Design Matters
Posted: May 16, 2013 Filed under: Gary, News, Podcasts, Process, Simon | Tags: back issues, comic book cover design, comic book layouts, comic book logo design, gerald proctor, In This Issue Podcast, john wright II, laydeez do comics, logan cannon, victus Leave a comment »Hey hey,
So, before I tell you how collaboration has saved my butt on multiple occasions, a couple announcements:
1. I’ll be speaking at the best comic book store in the country, Quimby’s, on May 30th at 7pm! I’m speaking as part of the Laydeez Do Comics series (I know I know, I’m not a lady). I’ll share the proverbial stage with Sarah Morton. These talks are always a lot of fun, so if you are in the Chicago area, I hope you can attend. I promise to share some juicy secrets! Here is the info:
Laydeez Do Comics, May Edition
2. As this post is about collaboration, I think it fitting to announce that I’ve had the privilege to collaborate on a podcast with the amazing Justin Fah of In This Issue Podcast. It’s called Back Issues. On the show we analyze older comics that we’ve always wanted to read, or always loved, or know to be essential. First we did Green Lantern: Willworld. Our lastest episode is focused on the classic X-men storyline ‘Days of Future Past’. You should subscribe to the show In This Issue Podcast on itunes or listen directly on their website:
3. I know I’ve been teasing it for a while… but I can officially say that Victus #1 will be released on June 15th (just in time for CAKE)! Stay tuned for more details about how you can get a copy.
Now, on to the meat!
…
COLLABORATION
So… I always wish I could do everything myself. That’s cuz I’m dumb. One of the areas I struggle with the most is graphic design. It’s an area that folks that who self-publish often under-utilize or ignore. It’s unfortunate, because I think it keeps their (my) work out of a large number of consumers hands. We live in a world saturated by design. As Steve Jobs said, ‘design matters’. Very true. No matter how much your comic rocks, if you can’t put it in a package that communicates that the work is professional, you’ll have a hard time selling it.
Since I struggle so much in this area, I often lean on my friends for help. In particular, I know this dude named Gerald Proctor. Gerald is a college buddy that has quite a talent for graphic design and all things digital art related. I got to know him through many a long night of Halo death matches in the dorms (yes I’m a nerd). The first time we collaborated was in college on a poster for my comic Simon. I gave no specific direction, so Gerald brought his own style to the piece:
It was really exciting for me to see someone take a concept like Simon, that up to that point only I had done, and explore it in their medium. Years later, Gerald helped design the cover for my Simon 10 year collection:
I’m fairly sure this cover has helped in me selling out of the first printing of the Simon Collection. Now, to the untrained eye, this cover might not look too complicated. Which, honestly, is the beauty of it. It just works and you see it as another piece of fitting design. The same way you see a book on the stands of any bookshop and just ‘get it’ at first glance. Now, without Gerald’s help, the cover would have turned out much different. To give you an idea of how bad this cover would have been if I had created it solo, here are some of my cover designs before Gerald joined the project:
Pretty bad, right? That’s because DESIGN IS HARD. Gerald used texture and subtle color to accentuate the feeling the black and white line art had. This was much more effective than just simply coloring the cover in a traditional style. Not only that, but this design adds to the feeling that this book is a collection of work over time. You get a sense of history when seeing the cover, which is exactly what a collection of 10 years of comics should feel like.
Gerald also helped give cohesion to my Gary series:
When looking at the series as a whole, it becomes even more obvious how consistent and direct design helps in catching the eye of potential buyers. Gerald also created the interior layouts for the Gary series. Picking font families, alignment, and page placement is not as intuitive as it might seem to the layperson. It requires a keen eye for detail, and a knowledge of the language of graphic design.
Collaboration is not always easy. Gerald and I tend to disagree about almost everything when working on a project. But I’m a firm believer in “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” The disagreements lead to discussion and honest critiquing of what’s working or not working within the piece. Hopefully, after the dust settles, you have a great piece of design in your hands.
Gerald continues to be a monster of a digital artist. I highly recommend you check out his gallery of work on Society 6:
I particularly like “If I walk to you”.
