Tag: graphic humour

BLOTTING PAPER The Comic: Production Report No.28

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

This is most likely the final post in reports documenting the production progress of my graphic novel/artist book Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics. Initially I thought that this would be a sequel with a different title but I had second thoughts about keeping them as separate entities and now merge them as a final chapter under 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 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, Busch.

The work book with the working title-©2017 Dr. Michael Hill.

The story continues 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 consequently reluctant to move but his curiosity has awakened him from his cultural slumber.

Curiosity stirs the sleeping cat-©2017 Dr. Michael Hill

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

bpdigi-p28696

At the end of the Blotting Paper graphic novel (page 286 above and page 287 below) Cohl is content to remain in Berlin but is attempting to contact his friend Busch who had left Germany for Japan with his new mate Barks.

bpdigi-p28796

Owing to the absence of the Doctor Comics character in this new comic, 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, Busch.

In the Asakusa area of Tokyo where Cohl goes to look for Busch (page from the Blotting Paper graphic novel).
Doctor Comics researching the bookshop area of Tokyo. (Photo by Louise Graber.)

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

        

UNIVERSITY CARTOONS

Art, Comics November 16, 2017

This post concludes the collection of cartoons I contributed to U: magazine whilst working at the University of Technology, Sydney. This, plus the three previous cartoon posts, constitute an online gallery of my single panel satirical work.

Enrolment Process-©2006 Dr. Michael Hill   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    New students tended to start their studies with enormous optimism and for some even included the gym.

On with studies-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill    Double degrees came into vogue with surprising combinations.

Minister’s Visit-©2005 Dr. Michael Hill    Political activism was especially popular when the Education Minister visited campus.

Club activities-©2005 Dr. Michael Hill    Anime societies and cosplay competitions thrived. Not all Sydney universities had  rock-climbing clubs say, but all five had Anime Clubs.

Sporting clubs-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill    Yes, this really took place, despite the seeming cruelty.

Student Administration-©2006 Dr. Michael Hill    Another actual incident when staff who worked in a room with a view of a parking station were allocated photographs of city traffic to brighten up their room.

Student canteen-©2006 Dr. Michael Hill    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, assistance and cartooning expertise from the wonderful Louise Graber. Other Posts of my cartoon based material include:

CARTOON

MORE CARTOONS

RESEARCH CARTOONS

RESEARCH CARTOONS

Art, Comics November 19, 2016

This post continues profiling my collection of cartoons published in U: magazine or related magazines whilst working at the University of Technology, Sydney. These cartoon posts will eventually form an online gallery of my single panel satirical work.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...equating contributory elements-© 2006 Michael Hill

…equating contributory elements-©2006  Dr. 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

…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  Dr. Michael Hill

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

CARTOON

MORE CARTOONS

UNIVERSITY CARTOONS

MORE CARTOONS

Art, Comics May 25, 2016

This post features the second instalment of cartoons I created during my academic tenure at the University of Technology, Sydney. These examples focus on the University’s Tower Building on Broadway near Railway Square. Labelled an example of “brutal modernism” despite its designer’s denial of it being that style, it is a monolithic stack of 27 storeys in concrete and glass now somewhat softened by the arrival of the newly constructed vertical garden clad Central Park building opposite. It was fun playing around with it as a satirical subject in these cartoons that were published in the University’s magazine U:.

CARTOON-J01 Blog

King Kong Visit-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill

This fake story was reported as fact by one Sydney news agency!

CARTOON-J02 Blog

Smart building-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill

CARTOON-J27 Blog

Applied science-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill

A good example of rocket science-launching the Tower Building into orbit over Ultimo!

CARTOON-J28 Blog

The amazing technical and engineering feat of putting the Tower Building into orbit over Blackwattle Bay-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill

It proved a bit of a problem getting it down though.

CARTOON-J06 Blog

Merch! Every university has its merchandise for sale-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill

Fictitious merchandise in a non-existent shop in the foyer yet the Information Desk reported some enquiries as to the shop’s location after publication of this cartoon.

CARTOON-J03 Blog

Corporate aid-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill

Originally I proposed using Nokia and Nokia University of Technology naming rights but the sign on the tower would read NUTS! So, the University said “no go”, but the Virgin one was O.K.

CARTOON-J05 Blog

Christmas card-©2004 Dr. Michael Hill

I did an alternate version of the building relaxing on a banana lounge on Bondi Beach reading a novel but the Vice Chancellor preferred this one.

CARTOON-J04 Blog

Easter egg-©2005 Dr. Michael Hill

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

CARTOON

RESEARCH CARTOONS

UNIVERSITY CARTOONS

CARTOON

Art, Comics December 1, 2015

This series of posts will feature a collection of my published cartoons of which there are around 30 in number, beginning with some of those I contributed to U: magazine whilst working at the University of Technology, Sydney. Subsequent cartoon posts will help me to grow an online gallery of my single panel satirical work.

Satirical illustration to accompany article on changes in Sedition Law.

Satirical illustration to accompany article on changes to Sedition Law published in U: magazine-©2006 Dr. Michael Hill.

The cartoon on the article page.

The cartoon as it appeared within the article.

Cover illustration for Form/Work journal-© 2003 Michael Hill.

Cover illustration for Form/Work journal-©2003 Dr. Michael Hill.

The “theorists” one was put together hurriedly in an afternoon whilst an academic journal on design theory (a special issue on architectural design) was being held up at the printers awaiting a cover illustration. I just grabbed some images from old comics I had in my office, invented some names for theories and collaged the various elements together.

How the cartoon looked on the cover of the journal.

How the cartoon looked on the cover of the journal.

The next one was based on what I saw at an end-of-semester design exhibition student party held on the roof of the Design Faculty building which housed a semi-abstract modernist sculpture that resembled a large scale bottle opener. I watched as this girl wandered up to it with a bottle of beer and proceeded, after a struggle of sorts, to open it, as if it was a functional bottle opener despite the marked difference in scale between it and her bottle. It worked as she found a chink on the side that did fit her bottle although it was a bit awkward to execute. Then I heard this comment from one of the two onlooking students: “Form follows function.”  Yes, I really did and designed another cartoon from it!

Form follows function at Design Opening afterparty-© 2003 Michael Hill.

Form follows function at a Design Faculty Exhibition Opening afterparty-©2003 Dr. Michael Hill.

How the cartoon looked in the magazine.

…and how the cartoon was presented in the magazine…the art director couldn’t resist chopping into segments!

As always, my thanks for the excellent advice, assistance and cartooning expertise from the wonderful Louise Graber.