Theme II, Comics/Writing

I love comic books. This began when I was a kid, although back then I mainly went for the cover and characters I'd recognize. I rarely actually read the things, instead being more interested in the penciller's linework. This isn't because I was illiterate or lazy (I've been reading for quite a while), but rather because my trips to the comic store were erratic. Because of this I was never really able to get a grasp for plotlines and longer story arcs.

Comics are probably the reason I had such an interest in drawing. For quite a while (up until, say, senior year of high school) I wanted nothing more than to be a comic penciller. This is the guy that does the initial drawings in pencil, which are then sent to the inker, colorist, and letterer (although some artists do more than one of these jobs). Consider yourself one of my closer friends if you actually knew before this post that I can draw. It's not something I do for attention or even really to show anyone else.

Obviously comic artists want and need other people to see their work- but the spirit of the art is what I'm getting at here. Comic pencilling is art without pretense. Some might argue that it therefor becomes art without much meaning, but an amazing artist (Cary Nord, John Buscema, John Romita Jr) can really put the reader directly into the character's space with his pencils. When I took art history and studio art, my favorite ieces of art were never goofy installations or postmodern bullshit. I like drawings, I like seeing the pencil movements. More than anythign I actually just like sketchbooks. Leonardo Davinci's sketches of anatomical studies are actually my favorite pieces of art; perhaps I am shallow. Perhaps I just like feeling the artist's actual creative presence rather than some implied, inferred, or taught "meaning."

Nowadays I read comics from front to back. I gather entire series, but not enough that I'd call myself a "collector"; I'm actually very narrow in my tastes. I'll read Invincible from Image, Conan from Dark Horse (and the old Marvels, of course), and a few other titles. This is actually the reason Comic books might not work for my blog focus: I'm nto very deep into the industry. I'm not a collector, I'm not a fanboy, I'm not even an artist anymore.

Perhaps I should expand the theme into reading in general? Writing? Influences? What do you think?*


*Ray