My story's story on humor

Humor has always been important to me as a longtime fan of stand-up comedy, an avid sitcom watcher, and preferring comedic actors over drama actors. 

So when I decided to work on my webcomic, Summer to Winter, I knew humor is especially difficult to write and therefore, convey well in a narrative. This is why I not only relied on my graphic skills, but I tried to rely on what made me laugh growing up. 

I have always liked the idea of Romance Comedies. I mean, I'm an avid Romance novel/graphic novel reader. I also LOVE comedians! They are some of my favorite celebrities! And when they're starting out, I usually become a Day One Fan, following their careers throughout the years. With this in mind, I have the best of both worlds when it comes to Romantic Comedy. 

However, I noticed a pattern. Most of my favorite Rom-coms were often overseas fare. When I did watch or try reading US romance comedies, what we made and viewed as romantic comedy seemed manipulative, bordered on obsessive behavior, dysfunctional, and even dangerously toxic, none of which I found funny. 

That's why my WIP rom-com's humor seems heavily influenced and inspired from Britcoms (British comedy/ sitcoms), early US sitcoms (the 70s-90s), and the situational misunderstandings that occur in a lot of Asian comedy media.

So far, my readers (some beta) are getting my brand of humor and have become invested in the overall story. And now that I plan on revitalizing the comic through art software and self-publishing it to multiple platforms. I'm also editing it and will let more eyes look it over beforehand.

Wish me good luck and whatever prayers you invest in to help me along. And thank you, my Dear Readers, for believing in this blog.

Why the Disrespect of Comics Still?

Last week, a well-known author whose story was required reading back in grade school, made a disparaging comment about graphic novels. They pretty much dismissed and even insulted fans who were graphic novel readers, myself included. Immediately, because it was social media, people swarmed into her comments. 

The first to strongly contest the author's words were, of course, the graphic novelists! The graphic novelists not only explained what got them into their field, some even mentioned how they struggled to read when they were young and that comics helped open the doors to the world of books. Then came the librarians and educators, citing that because of a variety of obstacles students and young people face academically, whether it's a first language not English at home, or a host of learning and reading disabilities, educators and librarians cited that when students and youth struggled to read, graphic novels were their keys.

This lauded author's comments reinforced my understanding that comics and images with text are still not respected as art and literature in the U.S. Since subscribing to the periodical, World Literature Today, I have sadly seen that, while comic books and other illustrated books are derided in the States, other countries, most notably in French-speaking Europe, French-speaking African countries, in parts of the Middle East and Latin America, the graphic novel, comic books, and even comic strips are still judged in award ceremonies that celebrate literature and the arts. As far as I can read, it seems that the U.S. is still behind in uplifting the idea that books that combine images and text can share the same space as other great works of literature and the classics. 

I am not ashamed to say that as an aspiring graphic novelist, and as a consumer of comics with other books since I was a child, the author's words hurt me. I was also a fan of this author's book when it was chosen as the title my junior high class had to read. Other students were not happy but I was. I knew that sitting in my family book case was a 60s hardcover with psychedelic-type artwork waiting for me. I also blogged about my love for this story and its film. Also, I am currently an educator, so I was hit twice by their comments.

I remember being taken to Barnes and Noble's basement with my big sister to scour for bargain books where I found 25-50 cent mass market paperbacks of illustrated Flintstones novels and Peanuts comic strip collections. Now, the graphic novel publisher, Fantagraphics has been collecting a lot of classic Sunday Funnies titles and I regret that my paperbacks did not survive to be worth anything now! I also read many of the classic literature in my junior high library when a press started to publish these works into pocket-size graphic novels. Small enough for me to read in class and hide in my pocket or sweater so I didn't get bullied by other students.

To make a long story short, the author did re-post many of the comments and responded that they would learn from their mistake. But, I still do not understand this vitriol and derision towards a medium that is some centuries old -- we thought comics were younger than they really were, until caricature graffiti was discovered on Egyptian pyramids and that in a Japanese museum lies a 1000-year-old scroll with anthropomorphic animals engaged in human sports and other human activities, long before Beatrix Potter's ancestors were a gleam in their parents' eyes.

We must change this narrative, and though the author apologized, it seems that people need to be schooled more about how comics actually help to expand the world for its readers while making fans and creators into a tight-knit family. 

What's On YOUR Shelf?

These two shelves in one of my three bookcases in my bedroom pretty much sums up most of what I enjoy reading from the comic books industry - manga, manga-inspired Western comics, graphic novels, furry comic strips, superheroes, independents, and the hardcover artbook pr trade paperback edition. I live for them all.

When You Find the Sweet Spot

 When you find that sweet spot during creating

As some of you may know, I work occasionally on some comic stuff. Not professionally, but my own stories. I've gotten two comic strips published (one became shortlisted in a humor contest) and I've been creating a slow and infrequent stream of comics over time.

