More and more chatty stuff next week or sooner.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Original Art Sundays # 45: A Private Myth, p. 13
No time for a long post today, but I did want to get this up. Pretty happy with the layout and the poses.
Stipple is such fun! And I love that Terry Moore trick of a background black to isolate and unify panels!
More and more chatty stuff next week or sooner.
More and more chatty stuff next week or sooner.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Songs of love and why it doesn't all fall apart
Twice in the last twelve hours, this song has come up. It seems just to post it now.
This is Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan. The rhythm comes from the laugh of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and relates to a universal cadence that all things follow.
There's an extra verse written by George Harrison.
When the truth gets buried deep,
Beneath a thousand years of sleep,
Time demands a turn-around,
And once again the truth is found,
Awakening the Hurdy Gurdy Man,
Who comes singing songs of love.
Here's a performance with that verse.
As we consider our very survival, threatened by a carelessly made wound to the planet, a wound emitting toxins into the sea that ultimately supports our life as much as the sun and the air, let's take a minute and consider WHY we need to survive.
The introduction to this Shawn Phillips song is on point.
How important are our lives?
Do we care enough to put aside our greed and fear, and just help one another live?
I'm not a meditator, and my spiritual center is, well, not all that centered. But I have an idea of how the whole thing might work. It's fuzzy, as is much unscientific thought on the subject, but science and faith are intersecting in intriguing ways. There's no reason that atoms should even hold together, given that one of the three particles is neutral, and the other two, being positive and negative, should repel each other.
Therefore, since everything is composed of atoms, why doesn't it all fall apart?
On possibility is will, consciousness, God.
In The Cosmic Jackpot, physicist Paul Davies offers, along with other possibilities, a consensus theory. Everything exists because an aggregate consciousness has willed it to do so. Some call that The Universe. Others call it God.
Others just see it as us.
Vaughn Bode' called it The Management.
Some would say that wrapping these ideas in popular culture is doing them a disservice, that I should be dutifully reading the Bible, the Ghita, Jung, and more serious physics texts.
Maybe I'm just sloppy about my spiritual side.
Maybe.
But if we truly are here as a result of shared consciousness, if everything exists by consensus, appreciating its beauty and diversity can only help The Cause.
Thus Spake The Management.
This is Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan. The rhythm comes from the laugh of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and relates to a universal cadence that all things follow.
There's an extra verse written by George Harrison.
When the truth gets buried deep,
Beneath a thousand years of sleep,
Time demands a turn-around,
And once again the truth is found,
Awakening the Hurdy Gurdy Man,
Who comes singing songs of love.
Here's a performance with that verse.
As we consider our very survival, threatened by a carelessly made wound to the planet, a wound emitting toxins into the sea that ultimately supports our life as much as the sun and the air, let's take a minute and consider WHY we need to survive.
The introduction to this Shawn Phillips song is on point.
How important are our lives?
Do we care enough to put aside our greed and fear, and just help one another live?
I'm not a meditator, and my spiritual center is, well, not all that centered. But I have an idea of how the whole thing might work. It's fuzzy, as is much unscientific thought on the subject, but science and faith are intersecting in intriguing ways. There's no reason that atoms should even hold together, given that one of the three particles is neutral, and the other two, being positive and negative, should repel each other.
Therefore, since everything is composed of atoms, why doesn't it all fall apart?
On possibility is will, consciousness, God.
In The Cosmic Jackpot, physicist Paul Davies offers, along with other possibilities, a consensus theory. Everything exists because an aggregate consciousness has willed it to do so. Some call that The Universe. Others call it God.
Others just see it as us.
Vaughn Bode' called it The Management.
Some would say that wrapping these ideas in popular culture is doing them a disservice, that I should be dutifully reading the Bible, the Ghita, Jung, and more serious physics texts.
Maybe I'm just sloppy about my spiritual side.
Maybe.
But if we truly are here as a result of shared consciousness, if everything exists by consensus, appreciating its beauty and diversity can only help The Cause.
Thus Spake The Management.
Original Art Sundays #44 (Friday): Night for Day
No excuses for missing a Sunday. I've just been a bit disheveled of late. Back on track again this week, despite the beginning of a new class on Sunday (more on that later).
This is traditional photography again: film, darkroom, photo sensitive paper, the whole shooting match.
What I find interesting is that this is a night shot, about 10:30 PM.
And it's so oddly bright.
Really weird night, sort of an orange fog light dispersing mist everywhere. The texture of the tree just jumped out at me, and the result was this odd rule of thirds composition.I'm fascinated by the texture of the dirty snow and the parking lot as the shadow of the tree hits it.
This is traditional photography again: film, darkroom, photo sensitive paper, the whole shooting match.
What I find interesting is that this is a night shot, about 10:30 PM.
