Playing

I've been spending so much time studying a hybrid medium in which I've only partially participated that I felt it was time to play in the other half.  I'm no artist, but here's a comic strip I made.

My intent with this was to say something significant while allowing the images to add an additional level.  For that purpose, I selected some of the ways in which we make meaning: memory, fantasy, perception of reality, etc.  What's interesting is that in the "Reality" panel, I've used visual abstraction and a deeper level of cartooning to further the rough ideas.  The thought bubbles were an after-thought, and the question marks and exclamation points an after-thought to that after-thought.  The tension, for me, resides in the exclamation points in the final panel.  Instead of being a question, the abstractions become a demand, a desperate plea, a frantic cry for an organizing principle.

Another interesting point, for me, was that I almost subconsciously put art in both the thought bubble and the boxes the character carries.  Why is that?  I can wager a couple of guesses, but I'll leave it for you to decide for yourselves.

The Robert Byrne quote also came as an after-thought to the paneling and illustration.  Again, for me, it plays as a juxtaposition to what is actually taking place in the panel itself.  There are many things in the character's hands that could provide purpose, but it is the segmenting of these individual things that presents the problem.  The character is having a hard time balancing all of these individual commitments.  One can feel in the demands for "Truth! Beauty! Art! Justice!" a need for an organizing principle, a unifying force that will serve as a tray, a bag, a container for all the disparate elements being balanced.  I also thought about including "Love" in the panel, but thought it would get too crowded.  OR, it could just be a bunch of squiggles on the page.

I knew I was going to post this first effort on the blog, so I tried to find a subject that would suit its placement here.  I hope it worked.  It's an intellectual exercise.  I'm going to ask my students to make a mini-comic of their own next semester and so I thought I should try my own hand at it.  Never ask students to do something you yourself wouldn't do, right?

Anyway, I'll leave it at that.  This was a lot more fun than I anticipated.  Analyzing my own work after the fact also brought some insights into process and the subconscious.  My apologies for the bleed over into the side column of the blog, but sizing down caused legibility issues.

The Superman logo is copyrighted and trademarked by DC Comics.  I use it here for no profit but as an educational exercise.