…
I plan to do another post about collaboration soon, delving into some other working relationships. I’ve had the chance to work with some amazingly talented people. Most recently, my brother Logan and I collaborated on a new Simon comic. It went so well, we are already working on another. And of course, John Wright and I are still working on our epic cage fighting comic NUMB:
I’ll leave you with a sneak peek at 6 pages of Victus #1:
All six pages at once, that is.
heheh.
-Tyrell
Tricon Post-Carnage Report
Posted: April 8, 2013 Filed under: Conventions, Process, Victus | Tags: brad bogner, Comic Book Conventions, In This Issue Podcast, tricon, victus Leave a comment »Whew! Another weekend another convention!
I had a blast at Tricon this past weekend. I was tabling with my pal Justin Fah and his podcast In This Issue, which happened to be the OFFICIAL podcast for the show. The folks of Huntington, West Virginia were extremely kind and welcoming to us folks from out of state. I wanted to thank everyone who came out to the show and said hi!
At the table, Justin and crew (Piasecki & Bogner) had the ol’ creator corner going, which was awesome. Basically, they provide you with information pulled from a hat (like a comic book hero, a villain, a plot device, and a setting) and then you come up with a story on the fly. The prize is your story on the podcast and a sweet print of the In This Issue Poster that I did. Here is one fan donning the ‘Weapon X’ helmut and telling In This Issue his story:
You really need to hear some of the stories folks cooked up! To hear all the stories, as well as creator interviews and other convention coverage, you can subscribe to In This Issue on itunes or listen at their website.
We also had some help from this guy:
…
The next show you can see me at is Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, OR at the end of this month! I’ll have more details on that soon.
…
Here are a couple peeks at Victus:
Mr. Moore is helping me with the cover to Victus #1
pages pages pages!
Patterns!
Sorry to keep teasing you. I assure you the book will be ready soon!
…
Hadn’t posted any ‘here’s what I’ve been looking at lately’ images in a while. So…
…
Bernie Wrightson doing what he does best.
The Saga of Swamp Thing.
The Eternals. By the eternal Jack Kirby.
And this little ad was in the Eternals comic. Amazing.
…
Thanks for reading ya’ll! Be seeing you in a week or so!
- Tyrell
Emerald City Comicon this weekend!
Posted: February 26, 2013 Filed under: Conventions, Gary, My Favorite Things, Process, Victus | Tags: alternative comics, Comic Book Conventions, emerald city comicon, Gary: Book 3, independent comics, independent sci-fi comics, Josh Shalek, victus Leave a comment »Hey hey hey…
So Con season has officially begun. I’ll be tabling at my first show of the season this weekend, March 1st-3rd at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, WA.
You can find me with the awesome Josh Shalek at artist alley table S-09:
…
Josh is the man behind the extremely amusing & poignant Welcome to Falling Rock. I hear he might be premiering some brand new printed comics at this show. I highly recommend you pick one up! I will be filling my part of the table with the complete series of Gary (books 1-3), as well as the Simon Collection, and a new Simon mini comic. I’ll also have some promotional handouts for my new project, Victus. Here’s what the back looks like:
…
Woops… Did I just announce when the first issue is coming out?
Speaking of Victus, here are some sneak peeks at my progress…
Pages piling up…
Meet Dom. She’s a little shy.
And Absalom hard at work.
…
I’m very excited for Emerald City Comicon and I hope you pacific northwesterners can come out to the show! I’ll leave you with a breakfast moment of zen, courtesy of Walker Brothers Original Pancake house…
This must be what drugs feel like.
- Tyrell
Work
Posted: January 23, 2013 Filed under: Process, Simon, Victus | Tags: comic book art show, comic book techniques, dimensional portal, simon comics, victus, woodcut comics 4 Comments »Hey there…
Thought it was time to actually post some images of stuff I’ve been up to:
Here is a quick shot of me installing and another shot of my installation in the Artwork6 Exhibition at the SAIC Sullivan Gallery:
Thanks to Christina for the picture of my installation. There is some fantastic work in the show, so please come by and take a look.
…
Here is a new Simon mini-foldy comic that I’ll be premiering at my next convention:
I’ll have more info about the conventions I’m attending in the next post.
…
And here is the first official poster/image/promo for my next project Victus. It features the character Celeste, but you can call her ‘Cel’. More of these are on the way and will also be available for purchase as prints.
…
Hope you are all well!