And it's so oddly bright.
Really weird night, sort of an orange fog light dispersing mist everywhere. The texture of the tree just jumped out at me, and the result was this odd rule of thirds composition.I'm fascinated by the texture of the dirty snow and the parking lot as the shadow of the tree hits it.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thoughts on the oil disaster
I have made the mistake of looking at the photos of the poor creatures devastated by this atrocity.
Every time we are faced with catastrophe, whether it be man-made like 9/11 or the BP disaster, or a byproduct of nature, like the Haitian Earthquake or Hurricane Katrina, we are given the opportunity to decide who we are as a people, a culture and a spiritual force.
I suggest we put aside our petty venalities (as difficult for me as for anyone) and agree to work together to solve the problem in whatever ways we can.
I would also greatly appreciate it if people would stop calling this a "spill." A roll of paper towels will not do the job here.
Every time we are faced with catastrophe, whether it be man-made like 9/11 or the BP disaster, or a byproduct of nature, like the Haitian Earthquake or Hurricane Katrina, we are given the opportunity to decide who we are as a people, a culture and a spiritual force.
I suggest we put aside our petty venalities (as difficult for me as for anyone) and agree to work together to solve the problem in whatever ways we can.
I would also greatly appreciate it if people would stop calling this a "spill." A roll of paper towels will not do the job here.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
That's The Spirit!
As I prepare to teach comics history again, I am mindful that today is the 70th Anniversary of the first public appearance of Will Eisner's The Spirit!
So much has already been said about this work. The years of study, the experimentation, the discovery of the work and the young minds that discovery opened. For me, it was the Harvey Spirit #1, which I bought coverless for a nickel at the used furniture store in my small hometown. This is what I saw that fateful day!
More than a decade later, while I was in film school at UW-Madison, I was shopping at the Book Co-op (A book co-op! What a great time to live in a great town!) and I saw the Kitchen Sink Spirit # 1 and 2 on their underground comic rack.
Then the Warren magazines started coming out, and I started to get it. There was a vast array of comics history and art about which I knew nothing!
Over the decades, other publishers reprinted the work. Denis Kitchen worked with Eisner to get new work in print, including A Contract With God, which allowed so many new possibilities for comics creation and marketing.
Of course, we endured the awful Frank Miller film. The less said about it the better.
And the whole Eisner run is now available in hardcovers- 26 of them at $50 - 60 a pop. But they're out there!
DC is currently revamping the character yet again. I have mixed feelings about this one. The Spirit shouldn't swear. All that deeply anguished noir stuff just isn't Denny Colt. But there was a black and white Spirit story by Harlan Ellison in the last issue that was well worth the price of admission!
I don't know which is worse, anguish or sass. Both are just a bit, well, off for this character, and more than a bit annoying.
Flawed as it was, I rather like the 80s Spirit TV movie. It's kind of like Rockford Files with a mask, but Eisner did have a hand in its production, and aside from the wooden acting of Sam Jones, who also played Flash Gordon in the 80s film, it has a good look and at least a measure of respect for its source material.
So much has already been said about this work. The years of study, the experimentation, the discovery of the work and the young minds that discovery opened. For me, it was the Harvey Spirit #1, which I bought coverless for a nickel at the used furniture store in my small hometown. This is what I saw that fateful day!
More than a decade later, while I was in film school at UW-Madison, I was shopping at the Book Co-op (A book co-op! What a great time to live in a great town!) and I saw the Kitchen Sink Spirit # 1 and 2 on their underground comic rack.
Then the Warren magazines started coming out, and I started to get it. There was a vast array of comics history and art about which I knew nothing!
Over the decades, other publishers reprinted the work. Denis Kitchen worked with Eisner to get new work in print, including A Contract With God, which allowed so many new possibilities for comics creation and marketing.
Of course, we endured the awful Frank Miller film. The less said about it the better.
And the whole Eisner run is now available in hardcovers- 26 of them at $50 - 60 a pop. But they're out there!
DC is currently revamping the character yet again. I have mixed feelings about this one. The Spirit shouldn't swear. All that deeply anguished noir stuff just isn't Denny Colt. But there was a black and white Spirit story by Harlan Ellison in the last issue that was well worth the price of admission!
I don't know which is worse, anguish or sass. Both are just a bit, well, off for this character, and more than a bit annoying.
Flawed as it was, I rather like the 80s Spirit TV movie. It's kind of like Rockford Files with a mask, but Eisner did have a hand in its production, and aside from the wooden acting of Sam Jones, who also played Flash Gordon in the 80s film, it has a good look and at least a measure of respect for its source material.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Original Art Sundays #43: Poppies for Mother
Seeing as how it's Memorial Day, and I was unable to get up North to put flowers on Mother's grave (I'm sure my sister and brother tended to it), I thought I would honor her memory and military service by doing one of her favorite things.
