progress is slow but sure still.

Keeping in touch with any following the progress so far. I was hoping to finnish this panel and send it off with my portfolio tomorrow, Oh well, Only so much is humanly possible. I will try to work on it more on Tuesday.    

what comes next?

page 2 of grew. the little one winged birds will be a feature in the story as it develops. 

So much going on all at once, Working on this graphic novel, working up a resume and cover letter to apply at Pixar, trying to survive the spring. Work right now is really killing me. I use to love the spring. It was  my favorite time of year. Matter' O fact I need to go now. Oh well, once more unto the breach my friends!

New directions

after the discussion of the evolution of the Graphic Novel, and the discovery of Shaun Tan and his absolutely brilliant work in The Arrival, The lost Thing, The Red Tree, and Tales From Outer Suburbia, I've decided to embark on a new path. This is a sampling. A germ of an idea I'm calling GREW for the time being. I've always loved the fantastic, the enigmatic. I'm drawn to works that invite personal interpretation, and after reading Shaun's posts, his view on his work, I have developed an affinity for what he has done.      
riding on the wings of influence, I need to leave the animal book for a while.  A fresh look later can only help it get better.  and I really feel the need to press on. Expand, de-stagnate, de-compress. We'll see what happens!   

Future of the Graphic novel

On Sunday morning there was a great session dedicated to a discussion of Comics and literature for children in general. The panel was made up of Traci Tod from VIZ, Randal C. Jarell with Oni Press, Ted Naifeh (Polly and the Pirates, Courtney Crumrin) Alyson Matthews (contra Costa Public Library). The discussion opened with Graphic novels and there place in modern literary culture. I listened intently because as they discussed this emerging phenomenon in literature, I realized where my work fit in. Finally! They discussed the difficulty of convincing parents and teachers of their validity as worthwhile literature.

Mr. Jarell brought out the fear that many have, "our attention span is becoming that of a fruit fly..."  and while that my be true, it simply reflects the changes in the way we take in information.

Its not necessarily a degradation in our culture, simply a change in the way we take in and utilize  information. Ms Tod did mention that Graphic novels were starting to see a fair amount of acceptance with in the larger community and that G.Ns. were becoming a sort of bridge between picture books for younger children to works of Prose as they grew older.

Ms Matthews saw them as a Hybrid of the two. picture books and prose, adding that as a Librarian, she hoped to see there eventual acceptance in to what is considered to be worthy literature. Giving the example of BONE  as an example of what is evolving as the Graphic novel. As a mater of fact the whole panel seemed to site bone as the first true, worthy of notice example of a good graphic novel, setting the mark for what might come later. 

     I am so out of it. I keep being reminded of just how far behind I am in my knowledge of the currant literary market. I Had No Idea that Manga was read right to left. The panel brought out how popular it has become, but felt that Manga was somewhat culturally biased. I reflects it's Japanese origins so distinctly, that they felt it was a phenomenon, a bobble the will soon burst because of this limiting nature of Manga. They, however, did not see the rise of the graphic novel as a phenomenon, as a bobble the will burst. They saw it rather as an evolution of what is considered literature, and that much still lies ahead for what this genre has to offer. Getting me all excited. I have found direction in the structure of Ouwangalaymah! and I hope to work to that end.   

Wondercon 2009

With These Promo pieces and portfolio in hand I hit the exhibition hall at Wondercon in San Francisco this weekend. For me, this is the hardest step of all. I am a wretched self promoter. Even though this was not the ideal venue to be searching for contacts I made a few. But not after many hours of walking around the hall, searching for artists whose work I admired and felt an affinity with. I found Three Wonderful artists. Joe Weatherly, David Colman and Bobby Chiu.     You have to check out there sites. They are all incredibly talented artists. And all of them have self published books. 
All have graciously agreed to do interviews with me for the VSS. Their experiences will be so helpful to the group and to our visitors who might enjoy there responses. I am very grateful to them for being so open and sharing with us and I hope to have their interviews done soon.