Tyrell
Printing & Self-publishing pt. 2
Posted: December 21, 2012 Filed under: My Favorite Things, Process, Simon Leave a comment »In case you missed Part 1, where I discuss print-on-demand services, check it out:
Printing & Self-publishing pt. 1
…
Part 2: Printing ‘at home’
One of the coolest things about printing your own comics now is that photocopiers have gotten about 10 million times better than they were even 8-10 years ago. Even at a local kinkos (or whatever they call them now), you generally are going to find full featured B/W and Color copiers, capable of about any task you can dream up. I often use these big stores, but with this in mind: They will not help you unless you demand it. They could care less what you need or how the machines work. If you want something cleaned or a new toner put in the printer, demand it. They’ll do it.
Of course, this is only part of the process. If you are planning to use commercial photocopy/printing places and do your own assembly & binding, I recommend doing a few things to bring more life to your project:
1. Buy your own paper: A nice paper stock that fits your project will goes miles to improving the overall look/quality of your final product. I LOVE paper. I can spend hours in a papershop looking at, touching, and smelling (yeah I know) paper. It’s not easy to find stores with a lot of paper variety or paper sizes, but they do exist. Just look for ‘office supply outlet stores’ or ‘paper wholesale’ in your fine city. Here in Chicago, I used to go to xpedx before it closed. And of course there is always paper source. Really look at the tooth of the paper, the way it folds, the color. It’s as much a part of the finished piece as the drawings!
2. Buy your own stapler: You can use big staplers at the kinkos type places, but it’s much easier to do this at home at your convenience, especially since you’ll probably do the majority of your collating and folding at home. I prefer the A-frame/booklet style, but many of my self-made comics folks love the long-neck staplers. I’ll also mention that staplers are one of those things that ‘you get what you pay for’. So plan to spend 20-40 bucks on your stapler.
3. Get a bone folder: Dude… bone folders are the coolest things. Mine is almost like a security blanket. I just like carrying it around an holding it. Weird I know (hey, I smell paper). These little guys will save your fingers, speed up the process, and give your books a much cleaner fold.
4. Get a guillotine cutter: Or find access to a mechanical industrial paper cutter. Cutters are kinda expensive, so if you can use one somewhere else, you can avoid buying one. I’m currently able to use both a regular guillotine and and industrial cutter at my place of work (lucky me!). If you are getting one, I recommend something large enough to cut at least 15″ paper.
…
For my Simon comics, each piece/book is usually a different size, number of pages, paper type, binding, etc. I find this to be one of the coolest and most fun things about self publishing. I love that I can make books of the same ‘series’ a large variety of forms. Publishers don’t really do that (unless you’re Chris Ware).
For these books, I generally go down to the fedex/kinkos/ups/local print shop and do all the printing. I bring my own paper. Sometimes you can get them to give you a discount if you ask (since you are providing my own paper). Generally, my stuff is B/W so the cost is not CRAZY. But it’s not cheap either. I always keep track of the price to print each book, as I’ll use that when determining price later.
I do all the collating, binding, folding, (and some) cutting at home. I enjoy this part of the process. It’s very zen. Also, when I sell a Simon book to someone, I know they are getting something special. Something personal. It’s one of the purest forms of communication in art that you can participate in. You are putting a precious object into someone’s hands and (hopefully) that item will become a precious object to them as well.
…
I’ve had the privilege of meeting some rock stars in regards to ‘at-home’ self-publishing. Here are a couple creators you can’t go wrong with:
Kenan Rubenstein
Kenan is blowing my mind with his latest comic Last Train to Old Town. This is a great artist hitting his stride and making something beautiful. Get on board! Lucky for us, Kenan is making printed copies of Last Train, and he puts most of us to shame with the utter quality of his constructions. For a real master class, check out his blog.
…
Marnie Galloway
Marnie’s In the Sounds and Seas just won a Xeric Grant (I think this might be the last xeric). Try to get a hand-made copy if you can, as they show a real care in their construction and accentuate her beautiful artwork. Everything I’ve seen her exhibit is top notch and you can see more of her process on her website.
…
Here is some other stuff I’ve been looking at lately:
I love these ornamental letters
an amazing ‘cover’ of a Moebius drawing by this gentleman
and one from Joseph Noel Paton
…
Happy holidays to you all! I hope you have safe and fun times with your loved ones!
