Reading Comics - June 2009

It's been some time since I posted any comic reviews, but trust me, I've been reading away, and sure enough I have some thoughts on them.

Bone - The Complete Series
'Bone' is one of those comics that I credit for bringing me into comics. I can remember ordering back issues directly from Cartoon Books (mostly for 5th or 6th printings), and waiting almost a month for the comics to arrive at my door. I'd even buy the trade paperbacks just to have, and at the bottom of my drawers are still a couple t-shirts that I bought, and then was too embarassed to wear them.

And as time went on, and Mr. Smith changed publishers, and the release schedule became more erratic, the series disappeared from my radar, only to resurface towards the end of the complete run. Fortunately, the enormous volume that comprises the entire series makes it easy to digest the story without having to wait or switch between trade collections.

First and foremost, 'Bone' makes it clear that Jeff Smith is one of the great cartoonists working today. Even starting out, his skills were sharp and well-crafted, but as the story moves along, his line and character design become more refined and precise, but without losing that cartoon influence. And by finishing the series, Smith has given comics a tried and true epic, one that surpasses 1,000 pages, and stands up there with the likes of 'Cerebus' (an irony, I know, considering Smith's feud with Dave Sim.)

Story elements like the Great Cow Race, Fone Bone's fascination with Moby Dick, and the suspense surrounding Phoney Bone's involvement with the Hooded One and the Lord of the Locusts are sure to stand out as classics in comics literature. But I have to say, almost with some resignation, that the first half of the series stands better than the second half. This isn't to say it's bad by any means, it still is great comics storytelling, but once Phoney's involvement with the Hooded One is revealed, the story falls into its fantasy mythos, which feels borrowed rather than original. The Bone cousins become supporting characters in events that are far from their own making, and Thorn becomes a warrior princess with almost limitless powers (which apparently suck away any shred of personality). Things pick up a little bit when Phoney and Smiley go back to scheming in Atheia, but at that point the epic narrative is well under way, and this small episode becomes swallowed by something far larger.

Is 'Bone' essential? Absolutely, this a huge achievement within the realm of comics and comics literature. 'Bone' itself is a product of comics' struggle to break free from the grip of the superhero mainstream, and has definitely had a hand in the creation of the modern day 'graphic novel.' It's just a shame that the spark that initially started the whole adventure of the Bone cousins gets lost along the way.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Century: 1910
Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill, and the League are back (and this time at Top Shelf Comics)! Dealing with an occult society, and the return of a serial killer to London, Mina Murray leads a new version of the League in the wake of the failed Martian Invasion from Volume 2. Among the new crew are Alan Quatermain Jr. (Alan Quatermain Sr. rejuvenated), the gender bender Orlando, the pschic Carnacki, and the reformed burglar Raffles (could the League exist without Wikipedia today?)

Since this is the first in a longer series, I feel I can only give impressions. O' Neill's art as always captures the neo-Victorian period perfectly, while at the same time developing a certain hand for parody that wasn't as evident in the earlier stories. And Moore brings his interests in the occult and the Jack the Ripper killings into the League's world, but without giving them a fitting conclusion, in this chapter at least. And as before, a sexually risque, bawdy, and sometime brutal quality permeates the story, but it's hard to say if this will have an effect on the larger story, or if it's just the after effects of Moore's 'Lost Girls.'

Above all else, it seems clear Moore is making these Victorian characters more of his own. He's less interested in planting them to their roots in the 19th century, and more inclined to see how they would have operated in the tumultuous events of the 20th century. He has a good start, and I'm eager to see where he goes.
(Writer's note: I haven't read 'Black Dossier' yet. Trust me, it's on deck.)

Jamilti, and other stories
This is my first encounter with Rutu Modan's work, and I certainly wish I had found it sooner. The stories in this collection, made between 1998-2007, reveal an artist experimenting with her craft, and developing a storyteller's voice within the comics medium. Many of the comics are made with a clean, spare line, but they're drawn with such command that they exude character. And even though the color is muted when it is used, it brings texture and depth to the stories.

While many of the stories are set within Israel, they don't deal with the many conflicts in the Middle East directly. Modan's stories are more concerned with the personal stories of her characters, and the strange, sad, and tragic events that befall them, helping them to reveal hidden strengths. This isn't to say Modan ignores the geo-political conflicts, they hover on the periphery, always waiting to intrude on the characters, whether a stolen plane flying from Lebanon ('Homecoming'), or a suicide bomber mistaken for a victim in the title story, 'Jamilti.' While something like Joe Sacco's 'Palestine' is more political in nature, examining the forces that lead people into a social and cultural stalemate, they do share a common thread, I think, in examining the repercussions of living with the knowledge of terror.

