Getting closer. Getting the job done. Completion of the first issue of Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics containing Chapter 1: The Ingurgitator is imminent. Drum roll! What I had hoped to have out by the end of 2011 is now looking certain for early 2012. Another drum roll and celebratory banging on my own drum.

Testing out some type. (Photo by Louise Graber)

There have been some changes to the original script. This has resulted in compressions, extensions and deletions. I found that I needed more space to convey some simple sequences. The consequence of this meant shortening some other parts in order to keep to the 40 page issue amount that had progressively crept up from the planned 20 page limit. Enough! Some sequences weren’t working so they had to be cut although they may appear in a subsequent chapter if I can get them sorted, and some parts, whilst working in script form, were just too difficult for me to draw. Later, perhaps.

My very limited typographic box of tricks. (Photo by Louise Graber)

The type in print.

The other interesting development has been the welcome and necessary intrusion of photography in the project. Initially employed as a reference device for locations, objects and some figure positions and gestures that would in turn be converted into drawings, the lens art has now become a bit of a feature. Some pages are starting to look a little like sequences from a Mexican foto-comic or foto-novela or a form that I would describe as a picto grafia comic. There is still the anticipated drawing, collage and printmaking elements along with the traditional rubber stamped text (see the photos). Anyhow, I fully expect that the next report will confirm my suspicions of completion of the first issue of the comic and contain the announcement of details of publication and availability.

For an interesting visual diary overview, see previous BLOTTING PAPER: The Comic production reports: No.7,  No.6,  No.5,  No.4,  No.3,  No.2,  No.1.