- Tyrell
Printing & Self-publishing Pt. 1
Posted: December 18, 2012 Filed under: Gary, Process, Simon 1 Comment »It’s opened up a lot out there. This is good and bad. The good is that the entry into printing up your own stuff in a professional manner is easier than ever. The bad is that there are a lot of places/methods to choose from. I’m not going to give you an overview of all the print on demand places (there are tons of great articles on that topic which are easy to find). I’m going to tell you what my method and experience has been.
Printing your own stuff is not exactly Publishing in the true sense. Basically, if you go the route of printing and distributing your own work (whether by choice or by necessity), you are your own publisher. You’ll be making all the calls, paying all the bills, and doing all the advertising. ADVANTAGE: Total CONTROL
DISADVANTAGE: Money, connections, public awareness
Everything’s a give and take. For the last 10 years, I’ve been producing, printing, and distributing my own work. It’s hard. I don’t make any money doing this. But at the moment it’s my only real option. I’ve had the chance to experience both ‘at home’ printing and used a couple Print On Demand services.
…
Part 1: Print on Demand
A hot phrase. I think it’s died down and most people have realistic expectations for these services now. I decided to print Gary with a print on demand service due to the length of each issue, binding preference, and number of copies. These factors combined to be a bit too much for me to handle printing at home. I barely have time to draw my comics (hello dayjob!) let alone print and bind longer projects. Print on demand seems to be good for folks that:
- Don’t want 1000 copies around their house
- Have a little more money to spend
- Have a project with appropriate content for print on demand formats (standard size, a lot of pages, images reproduce well on digital printers, etc).
I did a lot of research on many different options. It was apparent to me early on that there are places that want to basically be publishers/distributors for you, and other places that are happy to just print things for you. If you are using a place that does the ISBN and distribution for you, they will usually charge you more for those things or take a bigger cut of the sales prices. I arrived at two main competitors for Gary‘s printing: Ka-Blam & Lulu
…
Kablam
I had a pretty lackluster experience with Ka-blam. I have heard they turned things around in the last year or so, but I had issues with their communication and timeliness. After initially uploading my files and requesting a job, I didn’t hear back for 2 weeks. After 15 days, I emailed them to ask what’s up. I got a response (2 days after that email) saying my files were corrupted. The files were exactly the same files used for lulu, so i’m not sure what happened. If I had known this when it happened, rather than 2 weeks later, when I reached out to them, I might have continued on with the order. So in the end, I cancelled my order and never even saw their print quality or options on my book. I figured, if this is how just getting my files uploaded goes, I don’t want to bother with actually ordering a print job!
…
Lulu
Lulu is huge, and mostly automated. Responses and quotes were given to me promptly and made perfect sense. Getting a demo copy of my book was super easy. I literally had priced out my print job, uploaded my files, and ordered a proof copy in a couple evenings. I had my final book within 2 weeks.
As for the quality of the books…
Honestly, it’s just passable. It’s not great. I’m not embarrassed by the quality, but I wished I had more options. They don’t offer many paper options, and the cover stock default is glossy. The perfect binding is actually pretty good though. None of my Gary books have fallen apart. The biggest issue I had with them was the dot patterns I used would consistently print kinda spotty (that’s confusing), and the line quality on thinner lines was a bit jaggy.
Once I did get an entire order of books that was printed poorly. There was a huge mark across 4-5 pages of the issue from the printer roller. Lulu required I take pictures of these defects to officially file a complaint (which is reasonable). They let me talk to a person on the phone very promptly so I could describe the problem. Then they sent me new proofs from another printer. When I wasn’t satisfied with those, they had another printer send me proofs. This might seem like a hassle, but I was able to discuss this with a real person on the phone (big plus) and this all happened within 10 days of the original order. Once I got a proof I liked, they sent me a whole new batch from that printer, free of charge. And I got to keep the messed up copies! (btw… if anyone wants a severely discounted copy of Gary: Book 2, let me know).
…
Rink Printing
Now, I’ve moved on from Lulu to Rink Printing. I decided to use them for all of my Gary re-prints once stock ran out. Hallelujah! I am currently singing the praises of Rink! I have had a stellar experience with them. I found Rink at their booth at C2E2 here in Chicago last year, and was very impressed with their quality and friendliness. Following the show, I reached out to them to inquire about printing my book. Within 24 hrs (!) I received 4-5 sample books showcasing the different options they could produce. I am a freak, so I had a million questions, from paper quality, to binding, to what types of printers they used. Every question was answered promptly and thoroughly by a person (not a generic email address).
