damn i’m too indecisive.
Opening scene of the black dog inn. Perhaps the panel of ken and his friend should have some text discussing godzilla in a really academic sort of jonathan ross geek way. I’m terrible at dialogue. Deep burgundy wallpaper, or yellow?
1st panel, Dark green wallpaper Ken comes home, Val’s been waiting, He’s late. She’s not pleased. View of living room. Maybe she nags about him not spending enough time with her, maybe she nags about his constant drinking [Leo this is your que, please draw on Laila's inspiration or your mom whatever] ]Some text is needed. In the loo panel she suggests, gently, of course, that perhaps he should go to a gym.
Ken nurses his beer belly after val complains about it, he says nothing. In the next panel after the mirror it has Val patting his belly and saying something about it. The shot of Ken staring at the viewer clutching his beer belly, horror stricken perhaps? hes not keen on the gym
small panels of cartoon car and val and ken have a conversation…not sure what. the next panel the billboard on top of the gym, sky is blue with clouds vals head is turned to ken. she says something, i guess “you’ll love it” etc. Next panel is the same size, but the building seems huge and towering, the sky is dark red, lightening, the windows are barred and shine a yellow light on a dark red building, ken seems tiny looking up at it, val isn’t around to emphasize his isolation, next panels goes back to the small size, just a close up of the muscular man on the billboard, below that should be a shot of val smiling and leaving ken to get fit, and thats as far as i’ve got. Val ways goodbye cheerfully. ken just stands there and waits for her to leave.
Ken checks his watch or just fiddles with his coat. Calls up his friend [name i don't know yet], says whatever something about meeting for a drink. in the background a hot girl who works at the gym tries to entice him inside.
shot of the pub on a hill. tiny figure walks towards it. the sun moves across, a glass with pint measurements and a diagram of a stomach in the next 2 panels. Ken walks into the pub, his friend smiles at him ” hey what happened to val she let you off the hook,” ken says something back..? Perhaps they continue with their conversation i sketched out in later blog entries. at some point his friend should say “mate don’t you ever change out clothes, talks about Godzilla vaguely mentions his book? ken might crib about val nagging? Some banter over these panels basically.
Next page. ken sighs as he leaves the pub. he looks up at the black dog sign and signs. small panel of val nagging maybe? he walks in through the door. vals arms are open shes really happy about it as he walks through the front door. ken avoid eye contact perhaps, lies to val about working out. maybe later theres a panel of ken sucking in his stomach when val sortof inspects him. she does later become suspicious about him not really losing wieght but in fact his beer belly seems to be increasing. ken grows or appears to grown fond of his little tummy.
next needs to be the birthing scene, passage of time needs to be shown, not sure how. perhaps its winter
bare trees? or summer?
LEAVE COMMENTS!!