The last story in the collection, 'Your Number One Fan,' shows Modan finding her strongest voice. Using a style similar to Herge's, she tells a story about identity, loss, culture clashes, and expectations through the experiences of an Israeli musician visiting England. Both he and his 'fan' are looking for different kinds of acceptance, only to find it in the unlikely, and possibly wrong, places. It's a fitting end to the collection, and prepares us for what I'm sure is going to be a fruitful career of stories.

What's on deck:
'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky - what, you thought I only read comics?
'A Princess of Mars' by Edgar Rice Burroughs - because it's summer, and I need something to balance out the above.
'Concrete Volume 1' by Paul Chadwick
'Maakies Volume 1' by Tony Millionaire -dook dook dook dook dook dook
'T-Minus' by Jim Ottaviani, Zander Cannon, and Kevin Cannon

Summer Commission

It's been pretty quiet here on this blog, and I apologize for that. Comics and drawings are happening, trust me, but I guess they're just not ready enough for posting.

So, I thought I would go ahead and share what will be my big summer project. A good friend in Iowa City commissioned me to create a couple paintings some time ago, and I'm now finally able to do the finished artwork for the first one. He gave me nearly complete creative control, so I was able to make something that fit my aesthetic, but also appealed to his tastes. The drawing for the first painting is below:

The subject matter is actually reminiscent of some of my older relief prints, where I would do large scenes of characters in urban settings. In this case, the time period is a bit different (late 19th/early 20th century), and in a rare instance, all of the characters are human. The final painting will be watercolor at about 17" x 35." Like I said, a summer project. I'll post process photos as the painting develops.

My 'God' Comic

It seems that God is a fairly popular subject among cartoonists, whether as an object of reverence, or as a source of hypocrisy and control. More often the Almighty becomes a mask for the cartoonist to use to espouse some viewpoint of the world, which boils down to his depressed state in it.

Alas, I too once had aspirations of doing a 'God' comic. While in grad school, I began to work on some pages in my sketchbook with God as a main character, keeping the story spontaneous and without forethought. I think I had some kind of mythic Campbell-ian ideas in mind, where all gods are really one and what not. And as you can see, I got reeeally far (3 pages! Phew!)

But I recently found these pages again as I skimmed through my old sketchbooks, and while they are pretty rough, I still think they're quite enjoyable, and that there is a lot of potential there. And so, I share these with you, dear Web surfer. There may be more to come...

Super Fantastica Comix Review!

A comics anthology that I have work in, 'Super Fantastica Comix 2009,' received a shout out on the popular Web site Ain't It Cool News. Please check it out, and if you have a spare $8, please buy a copy of the book!

Ain't It Cool News
bewilderedkid Store

And to entice you even more, you can read my contribution at my Web site:
Science Fair Goes ZAP!!!

Some Follow Ups...

I posted these images in an earlier post, but I've done a little work on them since then. Above is the color version of the Poison Ivy illustration. Special thanks go out to Nicholas Straight (blog: Drawmit!), who did a preliminary color design that helped me formulate the final colors. And below is the Two-Face illustration, which originally had three tones in the background. Thanks go out to Jordan Delmundo (blog: Brown on the Towne) for the recommendation!

MCBA Microcon This Sunday!

MCBA MICROCON COMIC BOOK PARTY

SUNDAY APRIL 26TH 2009 - 10AM TO 4PM

Minnesota State Fairgrounds - Progress Center

1621 Randall Ave - Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108

If you're in the Twin Cities area, stop on by for some comic book goodness to usher in spring. I'll have my own table where I'll be selling 'Supernova Lullaby' and 'Toby & Sara' swag, as well as helping out at the Cartoonist Conspiracy table. Thanks everyone!

More info at : MCBA Microcon 2009

More Batman Villains

Things have been a little quiet around the blog as of late. I've actually been busy for the first time in a long time, with a number of projects converging all at once (and some of them not of my own doing, i.e. I have a client. Woohoo!). However, I find time to do some recreational drawing (a gateway habit, I know), and I'm working on a couple more Batman villain pinups for Microcon coming up the last weekend of April. Both of these originated as smaller, cruder sketches, but I liked them enough to do more finished pieces.