I proceeded to upload my files and request a proof copy of my book. It arrived within 2 days (!) of the order. The proof copy is free if you proceed with your order (which I did). All concerns/questions I had about the proof were addressed personally by the print technician prior to the final run. Please note: I had not been charged anything at this point.
Once all was set and finalized, Rink called me to finalize payment. It was great to put a voice with the name of the print rep I had been emailing. She was fantastic (thanks Teri)! Now, The price quoted to me originally was about 50 cents cheaper per book than Lulu had been. But I expected to pay a shipping fee, especially since I had requested a specific delivery date that had to be met. Here is the best part of the whole thing: the original price quoted to me included shipping and taxes. That’s right folks, there were zero hidden fees. This made the order more than 75 cents cheaper per book than I had paid at Lulu! Teri assured me they could meet my requested due date, so no rush charges would be required. The books arrived right on time!
The quality…
Rink’s quality is head & shoulders above what I got from Lulu and what I’ve seen from Ka-blam. The paper stock is nice and thick, holding the ink very well. The covers are durable, but not stiff. The binding is clean and professional. They had many options on paper stocks and cover stocks. And when I asked what sizes they could print, they just said ‘any size you want’. They stressed that they want to work with the artist to bring their vision to the final product. Since my last order, they have actually updated their online ordering system and added tons of new options, included cover coatings. I’m very excited to try these options as well.
I HIGHLY recommend Rink for print on demand. Please give them a shot if you are working on anything that seems appropriate for this avenue of printing:
…
That was a bit long winded. I’ll have another part to this up for the ‘print at home’ options I use. Thanks for reading!
Your moment of zen:
-Tyrell
Slowly (but surely?)
Posted: November 26, 2012 Filed under: Numb1, Process, Victus | Tags: Hideo Yamamoto, Moebius, Rand Holmes, science fiction comics, skunk-bear Leave a comment »Sometimes things go slower than I want them to. I have a long history of being a bit high strung and OCD. As of late, I’m exploring some new techniques to help me be a little less controlling and restrained in my work. I’m not sure I totally get it yet, but it’s all a process, right?
More sneak peeks:
Relics
Finally broke down and started trying the blue pencil method. It’s been a learning experience.
Yes, there will be chase scenes in this comic.
…
And some stuff by John Wright from our collaboration. Those of you with a keen eye may have caught the title in the last post. 17 points to anyone who guesses it right:
Charlie Brenner Brenner, young & old. Ready to fight.
…
Some stuff I’ve been looking at:
Raoh from Fist of the North Star. I mean… look at that arm! Working on the collaboration with John, I’m attempting to emulate villains that have that ‘larger than life’ quality. Roah is just a total badass.
…
Hideo Yamamoto has a really nice take on speed lines in the way he depicts action in Ichi the Killer. The calmness of Ichi mixed with the speed of the attacker in that first panel. MMMmmm! I can’t get enough!
Note: These two pages are not in sequence. There’s a few between them
…
The first time I saw this page by Rand Holmes, it kinda blew my mind. Honestly, it still does. There is something about this illustration that overwhelms you with a awe. I prefer science fiction that can bring this magic feeling, whether the technical aspects are based in specific scientific fact or not.
…
Guess who that is, bub. Yup, your favorite Canadian. There was this really cool story in Marvel Comics Presents #93 that had Logan living in the wilderness as a trapper. This was pre-Origin, so instead of Logan having claws (or a specific age, or the wrong name, or any of that other trash from Origin), he had these awesome knives and some good ol’ black powder guns. When I first saw this image I couldn’t get over how cool this rendition of Logan was. It was one of the first comics I ever had and still reminds me of how cool this character could be.
…
And of course… Moebius’s Arzak. Not much more can be said about this guy. Remember to always feed your Pterosaur folks!
- Tyrell
“Everything that has a beginning, has an end.”
