Comic Art
October 25, 2007
Mike Dominic wrote this article for us. He is a freelance illustrator and comic artist living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has produced work for both print and online comics, including his own webcomic, The Journals of Simon Pariah. He has written articles about comics for Sketch magazine and 24 Hour Comics Day 2006, and he is currently a participant in the 100 Artists Project. His most recent work can be found at the Bruno the Bandit webcomic and his own sketchblog.
Comic Art
Comics is an old art form that is always new. In its current form, it is just over a century old, yet it is just as fresh as today’s strips. It has adapted to nearly every communications medium introduced in the last century, yet it is still produced with tools that are as old as the written word. It is considered lowbrow trash by some (see, for example, Jack Chick tracts or Tijuana Bibles), pop culture by many (see the current spate of comic book based films and the books from which they are derived), and high art by a few (see Gary Groth and Art Speigelman). Some creators have even managed to start at one end of the scale and work their way to the other (see Will Eisner and Robert Crumb).
Comic art is used for educational and instructional purposes as well as it is for entertainment value. It has provided icons for our modern culture, even as it tore down that same culture or provided an escape from it. Comics are to art what water is to a Taoist: infinitely adaptable, ever changing.
This is why I consider myself fortunate to have some small talent for comics; comics are, literally, for everyone. I write them, draw them and color them. I also read them and share my love of them with others, old and young. Although I’ve worked in other artistic fields, I keep coming back to comics. The lessons I learn from another medium make their way into comics, and somehow the influence of comics keeps making its way into other artistic endeavors.
No other creative efforts have challenged me as much as has the creation of comics. This field is, for me, simultaneously the most rewarding and most frustrating work I have ever undertaken. Comics just demands so much of the creator. It demands that I know something about just about everything, as I could be called upon to draw anything at any given time. As a comic artist, I must be able to create a believable image of just about anything, be it real or utterly fantastic, and use that rendering to aid the narrative, convey action or create a mood. And do it in a few deft penstrokes. Usually on a deadline. On the other hand, it allows me to realize just about anything, be it real or utterly fantastic, with an effect as real and a scale as large as my mind and hand can convey, and with a budget no larger than the cost of a piece of paper and a stub of a pencil.
Yet when the job is done, comics is an ephemeral medium, flashed briefly on the screen or held briefly in the hand, then discarded or stashed away while the reader moves on to the next task of their day. In thinking about it that way, it makes you wonder why anyone would bother putting in so much effort to make good comics, and its probably that ephemeral nature that contributes to the perception of comics as an immature or irrelevant medium. Yet, if the comic creator has done their work diligently and well, they will have produced something, an impression or insight, that will last well beyond the short span that is spent actually experiencing the art. It is when that lasting impression is achieved that comics (in any format) has succeeded, and truly lives, as art.
-
A Beautiful Interview Ceri Shaw suggested me an interview from our friends at Americymru. So here's this beautiful interview with Dr. Karl Jenkins (I include also the link to their ticket giveaway competition for his performance at Carnegie Hall NY on March 6th 2010). A Beautiful Interview Dr. Karl Jenkins is Britain's greatest...... -
Growing Independent Film Industry in the Southeast Heidi Yost wrote this exclusive article. Heidi (photo) is a talented actress. In this article, she explains Film Industry situation in the southeast, talks about her experience as artist and gives also important hints for the new actors. Growing Independent Film Industry in the Southeast When I returned home to...... -
Creative Ideas (Part Two) This is the Part Two of the powerful article by Deremiah. (Part One) Creative Ideas (Part Two) RELATIONSHIPS INFLUENCE THE POWER OF YOUR IDEAS... Brian Tracy who has done a lot of research to compile the information in his wonderful book "CREATE YOUR OWN FUTURE" expresses in Chapter 7, page...... - Digital Painting Jeremy White wrote this article exclusively for us. Jeremy is currently in the throngs of several projects and sub projects in digital art (2d here, 3d there), computer programming, and some hobby-level music production. Actually, all of it is hobby level, but... who cares? I consider Jeremy a real artist......
-
The Elegance of the Art Doug Stahnke is a sculptor. And this is a wonderful exclusive article he wrote for us. The Elegance of the Art Let me begin by first defining some terms as I apply them: talent – I think there is a simple truth here. You were either born with it or you......
-
Movie Review: Did You Hear About the Morgans? starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant Meryl Morgan (Sarah Jessica Parker) is a TSTL heroine. The woman witnesses a murder, goes into protective custody and decides calling New York is a good idea. Is the woman crazy or does she just have a death wish? Seriously. Jackie Drake, her assistant, is just as stupid because...... -
T.I. Says Song With Lady Gaga May Not Be 'A Keeper' Gaga claims collaboration could be worked into something even better, says Tip.By James Montgomery T.I. Photo: Moses Robinson/ Getty Images Earlier this year, T.I. had jaws dropping when he announced that he'd recorded some 80 songs for his upcoming album King Uncaged, and that at least one of them was...... -
7 Ways to Keep Your Workplace Safe Whenever you're fixing anything around your home, it's easy to let clutter take over and pretty soon, your workspace is not only crowded, but it's potentially unsafe. The key to doing things yourself the right way is safety. Let's go over some tips on how to keep your work area...... - Area 51 Forex Exposed Area 51 Forex is live. I know there's a reason you aren't successful right now and it's not your fault. You probably purchased many different types of products, systems, e-books, home study courses, tele-seminars, workshops.Try Netpicks forex signal service free for two weeks. There's a lot of different products out......
-
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=d73f5f11-f475-4cd1-81b1-ceb759a86bae "Reblog this post [with Zemanta]")
Self Discovery Avocation = calling, or that which you find yourself doing even when you intended to do something else. If you feel your body is a gift to use to help others, that may be your calling. Some peoples magnum opus is powerful labour. Magnum opus? Latin. Great work, and also......
Related Posts
- A new year ahead, and Arts win
- Creating Clouds
- Independent Games
- On Canvas Art
- Art, Communication, Connectivity
Related Profiles
- Dress To Impress And Clinch That Job
- How To Win Back Your Girlfriend Effectively
- Twitter Marketing Can Be An Affordable Means To Get More Traffic
- Paying the Way for Innovation
- Adding Ambiance With Handmade Pottery
Related Webpages
- How To Buy Your First Computer
- A Guide Featuring 5 Smart Tips for Buying Fashion Online
- Why Get A See-through Computer Case?
- Price Comparison And Online Shopping: Shopping Smart
- Coordinate Cushions, Curtains And Throws With Fabric
Comments
Got something to say?
Search
-
Subscribe
-
Categories
-
Links
-
Editorial Endorsements
