Jerzy Drozd
Teaching Artist and Cartoonist
Jerzy Drozd
Teaching Artist and Cartoonist
Today I explain and build on some thoughts I’ve recently expressed in the forums on relaunching Art & Story Alive! I tie this into some general thoughts I’ve been having on community building and networking (more of which will be explored in this week’s Art & Story proper).
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Inspired by a recent post in the forum, I throw around a few thoughts that have been percolating in my mind about naming comics projects. Should we fire from the hip on this, or are there other concerns we should consider when naming a comics project? And what’s all this got to do with comics in libraries?
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Following up on thoughts I began sharing in Thunder Punch Daily 43, I expand a bit on what I’m discovering about writing good redemption characters. I do wind up talking a bit about Dinobot, but this time I focus mainly on Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender as my basis of meditation. In a flash of inspiration, I constructed a chart to describe my thoughts on this kind of character, but as usual, Sara Turner sums it up even better.
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Today I respond to something Chris Oatley talked about in episode 47 of his ArtCast. Can you have too many “irons in the fire”? If so, why do we do this, and how do we prevent it from happening? I explore some of the pros and cons of unbridled creativity and propose some questions we ask ourselves in terms of project management.
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Today I share some thoughts on a topic that eats at me from time to time; namely, when people try to defuse a comics debate with the phrase “It’s just comics”. I think this phrase and the psychology behind it comes from a bit of a self-esteem issue the comics community has in general (in no small part thanks to Fredric Wertham), and if we can overcome this, we’ll all find that we all have plenty to say about our craft and will be able to speak to it more readily.
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Today I submit an creative exercise that I think makes for better writing. And the best part? It’s probably something you already do. Take a TV show you really love, and talk to someone who loves it as much once a week. During your conversations you should be looking for character inconsistencies between episodes. As you find these inconsistencies, ask yourself if they suggest some deeper aspect to the character that isn’t apparent within the context of the show itself. As usual, I highlight some of my own experiences to back up my points.
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Today I share some thoughts and experiences from my professional illustration career to dig at the notion of working in a “style”. Do we have our own styles? If so, are they what we do “wrong”, or are they what we fall back on?
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Today I share some thoughts on the value of a good hook for your story or project, tying that in to how we can think of the “character” of your story or project as a means to keep yourself on track with the spadework of seeing the project through.
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Inspired by a recent Art & Story Extreme!! conversation I had with Sara Turner, I share some thoughts on wiping the slate clean by having a mid-year set of resolutions, and a reminder to myself (as well as you) about some of the things we should consider when taking on new creative projects.
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Today I leap on some thoughts that occur to me as I head in to Kids Read Comics 2010 and the ongoing convention season. A convention is a great place to meet cartoonists you respect and admire as well as a place to do some healthy self-promotion. I highlight a few unhealthy ways people approach these subjects and share a few reasons why I feel that way.
I did a rantier version on the former topic in an old Art & Story Extreme!!
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