Posted: November 10, 2012 Filed under: Gary, My Favorite Things, Numb1, Process, Victus | Tags: Albrecht Durer, gary: book three, science fiction comics Leave a comment »GARY CONCLUSIONS:
I’ve been wanting to do a ‘wrap-up’ post regarding Gary ever since finishing Book Three a month or two ago. It was quite a journey finishing a book about a serial killer. I never anticipated how draining this process would be mentally and emotionally. I am a person with a pretty strong stomach and a long history with all types of horror films. In creating this book, I was no longer allowed to have that disconnect that makes some gruesome things easier to process. This was always my intent for the reader, but I never anticipated how much this would carry over to me (and how much I needed it!)
Below is the conclusion from the final pages of Book Three. I’ll put that here for any of you folks that haven’t got the book yet. Don’t worry, it doesn’t show you how the book ends, it’s only a compilation of my thoughts.
Book Three is the final chapter of Gary. This graphic novel started as a way to explore something I didn’t understand. We share the world with individuals such as Gary Ridgway, and this can be an extremely difficult fact to come to terms with. He seems to feel little or no empathy, a trait that certainly contributed to the large number of victims he left behind. Conversely, he was someone who led a fairly unremarkable life that many of us can find relatable. We often take comfort in the myth that all serial killers are “insane” or “mentally unstable”. However, the facts of Gary’s case make it difficult for me to dismiss him as such. I intended to directly confront this contradiction of identity in Gary. We gain an understanding of each other’s identities in bits and pieces. Each moment spent with another person builds on the previous, slowly forming our picture of their identity. However, many times we are met with incongruences that re-contextualize our perceptions. This constant battle between knowing and questioning is something we all struggle with as we engage with others. Gary is also a presentation of this struggle, as it happens internally, and as we perceive it externally. I do not mean any disservice to the victims, their families, or the authorities. I do not condone any action of Gary Ridgway, nor do I wish to make him the protagonist of this story. He has been apprehended and judged thanks to the work of brave and diligent members of our legal system. I hope you are confronted with some tough questions when you read Gary. But I also hope you see the connection to our everyday struggle to truly understand one another. I believe that forming deep bonds with other people is the most worthwhile and rewarding aspect of our lives, but it is also the most difficult.
…
NEXT:
So I have two projects in the works. I am very excited about both, so I wanted to introduce you to some of the characters. First up is the book I’m writing/drawing/etc:
Isaac
Aloysius
…
Also, I’m working on a book with my long time friend and sometimes collaborator, the infamous John Wright II. John will be handling the art, and I wanted to showcase his sketches below:
The Brenner Brothers
Captain Ultimo
The Cage
Look for more about these two projects in the coming weeks/months/years (?).
…
INSPIRATION
I realized most of the blogs I really enjoy take the time to just post up some stuff they are looking at lately. I love this peek into the inspirations that trickle into their work. So…
Paul Pope‘s Battling Boy is FINALLY coming out… sometime…
Why not another pope?
Durer Monogram. You’ll be seeing a lot of him here in the next couple years.
Durer woodcut.
Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s Running Man. Intense.
…
thanks folks!
Tyrell
Influences & Reviews
Posted: October 25, 2012 Filed under: Gary, Process, Reviews | Tags: comic book influences, comic book techniques, gary: book three 2 Comments »Hey ya’ll,
Been a while. My apologies. Here is a very nice review of Gary: Book Two from the fine folks at Spandexless:
…
INFLUENCES
We all got em. We all love em. I think the trick is narrowing down your influences to a point where they are useful in a specific project. In some ways, all your influences show up in everything you do. You can’t deny that or fight it. However, I believe that artists should be aware of their direct influences and try their best to capture the essence of those influences in creating a new work.
When I started Gary, I wanted the book to have a tone. I enjoy art that puts me in a place or mood. It’s easy to try to cram in a little of everything. Especially when you have that pressure of selling books. But when you try to make your work funny and scary and profound and sad and happy, you end up with something inconsistent and unreadable. By setting a consistent tone, panel structures, themes, character models, etc, I felt less intimidated when starting each page. These aspects become like signs and clues for your readers. As a reader, I like to to see those road signs along the journey. The little clues that I’m on the right path and there is something neat coming up and “oh man that reminds me of where I’ve been!” Structure is vital to a books success, no matter how zany it is. Of course, Gary isn’t a zany book, but you get my point. In choosing my restrictions or modes of operation for Gary, I zeroed in on a specific aspects of some of my favorite influences:
…
OPTIC NERVE by ADRIAN TOMINE
Restricted panelling, clean lines, zip-a-tone, neurosis, failed relationships
Tomine is a master describing his characters, but not painting them as perfect. There is a sobering reality to each person in Optic Nerve. Tomine refrains from extreme characterizations in his portrayal of faces and bodies. The subtlety of his panelling and character design were a big influence on Gary.