For one particular fellowship I applied for, I created a 20-page graphic novel within a month and a half. Let me say I will not do that again! I didn't get the reward, but I learned more about myself as an artist in a more urgent medium. Similar to when I am involved in Inktober, the October event where artists globally participate by creating an ink illustration a day.

Why am I saying all this?
That's because I think I found the style I needed for one particular story. Tentative title is "Summer to Winter" and it's from my main character's poem. She falls in love for the first time and with her high school  homeroom teacher. Before you screech to a halt, don't worry, I don't normalize abusive relationships in my stories. As a writer, I try to depict violence for what it is - something abnormal that can be overcome through solidarity, healthy emotional support systems, and the idea that the vulnerable and the oppressed need protecting as well as dignity and respect.

During graduation, she lets her teacher know how she feels about him before they part ways. They keep in contact during her college years but part ways again before both come back into each other's life through a crisis. Eventually, through trial and error, they become a couple. The story does not end there. There are other secondary and tertiary characters involved in their own romances and who get their own stories told but all eventually revolve around the former student and her former teacher's romance because the other cast members were from her class or her school.

This story started in the early 2000s and because I wanted to be one of the next U.S. manga creator, I purchased actual comic paper from my local comic bookstore. I tried inking with nibs -you know, dipping nib pens into ink bottles?- I even used an ink wash with paintbrushes. Yes, I was INSANE.

It turns out that it took me a month to create ONE PAGE. A MONTH. I would need 200 years of life to complete this story, so I scrapped it!

Years later, I tried a line art style. Black lines, solid blacks balanced with white. That worked for a time. I worked on regular-size art paper. I created more pages, however, the plotting was all wrong. The pacing had slowed, character motives weren't clearly thought out, it looked good and I was happy with the new look but I wouldn't want to submit this anywhere.

I scrapped it once again. I worked on other things. The same journals I used for other stories, I began scripting some of the more complex comic stories. I applied for freelance work. I submitted to contests, fellowships, and grants (I'm going back to applying for writing grants - wish me luck!). I also worked on other stories and submitted to publications.

And then I opened an Instagram account so I could show partials, unfinished sketches, draft pieces and progressions that I didn't want on my DeviantArt account. That's when I noticed the feedback I received from followers, friends, and colleagues. Another artist friend suggested using markers. I used to use them as a kid but now there were even more sophisticated types and different brands. They can make a piece resemble ink work, ink wash, watercolor, acrylics, and even pastels. Let me try some other formats! Let me experiment and since Instagram isn't commitment, dabble and see the responses.

Former student: This doesn't look like a draft! It looks finished! It looks professional! What markers are these?
Friends: I love your comics! Amazing outcome! Dreamy, steaminess, and romantic.
Colleagues: I know this character is your ideal man. You made this man good looking in just a few strokes. What materials do you use?

Pretty positive and a boost to the confidence I needed to try again. I have also been advised by peers and students as to how to market and I'm doing my research as I go. I also found some illustrator-friendly software while I was researching the software that would makeover my website, so I need to practice that as well.

And as always, thank you for sticking with me. In which ever format this comic story appears, I will let you, my dear readers, know the links and where to view and/or buy it.

A pleasure as always.

Musings...

I've resolved to just write more short stories. My stories don't seem to lend well to being novels but as more interconnected series. I'd much rather work on graphic novels and comics. People have pressured me to do novels and illustrated books for most of my writing life. Perhaps this will be my compromise.

Celebrate Banned Books Week With Me!

[Facebook Post - Orig. 9/26/15]

Banned Books Week Started on Sept. 25th!

Gilbert Hernandez's "Heartbreak Soup"

Jaime Hernandez's "Maggie the Mechanic"

September 25, 2016 - October 1, 2016 

Celebrate Banned Book Week with any Hernandez Brothers' "Love & Rockets" comic from their long-running series!

Jaime & Gilbert Hernandez have been and continue to be pioneers in the comic book world. They are highly well-respected and admired in the comic industry as well as for their storytelling skills and enduring, universal fiction. Each brother has his own illustrative style and create incredible series and short comic stories that stand dynamically on their own. Yet, the Hernandez Brothers often collaborate and their joining of talents produce magical results.

With their shared worlds, mini-stories, use of cross-genres: realism, sci-fi, fantasy, magical realism, alternative lifestyles, fully-realized Latin characters, multicultural society, biographies, and family history thrown into the mix. 

Also, the brothers have an ongoing story about a fictional Latin town by the name of Palomar. Pick up their single issues. Pick up their collected volumes. Pick up their new stories. Pick up their classic stories. It doesn't matter. 

Support BANNED BOOKS WEEK by reading two of the powerhouses in comic books!