Visions of the Future

Bryan O' Malley tweeted about Jen Wang's Shamisen so I read it, and remembered why I think they're both great comics people. Brandon Graham tweeted about this excellent set of posters by Stref. A few people tweeted about Vera Brosgol's What Were You Raised By Wolves? going online. So basically if you aren't following cartoonists on twitter, you're missing out on a lot.

Happy New Year everybody. This is the international year of cooperatives, the Alan Turing Year, and soon to be the year of the Dragon.

Oooh Girl is a funny new tumblr. Over at The Snipe News they've got several creator's takes on the best comics of 2011. Here, take this list of 100 cult films. Do something with it.


Uploaded by cybersputnik on Sep 21, 2009

Here I am at the beginning of the new year waiting for a new life to begin. I've gotten little glimpses of something, had a few nightmares about things I've all but left behind me, and felt the tinglings of new relationships beginning, but the big bang eludes me. I am at this point desperate for some substantial, positive change in my life. I have been too long weighed down by circumstance, poverty, and isolation. I took a walk today, and it was sadly the most unfettered I've felt in months. I can't continue living like a prisoner in a place that doesn't acknowledge my existence. I need to breathe.

I'm tired and getting old.

Nick Edwards created a tutorial for one of his monstrously large splash pages. And then later in the week Vera Brosgol did a process piece about laying out Anya's Ghost. It was a win-win week for web cartoonists. Oh and did I mention that Jen Wang is doing a drawing every day in June? Also Jordyn Bochon is drawing all June too! This is like a birthday month miracle for me!

I like this Girl with the Skeleton Hand arc of Johnny Wander. Speaking of wandering, I wandered into Marcel O'Leary's blogspot, which was a great surprise.

This past week was surprisingly full for me. My sleep cycle was a bit more normal, and I spent more time on productive things, like moving my office and finally getting around to installing my wireless pci-E card. I also drew a few things. I watched X-men: First Class and Thor, and a few episodes of Inuyasha and Fist of the Northstar. I read a bit of Johnny Wander, some random Dharbin comics, a few of the recent Emitown comics, and discovered The Tiger's Wife via Jen Wang. I also managed to trick myself into getting my car's oil changed.

Besides that it was Father's Day and I am turning 31 next Wednesday. Time to start the week.


Uploaded by songstowearpantsto on May 20, 2011

Pastiche . . .

(pas-ˈtēsh) is not hallucinogenic macaroni, but rather a hodge podge of imitations of other artistic works. If you've ever taken interest in art or writing in the Post Modern age, you've encountered it. If you've ever watched Family Guy you've been drowned in pop culture pastiche.

I think anything we create is in some way referential to something else whether it's unconscious imitation, homage, revisionist/commentary, or somewhere in the gray area of unintentional reference. SAN for me is exactly that, just a pastiche of the various streams of information that crawl through the back of my mind.

So this weekend I've been re-watching Kill Bill vol.'s 1 & 2. Just trying to comb through the soundtrack is dizzying, not to mention the film references! I really like to dig in with stuff like this that just has so much texture. I would say the Watchmen graphic novel and the Kill Bills are on about the same resonance when it comes to pastiche. Let's see how good the Watchmen film comes out.

Here's a stumble my stumble-bumper buddy Ace sent me about a savant who can recall and play every note of every song he's ever heard. I had to go and find some Mozart after hearing that.

Okay a couple of spotlights:

Kate Beaton - makes sexy comics based on history; shame on you for never checking her out---i mean looking at her stuff---i mean---drat. go!

John Allison - how can you pretend to like web comics and not be a Scary-go-round fan? No really. He's the truth.

Chris Hastings - Dr. Mcninja. Start here. Thank me later

Center Storm (Impromanga) - web comics began here(well kinda*) for me circa 2000

*originally hosted at pixelspace, since hot-potatoed to wherever it could.

also OCAD used to be somewhere else

Kelly Hamilton - She doesn't seem to have the buzz she had a year ago, but I still think she's top notch. Kind of reminds me of Cyril Pedrosa's work, and her tutorials are outstanding.

Daniel Krall - everything about his drawings is fun.

Jen Wang - and Vera and Pants Press still rock my socks

okay i'll stop for now.

btw i'm watching: Persepolis, The Honeymoon Killers, Owning Mahoney, A Woman Under the Influence, Kill Bill (of course), Full Metal Panic, Ducktales, Touch, Yakitate, Mighty Orbots, Future Boy Conan, Nadia, and a few others. oh and happy belated v-day.