…
BLACK HOLE by CHARLES BURNS
The darkness beneath the surface, harmful & helpful relationships
Black Hole is twisted. But not twisted in light-hearted/fast-paced stylings common to many independent comics. Burns gradually takes you beneath the surface of characters’ personas, slowly revealing those emotions and thoughts that are hidden. Don’t you just love the way the book cover has that normal, flat b/w portrait, but with eyes blotted out with ‘black hole’. This person is a vessel. What’s inside that vessel?
…
BIG QUESTIONS by ANDERS NILSEN
Long silent scenes, clean lines, morality, lack of inner monologue
Silence is so powerful in comics. I think it’s because they are (by default) silent objects, which means to show sound or voice, they generally use text. There is also a pressure to depict only the most vital moment of action in a scene, as to not waste a panel or page. But something amazing happens when you let the scene breathe a little. When you are presented with one limited panel layout. And the characters just shut up. And you see the action unfold slowly in tiny motions within consistent panels. As a reader, you slow down with the panels and you think. I love all methods of slowing readers down into a state of contemplation.
…
PUNISHER: BORN by GARTH ENNIS & DARICK ROBERTSON
Morality, events that change participants, apathy, murder
Yep, a Punisher book. In my opinion, Frank Castle (The Punisher) is the most interesting character at the ‘house of ideas’. Born shows people who interact with the world in violent ways and how that affects them. Obviously, a work that directly explores a character who has murder as a constant in his life is going to be a huge touchstone for Gary.
…
TERRENCE MALICK films
Juxtoposition of seemingly disconnected scenes, humanity, nature
Malick has a special way of showing images in succession that are not connected in the normal temporal arrangement. Upon seeing this stream of images/sounds, the viewer is struck by an emotion or thought that is cumulative. It’s as if he’s tapped into our brains most intimate relationships with sense memory and used those to focus in on a singular state. I was extremely interested in the idea of memory and how it functions when working on Gary. Relating disparate events by connecting motions, textures, and composition is a signature of Malicks work that I tried to employ in Gary.
…
ELEPHANT by GUS VAN SANT
Objective view of horrible events, personal interactions, ambiguous conclusions.
An objective viewpoint is impossible to achieve 100%. However, Van Sant comes close in Elephant by allowing the viewer to just spend time with the characters. Much like Big Questions, you are able to get to know them not by a character description, but by simply being around them. When things start to dive into dark territory, you have already formed your own view of them based on your time together, and your expectations of them are your own. The last thing I ever wanted to do in Gary was TELL you WHO Gary was and WHAT he’s all about. You don’t know someone until you’ve spent time with them. Of course, no piece of art is 100% objective, but I always prefer to have a little room to draw my own conclusions when confronted with a film or comic.
…
Whenever I hit a wall while working on Gary, I would turn to these sources for inspiration and guidance. This was vital in creating a consistent style for the series. Who are your influences? Do you have different touchstones for different works of art? Where do you draw the line on referencing another’s work?
…
I leave ya’ll with a small sneak peek at what I’ve been cooking up in the comics kitchen:
…
Peace,
Tyrell
Almost there…
Posted: July 29, 2012 Filed under: Gary, Process Leave a comment »Firstly, I wanted to say thanks for the shout out from the net’s best Punisher podcast. The guys at Punisher: Bodycount were kind enough to mention Gary on their 25th episode!, as well as answering my questions about why the toughest dudes in entertainment always seem to be missing one eye. Thanks Dane and Jake!
…
ALMOST THERE…
Gary: Book 3 is nearing completion. For now, I wanted to give ya’ll a sneak peek. Please enjoy:
…Stack of all Gary Pages…
…Gary in a moment…
…
…
… I’ll finish up with this string of panels, which might mirror my frustrations. Maybe… just a bit…
…
Thanks for all your patience and support. I am very excited to bring this journey to a close. Stay tuned for the final details in the coming weeks!
- Tyrell
