Tag: design

BLOTTING PAPER The Comic: Production Report No.28

Art, Blotting Paper, Cats in Comics, Comics, Japanning February 27, 2018

I am beginning to feel that I am nearing the final post documenting the production of my graphic novel/artist book/comic…Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics…as I tie the ends of the storyline together and head towards the conclusion. Initially I thought that this would be a sequel with a different title…but after having second thoughts I decided to make it the final chapter of the graphic novel…with the same title…Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics. Owing to the absence of the Doctor Comics character in this new chapter, it contains less of his anecdotes…and fewer human characters as it drifts more in the direction of the funny animal comics genre. This seems to be a good move.

_{The work book with the working title-©2017 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics).}

The chapter begins in Berlin…where Cohl, having heard no word from his friend Busch for almost two years…decides to follow him to Tokyo and try to find him. Cohl has been very comfortable in the German city…and somewhat reluctant to leave but his curiosity and friendship ultimately awakened him from his cultural slumber.

_{Curiosity stirs the sleeping cat-©2017 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics).}

In addition to the restaurant supplies district some scenes take place in Kanda, the bookshop area of Tokyo. Cohl initially explores the manga shops…then extends his search to sources of traditional woodblock printed books as well as books about yokai spirits.

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Near the end of the Blotting Paper graphic novel (page 286 above and page 287 below of 300 pages), Cohl is ultimately content to remain in Berlin despite his attempts to find his friend Busch who had left Germany for Japan with his new friend Barks.

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Owing to the absence of the Doctor Comics character in this new chapter…it contains hardly any of his anecdotes…and even fewer human characters as it drifts more in the direction of the funny animal comics genre. The principal character, Cohl the cat from the Blotting Paper graphic novel,…has some adventures in the Asakusa area of Tokyo…to which he has travelled in search of his missing friend and flatmate, the other cat and feline friend, Busch.

_{In the Asakusa area of Tokyo Cohl searches for Busch. (page from the Blotting Paper graphic novel)}
_{©2017 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics).}

_{Doctor Comics researching the bookshop area of Tokyo during an earlier visit.}
_{(Photo by Louise Graber.)}

In addition to the restaurant supplies district some scenes take place in Kanda, the bookshop area of Tokyo. Cohl initially explored the manga shops…then extended his search to sources of traditional woodblock printing books…as well as books about yokai and the spirit world…as Doctor Comics had done. All good! I shall now start heading toward the conclusion of my graphic novel.

UNIVERSITY CARTOONS

Art, Comics November 16, 2017

This post concludes the collection of cartoons I contributed to U: magazine…during my tenure as a member of the academic staff of the Design Faculty of the University of Technology, Sydney. This, plus my three previous cartoon posts, forms part of an online gallery of my single panel satirical work.

_{Enrolment Process-©2006 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics). The year the planned introduction of online enrolment didn’t work out led to form filling and long queues.}

_{Fitness training-©2005 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics).}
_{New students tended to start their studies with enormous optimism that for some included visits to the gym.}

_{On with studies-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics).}
_{Double degrees came into vogue with surprising combinations.}

_{Minister’s Visit-©2005 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics). Political activism was especially popular when the Education Minister visited campus.}

_{Club activities-©2005 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics). Anime societies and cosplay competitions thrived. Not all Sydney universities had rock-climbing clubs but all five had Anime Clubs.}

_{Sporting clubs-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics).}
_{Yes, this really took place, despite the seeming cruelty.}

_{Student Administration-©2006 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics). When staff who worked with a view of a parking station were allocated photographs of traffic…to brighten up their room.}

_{Student canteen-©2006 Dr. Michael Hill (a.k.a. Doctor Comics). A wonderfully esoteric Indonesian cafe in the Staff/Student cafeteria allowed the mixing and matching of dishes.}

As always, my thanks for the excellent advice, artistic assistance and cartooning expertise from the wonderful Countdown artist Louise Graber. Other posts of my cartoon based material include:

CARTOON

MORE CARTOONS

RESEARCH CARTOONS

Art, Comics November 19, 2016

This post continues the profiling of the collection of my cartoons published in U: magazine, or related magazines, during my tenure at the University of Technology, Sydney. These cartoon posts will contribute to the formation of an online gallery of my single panel satirical work.

A cross-disciplinary research committee is formed-© 2005 Michael Hill.

Some of the committee members have a background in research-© 2004 Michael Hill

...and know a thing or two about how to proceed-© 2004 Michael Hill

...and begin to assert their experience-© 2004 Michael Hill

...others investigate things in the lab on a daily basis-© 2006 Michael Hill

...and then there are those trial experiments-© 2005 Michael Hill

...testing new procedures for fast track learning-© 2003 Michael Hill

...equating contributory elements-© 2006 Michael Hill

...and there are the designers who simply study problems requiring resolution and what needs to be done and then they just go and do it-© 2004 Michael Hill

As always, my thanks for the excellent advice, assistance and cartooning expertise from the wonderful COUNTDOWN Magazine cartoonist Louise Graber. Other posts of my cartoon based material include:

CARTOON

MORE CARTOONS

UNIVERSITY CARTOONS

Archive of Australian Alternative Comics: IMAGINARY WORLDS SYMPOSIUM

Archive of Australian Alternative Comics, Art, Comics, Film January 22, 2014

This symposium continued the productive association between the University of Technology, Sydney and Supanova of co-staging comics related research events. In this case topics were not confined to the study of comics in general nor Australian alternative comics in particular. Rather, the papers reflected a more wide-ranging list of subjects that included connections between comics and fashion, film, animation, literature, calligraphy and computer games. There was also a presentation on the design of comics for young readers with vision impairment. This range of topics reflected the a broad scope of the university’s teaching and research areas. This had resonance with Supanova’s own broadening interests that had spread from an initial focus on comics (it was originally known as ComicFest) to a wider pop culture spread.

Page from the SUPANOVA program listing the event.

In this symposium researchers focused on the use of the design elements image and space and the manipulation of these in the creation of fantasy worlds in various media forms. Co-curated by Dr. Vicki Karaminas and I, the symposium was staged at the UTS city campus in the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building on 14th October 2005 and opened by the Dean of the faculty.

This is the twelth in a series of posts called Archives of Australian Comics History that document moments in the recent history of Australian comics, particularly alternative comics and the Australian Small Press, however, as stated above, this post has a broader orientation. I began researching this subject in the late 1990s and it eventually led to my PhD thesis and doctorate: Ph.D. Macquarie University, Division of Society, Culture, Media and Philosophy, A Study Of Contemporary Australian Alternative Comics 1992-2000 With Particular Reference To The Work Of Naylor, Smith, Danko And Ord, 2003. On completion of the research I donated the materials and comics I had collected to the National Library of Australia: Michael Hill Collection of Australian Comics.