For some reason, poppies have become assocaited with veterans.
So when the poppies in the garden came out today, I decided to take a batch of nature shots, the way Mother always would.
I then went into Photoshop with the best of them and tried to emulate her painting technique in some small ways and still have it look like a photo.
I'm reasonably pleased with the results.
Thanks for your service, Mother. And thanks for the joy and wisdom you bought into my life.
For some reason, poppies have become assocaited with veterans.
So when the poppies in the garden came out today, I decided to take a batch of nature shots, the way Mother always would.
I then went into Photoshop with the best of them and tried to emulate her painting technique in some small ways and still have it look like a photo.
I'm reasonably pleased with the results.
Thanks for your service, Mother. And thanks for the joy and wisdom you bought into my life.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Original Art Sundays # 42b: A Private Myth, p. 12
Yikes!
I glanced at some past pages right after I scanned this, and I can't believe I've strayed so far off-model lately!
I will be more careful of such things in future pages, and will go back and correct before going to dead-tree format.
That's a misnomer, by the way. Very little paper actually comes from trees. Low cellulose compared to other plant fibers.
Ah, the big reveal.
It's that poignant moment when you're stripped bare in front of someone you care about and your deepest secret, the thing about you that makes you most vulnerable, is suddenly in that person's charge.
Wendy Pini called it a "soul name" in Elfquest.
Careful- the link will howl and rattle at you!
I glanced at some past pages right after I scanned this, and I can't believe I've strayed so far off-model lately!
I will be more careful of such things in future pages, and will go back and correct before going to dead-tree format.
That's a misnomer, by the way. Very little paper actually comes from trees. Low cellulose compared to other plant fibers.
It's that poignant moment when you're stripped bare in front of someone you care about and your deepest secret, the thing about you that makes you most vulnerable, is suddenly in that person's charge.
Wendy Pini called it a "soul name" in Elfquest.
Careful- the link will howl and rattle at you!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Original Art Sundays # 42a: Photoshop painting
The page, the page.
The next page of A Private Myth is on the board. It's all penciled and everything. But no scanner access till Tuesday.
So my choices for the blog:
Post a mediocre photo of the pencils (not enough range to get good lines), or wait for a proper scan.
While pondering my choices, I played with Photoshop a bit.
I started looking at some family snapshots from a get-together we had a few months ago.
Next thing I knew, I was reworking a very bad image, trying to see what I could do with it.
Here's the original image.
Believe it or not, there is some information there!
Fixing this image, using some adjustments and filters, and some hand recoloring, I came up with this.
Amazing what's really there!
I added a texture to compensate for the graininess of reintroduced color. Blurs will only take you so far!
The colors are a bit muted, but if it went to print, it would print at about 135% of this color, which would be about right.
By Friday, the next page.
The next page of A Private Myth is on the board. It's all penciled and everything. But no scanner access till Tuesday.
So my choices for the blog:
Post a mediocre photo of the pencils (not enough range to get good lines), or wait for a proper scan.
While pondering my choices, I played with Photoshop a bit.
I started looking at some family snapshots from a get-together we had a few months ago.
Next thing I knew, I was reworking a very bad image, trying to see what I could do with it.
Here's the original image.
Fixing this image, using some adjustments and filters, and some hand recoloring, I came up with this.
Amazing what's really there!
I added a texture to compensate for the graininess of reintroduced color. Blurs will only take you so far!
The colors are a bit muted, but if it went to print, it would print at about 135% of this color, which would be about right.
By Friday, the next page.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Eddie hits town
In 2008, I was in San Diego to present a paper at ComicCon.
While walking through the Top Shelf booth (more like a small store inside a big one, very impressive booth), this tall gent with a shock of white hair starts talking to me in the most delightful accent- British, but yet not.
After a couple minutes, it dawns on me- holy sh*t, I'm talking to Eddie Campbell.
Needless to say, I picked up a couple books- his then-new one, Monsieur Leotard, and the new hardback reissue of From Hell.
Delightful gent. Such a fun, unexpected chat. Well, that's Comic Con for you!
Flash forward to the start of this semester. During the Liberal Arts meeting, my chair asked if there were any other suggestions for next year's guest artist/speaker. Without thinking, I said, "Oh, Eddie Campbell!" This was met with puzzled looks from everyone except Frenchy Lunning, who went nuts over the idea.
Well, after a vote and some wrangling, we got him.
Eddie Campbell is coming to the Minneapolis College of Art & Design next spring.
I count this as personal coup and hope to be able to introduce him when he gives his mandated lecture.
Rather than footage of Eddie speaking (he's quite engaging), here's an odd little film he made.
