Or:A definition, for my own purposes, of Sequential Narrative Art [what i do]

[edited Dec 2003]

- A.J. asked me about this and once I got started I had to get it worked out and out of my head so I could think about other things, like work! Several days later...warning, it’s a bit long -

Hi

Just finished this up for the next KS magazine, day late (sorry Laurenn) worth the hiccup I hope.

Started 2 days ago...

Read the story for the 8th time and did some little doodles, had been for the last three readings but most of that it was still wondering around for something to hang itself on. The last two readings I got the sent and this is the one that ended up getting done. What struck and stuck.

Passed out. Did some more, thought it was done. Woke late and plastered in loo of coffee, the labour woke me up in about an hour, did correspondence and breakfast/supper sushi with aj, watched Insomnia together. Not bad, not great. Made coffee, sat down and finished it!

If you see the current issue [The Blue Issue] you'll find in there the last one I did for KS. Not as pleased as i am with this but not bad.

Also did this stuff earlier on, check out my photos of Chicago while you're there on that page, scroll down and you'll find lots of stuff. The results of my recent trip there to research the city as the location for the Rise and Fall of it All. I'm only posting a fraction, a few of the ones I like best. But there are 1400 research images from that trip. Crazy. Filling them all....!!!

Also you'll find some links to John's extremely cool audio sketches for the project on the site as well (mp3s).

I'm not sure if I'm reappearing myself here, know I've said this out load before. But I've always wanted to do comix with soundtracks.

Back on Saint Sinner you'll find in issue on the top of page one, a recommenced listening suggestion (still think it's a fun thing to include but my tastes have changed, think I'd pick something other than Ministry's N.W.O. now)

Apparently this is what the TV movie sounded like...hmmmm

Sometimes I think it would be nice to go and redo that whole thing. First time around I was way to young. Knew it was not quite right but didn't have the say or ability to make it work, and the ed environment didn't make me feel comfortable to talk about what I was thinking...

Well. I'm glad to say I have a free and unfettered* hand this time, and I much prefer what John has been composing to go with his script. It really puts me into the mindset of the story when I’m drawing. It's going to be cool to see what happens with the multi-media side of this project. If it works out, there's a possibility we could do a seriously cool 'reading' tour for this thing, and i wouldn't even need to get on a stage! Here's hoping the book version can be out soon, spring maybe... pending a willing publisher or grant. Well, back to the grind stone....well, to bed first, then the stone.

*(not a pun, for those of you informed to wonder) ,

US Plan for Global Domination Tops Project Censored's Annual List

1. The Neoconservative Plan for Global Dominance
Sources: The Sunday Herald (9/15/02), Harper's Magazine (10/02), Mother Jones (3/03), Pilger.com (12/12/02)

2. Homeland Security Threatens Civil Liberties
Sources: Global Outlook (Winter 2003), Rense.com (2-11-03 & Global Outlook, Volume 4), Center for Public Integrity (publicintegrity.org) Corporate Media partial coverage: Atlanta Journal-constitution (5/11/03/), The Tampa Tribune (3/28/03), Baltimore Sun (2/21/03)

3. US Illegally Removes Pages from Iraq UN Report
Source: The Humanist and ArtVoice (March/April 2003), first covered by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!

4. Rumsfeld's Plan to Provoke Terrorists
Source: CounterPunch (11/1/02)

5. The Effort to Make Unions Disappear
Sources: Z Magazine, (11/20/02), War Times (10/11 2002), The Progressive (11/03), The American Prospect (3/03)

6. Closing Access to Information Technology
Source: Dollars and Sense (9/02)

7. Treaty Busting By the United States
Sources: Connections (6/02), The Nation (4/02), Ashville Global Report (6/20-26/02), Global Outlook (Summer 2002)

8. US/British Forces Continue Use of Depleted Uranium Weapons Despite Massive Evidence of Negative Health Effects
Sources: The Sunday Herald (3/30/03), Hustler Magazine (6/03), Children of War (3/03)

9. In Afghanistan: Poverty, Women's Rights and Civil Disruption Worse then Ever
Sources: The Nation (10/14/02), Left Turn (3-4/03), The Nation (4/29/02), Mother Jones (7-8/02) Mainstream Coverage: Toronto Star (3/2/03)

10. Africa Faces New Threat of New Colonialism
Source: Left Turn (7-8/02), Briarpatch, Vol. 32, No. 1, Excerpted from The CCPA Monitor, (10/02), New Internationalist (1-2/03)

The 15 stories cited as runners-up to the top ten most censored stories of the year are the following:

#11: U.S. Implicated in Taliban Massacre
#12: Bush Administration Behind Failed Military Coup in Venezuela
#13: Corporate Personhood Challenged
#14: Unwanted Refugees a Global Problem
#15: U.S. Military's War on the Earth
#16: Plan Puebla-Panama and the FTAA
#17: Clear Channel Monopoly Draws Criticism
#18: Charter Forest Proposal Threatens Access to Public Lands
#19: U.S. Dollar vs. the Euro: Another Reason for the Invasion of Iraq
#20: Pentagon Increases Private Military Contracts
#21: Third World Austerity Policies: Coming Soon to a City Near You
#22: Welfare Reform Up For Reauthorization, but Still No Safety Net
#23: Argentina Crisis Sparks Cooperative Growth
#24: Aid to Israel Fuels Repressive Occupation in Palestine
#25: Convicted Corporations Receive Perks Instead of Punishment

Salgood Sam - I recently spent a week in Chicago, where the Rise and Fall of it All is set, to collect reference material and vibes. The City is a character in this story as much Eliot or Elmo are. So to make sure I properly captured it's personality I spent the my days there walking the streets and looking for it's personality. Talked with a lot of people as well, but mostly I listened and looked. Over 1400 pictures were taken and over the next few months I will be posting them and rough art for the project here on this site. Here are a few i was looking at today.

Here's a collection of rough thumbnails for the project and a couple of pages of studies of Eliot

more on this project at rise-fall.com