Two-Face - pen & ink with ink wash

I really like the way this turned out! The inks were crisp and solid, partly I think due to the Vellum Bristol, and I'm becoming more comfortable with the ink washes. And here's a factoid: I based the Harvey half of Two-Face on the actor Dominic West, best known for the character of McNulty on 'The Wire.'

Poison Ivy - pen & ink

I've been itching to do this one for a while now, even though I tend to avoid floral settings. I'm tempted to do an ink wash on this one as well, but I'm thinking color would also be a good addition. Should I do both, and then compare? DO I DARE?!?

So there you have it. I am alive and well. More after these messages.

Cutesy but not Cutesy

When I was visiting Philadelphia a week ago, I had the distinct honor of meeting Cutesy but not Cutesy's Diane Koss. In case you don't know, Diane makes monsters...


These are just a few of her creations. While reminiscent of Dr. Seuss crossed with 'Where the Wild Things Are,' these are truly Diane's characters, and once you see the sheer number of them, I think you'll agree. Oh, and did I mention she makes them by hand? Yep, each one handmade, by her hands. Small, medium, and large.

While her work is most readily available at various craft fairs, lucky for you she has an Etsy online store. So please visit and browse around:

www.cutesybutnotcutesy.com

Obama's People

Another small project I've been working on is portraits of the new administration. Nadav Kander's photos from the New York Times Magazine served as good source material, and below is a small sampling of what I've done up to this point:

Big Funny Sneak Preview

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but that's because I've been in the midst of some big projects. One of them is Big Funny, a local Minneapolis endeavor, and I've posted the final pencils for my submissions above. These are big, about 19x24, though the final printed anthology will be 16x20. They may be a little hard to read, but hopefully they'll give you an idea of what the final pages will be like.

Sketchbook Project! Last Round!

Last group of pics from my Sketchbook Project submission, this time focusing on some space-scapes from 'Supernova Lullaby.' The show itself opens this Friday in Atlanta, Georgia at the Art House Gallery. For a complete list of cities and dates, please visit their Web site: Art House



These last two kind of snuck in. I liked them, but I didn't have the space to draw more superhero images.

Yes, I'm on Twitter

Total immersion in the internets continues. Follow me on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/msgier

Thank you!

More Sketchbook Project

It may have been a small sketchbook, but there were a lot of pages. More from my Sketchbook Project submission:




Most of these characters I was trying to work with in my first year of grad school, but the criticism I received wasn't very helpful, or it tended to be negative, so I scraped them. Of course, now that I'm out of school, I have a better understanding of them, so I guess it wasn't all bad. You can now find them in my mini-comic strip 'Dear Friends,' which is part of Supernova Lullaby.

More Sketchbook Project Images

Thought I would go ahead and post a few more images to my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project, which will be starting its exhibition tour in a couple weeks. These are a collection of images featuring characters from my comic series 'Toby & Sara.'

Cold Floor, Warm Hearts

Spying from the Balcony: Toby and his roommates, the Crooks Sisters

Cross Culture Love Affair: Guanyin and Rapha-el

Sara's Boring Day

Ah, 'Toby & Sara.' To those who have supported the series up to this point, I promise you more stories are on the way. It's just been taking me longer than I anticipated, and every week some new project pops up that seems to take priority. Hang in there!

'The Island at the End of the World' Book Cover

So, a few months back, a friend posted a link for a contest to design a book cover. Unfortunately, the contest was over by then, and the site now shows the results of the contest. But, the story and idea intrigued me enough to go ahead and create my own cover for the book. And after fighting with the design for a few months, I think I've come to a point where I'm finally satisfied with the result.

It definitely posed some challenges for me. One was that I was working with ink washes, which I've rarely done. I also had difficulty with the type, redoing the font a couple times. And the illustration, for a long time, was cast in a blue-green tone, but changing it to a golden tone seems to have helped out a great deal. There were also conceptual issues. The contest didn't give a lot of details on the characters, but since my design was so focused on them, I had to take some chances and hope that in the end I got their appearances right.

I'm a big book reader, and doing book illustration has long been a dream of mine. You don't see a lot of it done outside of childrens books and comics, but who knows, maybe one day there will be a rebirth. And I hope I can be a part of it.