In short, what I have been up to has mainly been reading. Primarily books about how comics are structured and what guidelines there are for making them. Through that research, I have been focusing on finding and creating a clearer direction for my comic series Number 19. When I was originally creating the story, I had very limited prior knowledge making comics (Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, and various comics that I got). With that, my first go at comics was good, considering I’d had no formal training or understanding and only limited time of guidance from the new head of the department at GVSU.*

The story itself is set and practically done [‘practically’ meaning that, if necessary, I will make changes or additions to the story]. What is still brewing in my mind is how I am going to make it visually, which is like standing in the middle of Times Square during rush hour and trying to take in and understand everything. I’m essentially trying to find the best way to tell this story, weighing the questions, and meditating on them. Is color necessary, or can I tell it in black and white? Should I use gray scales or ink-washes? If so, do I also use color too or leave it out completely? What about using color for flashbacks? Should I stylize things more? Etc. Most likely, I will still use the ink-wash and I will probably use color for the purpose of storytelling and design. That opens up more questions about what paper I can, can’t, or should use. Although I can do it all on heavy bristol board and color it digitally, sometimes doing things in the traditional manner is still the best, and that will be a page-by-page assessment. Finally, I still have to figure out what size I want it to be in, a factor that is also dependent on who I publish it through.

So I am reassessing all the questions that I skimmed over quickly when I made the preview edition of Number 19 due to time constraints.

 

The only constraints that I have now are my day job, my mind’s ability to function after a long day at my day job, and my personal life. To think I was busy in college. I am just as busy, if not more, but I am making less short-term work. That lack of making something new every week or day is strange still. I don’t feel as successful, which I know is rubbish.

In all, that is where I am at currently as of Feb. 20th, 2017