While walking through the Top Shelf booth (more like a small store inside a big one, very impressive booth), this tall gent with a shock of white hair starts talking to me in the most delightful accent- British, but yet not.
After a couple minutes, it dawns on me- holy sh*t, I'm talking to Eddie Campbell.
Needless to say, I picked up a couple books- his then-new one, Monsieur Leotard, and the new hardback reissue of From Hell.
Delightful gent. Such a fun, unexpected chat. Well, that's Comic Con for you!
Flash forward to the start of this semester. During the Liberal Arts meeting, my chair asked if there were any other suggestions for next year's guest artist/speaker. Without thinking, I said, "Oh, Eddie Campbell!" This was met with puzzled looks from everyone except Frenchy Lunning, who went nuts over the idea.
Well, after a vote and some wrangling, we got him.
Eddie Campbell is coming to the Minneapolis College of Art & Design next spring.
I count this as personal coup and hope to be able to introduce him when he gives his mandated lecture.
Rather than footage of Eddie speaking (he's quite engaging), here's an odd little film he made.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Original Art Sundays # 41a: Uptown Girl
Grades are done, and technically it's not Sunday any more, but here we go anyway.
No scanner access until later this week, so I am posting an image I did for a friend ages ago. Seeing him with his wife and daughter at Minneapolis Spring Con reminded me of this piece I did for Bob Lipski's Uptown Girl web page.
If you've not read Uptown Girl, it's fun and thought-provoking, simple and clean without being dumbed down.
Bob is hard at work on an Uptown Girl graphic novel. I am eager for the final product!
New page again later this week!
No scanner access until later this week, so I am posting an image I did for a friend ages ago. Seeing him with his wife and daughter at Minneapolis Spring Con reminded me of this piece I did for Bob Lipski's Uptown Girl web page.
If you've not read Uptown Girl, it's fun and thought-provoking, simple and clean without being dumbed down.
Bob is hard at work on an Uptown Girl graphic novel. I am eager for the final product!
New page again later this week!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Farewell to a classic
It was announced today that, after 82 years, Little Orphan Annie (now just called Annie) will cease on June 12, 2010.
While I was never a huge fan of the strip, I did and do recognize its quality and social significance. And I'm so glad IDW is doing the reprint series.
While the musical was a slight misstep for the lauded director John Huston, it was still enjoyable, mostly for the Shirley Temple-esque Aileen Quinn in the title role and the great fun had by Tim Curry, Albert Finney and the irrepressible Bernadette Peters.
I read the strip as it came out in the 60s, but only the Sundays. My grandma picked up the Sunday Minneapolis Star or Duluth News Tribune (which had better, but different, strips) largely so I could read my funnies.
I read it again briefly in the '00s when Andy Pepoy was doing the art. Enjoyed that run immensely, the little I saw of it.
Finally, this drawing is freely lifted from Craig Yoe's great Super I.T.C.H. blog, linked to elsewhere on this page.
Good work, Annie. You added the phrase "Leaping Lizards!" and the term "Gloriosky" to the national dialogue, and showed young girls that they could triumph over just about anything and stay happy if they really wanted to.
While I was never a huge fan of the strip, I did and do recognize its quality and social significance. And I'm so glad IDW is doing the reprint series.
While the musical was a slight misstep for the lauded director John Huston, it was still enjoyable, mostly for the Shirley Temple-esque Aileen Quinn in the title role and the great fun had by Tim Curry, Albert Finney and the irrepressible Bernadette Peters.
I read the strip as it came out in the 60s, but only the Sundays. My grandma picked up the Sunday Minneapolis Star or Duluth News Tribune (which had better, but different, strips) largely so I could read my funnies.
I read it again briefly in the '00s when Andy Pepoy was doing the art. Enjoyed that run immensely, the little I saw of it.
Good work, Annie. You added the phrase "Leaping Lizards!" and the term "Gloriosky" to the national dialogue, and showed young girls that they could triumph over just about anything and stay happy if they really wanted to.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Original Art Sundays #40b: A Private Myth, p. 11
Now that I've taught my last session of Comic Book History for the semester (sob!) and have had time to scan, I can post the next page.
I like the layout and the first and third tiers, but the facial structure on the middle tier is off-model.
Also, I have a hard time drawing anger. Guess I'm too relaxed. Maybe I should draw the next page after I grade some papers!
Actually, most of the papers I've gotten this semester are quite good.
Next week: what the photo means.
I like the layout and the first and third tiers, but the facial structure on the middle tier is off-model.
Also, I have a hard time drawing anger. Guess I'm too relaxed. Maybe I should draw the next page after I grade some papers!
Actually, most of the papers I've gotten this semester are quite good.
Next week: what the photo means.
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