Tokyo – Doctor Comics

This is the next report documenting production of my artist book/comic…and ultimately graphic novel…Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics. Creation and production of the forthcoming issue 2 Tickets to Tokyo Bay has begun. It deals with the continued adventures of the cats Busch and Cohl and their canine acquaintance Barks. Set mostly in Japan it also has some scenes in Germany. It follows these characters in funny animal cartoon style. It also includes further recollections from the archives of my alias, Doctor Comics. These refer to his visits to Japan and research of manga, his favorite form of comics.

Dirty laundry hung out to dry, ink painting-© 2015 Michael Hill — _{Dirty laundry hung out to dry, ink painting-©2015 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics.}

A seasick cat at sea, ink sketch-© 2015 Michael Hill — _{A seasick cat all at sea, ink sketch-©2015 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics.}

The characters Barks and Busch travel from Germany to Japan by sea, arriving in Tokyo Bay. Their passage by sea is cheaper than flight buts not without some difficulty and discomfort in cramped quarters below deck.

Choreographing a cosplay routine, pencil sketch-© 2014 Michael Hill — _{Choreographing a cosplay routine, pencil sketch-©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics.}

Cosplay costume design, ink and pencil sketch-© 2013 Michael Hill — _{Cosplay costume design, ink and pencil sketch-©2013 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics.}

Disembarkation in Tokyo leads to some fun and frolicking and access to a wider range of food. They visit a manga fair and then go to Kitchen Town where they eat cake.

A Munchianesque Halloween cake design in Kappabashi, Tokyo, photo-© 2009 Michael Hill — _{A Munchianesque Halloween cake design dramatically displayed in Kappabashi, Tokyo, photo-©2009 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics.}

Barks and Busch are on their way to Tokyo Bay-© 2015 Michael Hill

The view at sea, print-© 2015 Dr.Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics

Printmaking has been employed in the design with techniques including woodblock, linocut, rubber, bakelite and wooden stamps. There is also drawing, collage, calligraphy and handwriting plus more cartooning. The intention is to produce a comic in an artist book type format…and to have it ready for self-publication around the end of this year.

Japan, fish island, collage-© 2015 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics

And home of Otafuku, ink painting-© 2015 Michael Hill

UPDATE: 2 November 2015

This is the third report documenting production of the fifth and concluding chapter of my artist book/comic Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics. Production of the new issue 2 Tickets to Tokyo Bay is continuing with images currently being created along with some previously made works recorded during my travels in Japan and Germany. The script has first been developed in word form and accompanied by some conceptual colour coding. This was followed by a second draft consisting of roughly sketched visuals of the script with coloured pencils and associated descriptive comments or dialogue. There are examples of both of these development stages, below.

Developing a first draft script design-© 2015 Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics

Visual roughing out of the script-© 2015 Michael Hill

One scene in the script is a graphical recollection of my Doctor Comics alias. It reveals the design of one of his logo stamps/seals or chops that was roughed out on a paper napkin in a Sydney restaurant with guidance from a member of the Japanese Consulate. Here is a scan of that design development along with attachments including a photo and a Japanese photo booth print sticker.

Developing a seal design, collage-© 2008 Michael Hill

Another sequence involves Japanese sea monsters.

Seeing strange things at sea, ink and pencil sketch-© 2008 Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics.

Possible print for the cover-© 2009 Michael Hill.

Good news for me! The first issue of my comic Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics is to be published…in a signed, limited edition. Scheduled for 11 February 2012 at HONDARAKE Full of Books in Sydney (details in the poster below). The comic will be launched by my friend and colleague Gene Kannenberg, Jr. via a Skype link from the U.S.A. Kannenberg, a noted comics historian, is the director of ComicsResearch.org. He is former Chair of the International Comic Arts Festival…and the Comic Art & Comics Area of the Popular Culture Association…and he has written widely on comics art including the book “500 Essential Graphic Novels.”

_{Poster designed by Louise Graber incorporating original print by Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics.}

The launch will be accompanied by an exhibition of 33 of my handmade art postcards. These have been produced following the sosaku hanga ‘creative print’ style. This method originated in a movement that emerged just over a century ago in Tokyo. Creative prints became the voice of a group of artists who went under the name Pan. They met for sake parties by the Sumida River. It was the centre of the Floating World of old Edo and site of the classic Ukiyo-e print movement. James Michener wrote: “…in contrast to the classical system in which the artist merely designed the print, leaving the carving of the blocks to one technician and the printing to another, the newer print artists preached that the artist himself must do the designing, carving and printing. A new term was devised to describe such a print-sosaku hanga, meaning “creative print.” ” (Michener, 1968: The Modern Japanese Print p.11). I follow this method in my printmaking.

_{One of my art postcards in the associated exhibition–© 2010 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics.}

_{Another of my art postcards…no two cards the same…similar but different!–© 2010 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics.}

_{An art postcard from my Abstract No.11 series-© 2007} _{An early effort in my series of making art postcards.}

_{(Pen and ink drawing and collage-© 2011 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics)}

_{Above is a collage of 4 separate pen and ink/felt-tipped pen drawings. These separate drawings have been collaged together: (1) Sydney Harbour Bridge. (2) rear view of Doctor Comics walking (3) hand holding bag (4) hand inserting key in door. These drawings will be included in the first issue of the comic. The drawings are from different pages in the comic but have been brought together in this collage…and have been overlaid in the same graphic space. This grouping forms a visual sign or motif for promotion of the comic. I would love to read feedback on this and my other posts.}

Doctor Comics

Tag: Tokyo

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