I have completed production and commenced publication of the fifth issue of my artist book/comic…BLOTTING PAPER: The Recollected Graphic Impressions Of Doctor Comics. The pages are being printed, collated, trimmed, bound and covered. Copies will soon be mailed to readers. Each copy will have an original postcard size print on the cover.
It has now been four years since publication of the first issue. That was launched at Hondarake-Full of Books in Sydney in February 2012 (see earlier post about the launch). A further four issues have been produced and published. I am now considering collecting these issues into graphic novel form. This will allow me the opportunity to make revisions to the story and artwork. The five issues have generated 200 pages of material. This may be altered following editing and development of the existing material. There also remains the possibility of a further new chapter! We’ll see about that!
I am beginning this post with a progress report. Issue 4 of my artist book/comic Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics is not yet complete! I still need about another month to finish this issue. I do think that this is the penultimate report though… and further more,…due to its increasing length, I think I shall now start referring to it as a graphic novel.
The cats go to Germany with Doctor Comics’s big stash of comics related books, mementos and research materials. They meet a canine character who kindly assists them in arranging their affairs. Beer is drunk, comics are consumed and a plan devised.
The black cat, Cohl, sorts through Doc’s research materials. He reflects on some of his deeds including one that involved Belgian comics. Cohl also begins to emulate Doc’s art practice. This involves making sketches, playing with art materials and doing some drawing and printmaking. The other cat, Busch, who is not black, enjoys German beer, fish and fun. Both cats and their canine companion find enjoyment from the eating of chocolate.
More developments and an update on progress will be posted on this blog in around a month’s time. After I bring this chapter to completion we move to Japan, the setting for the next chapter.
More visual developments and an update on progress will be posted when I near completion. See you in Japan, so to speak…the setting of the next chapter, Michael.
Publication of the second issue of my artist book/comic Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics, Chapter 2: A Blot On His Escutcheon is forthcoming. September is looking increasingly likely subject to completion of the printing, binding and delivery of the comics. The comic will form part of an exhibition of my works on paper at a new gallery in Glebe called GAUGE. Below is an image of the title page. The image has been constructed from elements of photography, printmaking, typography and collage. It shows Doctor Comics returning from a shopping expedition. UPDATE: Exhibition dates have been firmed to 18-29 September 2013 but still no firm launch date for the comic…which is beginning to raise thoughts in the long term of its potential development into a graphic novel. We will have to wait and see about that!
Continuing reports documenting the production process of my artist book/comic Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics…Chapter 1: The Ingurgitator andChapter 2: A Blot On His Escutcheon…this post shows more examples of the image-making aspects of the project. These include assemblage, drawings, design, photography, printmaking, plus project management.
Some colourful project management in my blog log book.
This blog on my Blotting Paper comic has provided a means of documenting the production progress of the comic.
Both fish and cats feature in the comic, the fish more realistically rendered than the cats. Above is an image from my earlier fish animation, with added blood. Below is a rough sketch of one of the feline characters.
Work continues on the production of the second chapter of my artist book/comic…Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics. This report looks back at two of the main characters from the first chapter, the feline characters Cohl and Busch. These are funny animal characters that belong to Doctor Comics.
These feline characters Cohl and Busch are named after famous cartoonists of mine Émile Cohl and Wilhelm Busch. They live in the apartment with Doctor Comics as his companions. They l-o-v-e fish! They also know about comics, as much and possibly more than their owner, the so called Doctor Comics. In lecturing mode Doctor Comics has been known to channel Cohl! That cat is incredibly well read but with a distinct bias toward bandes dessinées.
Printmaking is playing a formidable role in the design of the spirits, ghosts and apparitions in this chapter. I am experimenting with sequential prints. This is a hangover from my animation days when I utilised the technique to generate large volumes of artwork.
In this chapter the Doctor Comics character is teleported into the supernatural world via a dream experience. To obtain a shadowy landscape for some ethereal figures he encounters, sumi-ink blots have been soaked on soft paper. Over and under-inking the blocks has resulted in intense black or under-inked white patches on the printed paper.
This dream sequence occurs toward the end of the chapter. There Doctor Comics confronts fearful looking ghostly figures that step out from the background. The monotype printing method and the use of sumi ink enabled the making of experimental images with a restricted palette. The incorporeal characters were manifested and embodied in this manner. Examples of these are in the monoprints of the etheric body and the shadowy phantoms above and below this paragraph.
This new chapter also includes experimental approaches to drawing including abstract, contour and blind contour. It’s creative fun time with this drawing process.
Using line as an element of construction and expression, drawn, printed or written, although restrictive, is quite expressive. I find that drawing details very carefully of constantly changing scenes with accompanying alterations in point-of-view leads easily into abstraction.
Drawing anything whilst listening to music invariably produces a pattern of abstract lines on paper that is most expressive. I follow the lines whilst I am making them and try to keep up with the tempo of the music. No erasers! A quicker tempo produces less inhibited lines and surprising shapes.
Another fun drawing exercise I have utilised is copying a character or object without looking at my drawing. I try to follow the outlines of the object but don’t look down to see how the drawing looks. Without the constant checking things can drift and shift out of perspective and registration. The contours can be accurate but out of place. How about you? Do you draw? Have you ever created images using printmaking methods? I would love to hear. Feel free to post a comment about your image-making approach on this blog and I shall respond. Till next post, Michael.
Design and production of Issue #1 of my artist book/comic…Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics…involved a range of graphic techniques. These included drawing, handwriting, collage, photography, typography and printmaking. Selected production items were displayed at the launch with a description of my working method.
The first stage of the process is getting an idea. This may come from reading and research, travel, visits to galleries to look at art and objects and make sketches. One sketch book in the photo below shows a collaged image of a fictitious Japanese monster Shitake Man. Some sake also proved useful at this preliminary stage.
Where printmaking is involved the third stage brings out brushes, ink and paper for the printing part of the project. A baren is piece of dried bamboo that has been stretched over a board. It is used to ensure that the paper makes good contact with the inked block. The pressure applied can be varied to produce the degree of intensity of the ink. The autumn postcard print in the photo above has been constructed from 5 layers of print.
Copies of my artist book/comic…Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics …are available exclusively from the launch venue Hondarake: Full Of Books till 31 May 2012. The store is located at Level 1, 465 Kent Street Sydney phone: 02 9261 5225 online shop: http://fullofbooks.com.au
Doctor Comics 