A while ago, I stumbled across A Space Boy Dream, a wonderfully clever and charming webcomic by Moira Zahra and Mark Scicluna.
Somehow, my first experience of A Space Boy Dreamwas somewhere in the middle of the comic and out of order. But I immediately perceived Moira and Mark’s refreshingly satirical portrayal of hipsters, struggling artists, and the average young person. Not only can I relate to the plight of the angsty and self-concious protagonist Vincent, but I also marvel in the amazingly expressive character designs and unique design aesthetic of this comic.
I didn’t realize until later that the artists live in and portray the Mediterranean island of Malta!! This fact went completely over my head because A Space Boy Dream‘s hipsters are identical to the ones I’ve encountered in Manhattan, San Francisco, and across the U.S. in general. I guess some components of society and subculture are far more universal than I originally imagined.
The following images belong to Moira Zahra and Mark Scicluna.
For more A Space Boy Dream, please check out the following websites…
Summary: “A ridiculous crossover fan adventure between Ubisoft’s popular Assassin’s Creed video game series and Andrew Hussie’s extremely popular Homestuck webcomic adventure.”
Truthfully, I know very little about Assassin’s Creed or Homestuck, but so far Assassin Bound is quite entertaining. My friend has wonderfully snarky humor and it’s fun to participate by offering suggestions as to what should happen next. Whether a diehard Assassin’s Creed and/or Homestuck fan or not, Assassin Boundis worth a look!
On behalf of my humble keeper Miss G. E. Gallas — I, Mr. Edgar Lawrence Fluffernutter™, would like to graciously thank you for your generous patronage.
Miss Gallas is flabbergasted that our supporters have doubled in a matter of two or three months, and is unwavering in her determination to sustain the quality of this enterprise.
Although I have little knowledge of these newfangled contraptions, it is to my understanding that there are additional entities (thepoetandtheflea.wordpress.com) where one might extend one’s support, and I would be much obliged if you were to kindly do so.
Two Storiesis an autobiographical graphic novel that deals with themes of “…life, love, loss, and depression.” As far as I can tell, the novel will consist of a series of short stories that are all autobiographical, but will be presented in various styles, tones, and genres (“serious to silly”).
Not only are Josh’s illustrations absolutely stunning, full of texture and movement, but his storytelling is powerful and compelling. For this first chapter, it is not just a story of attempted suicide, but more astonishingly a step-by-step examination of the protagonist/author’s thought process — a complex mind that makes connections (from Shakespeare to It’s A Wonderful Life and back to reality) and plays tricks on itself (“The Suicide Game” on page 4).
Josh is a Xeric Award-winning cartoonist who works as a freelance illustrator as well as an adjunct professor at Laguna College of Art and Design. With such an impressive background and body of work, I’m expecting Two Stories to be quickly snatched up by publishers.
The following images belong to Joshua Kemble.
For more Quarterly Stories and Joshua Kemble, please check out the following websites…
Prepared for tomorrow — the first day of my new internship!!!
Wednesday, January 30th
Zest Books Internship, Day #1: Wonderful first day! Having an easy time getting into the flow of everything. Staff is extremely friendly and excited to get to know them better. Get awesome sneak peaks of upcoming titles. Friday, will be working on Tumblr and possibly doing some image research — can’t wait!
Thursday, January 31st
Not ready to announce anything yet, but amazing news (from January 20th) continuing to develop!
Received e-mail from follower Hannah Meiklejohn (bellusmundus.wordpress.com) asking if she could write an article for a magazine about The Poet and the Flea, yay! Excited to learn more details about the article and magazine. (^-^)
Zest Books Internship, Day #2: Worked on historical-themed image research for most of the day, which was mostly a lot of fun! Started working on Zest’s Tumblr (zestbooks.tumblr.com). Ate lunch in nearby park, which is very pleasant and relaxing and will definitely be repeated.
Saturday, February 2nd
Happy Groundhog Day!!
Filled out the rest of Cannes paperwork and made a checklist for what to bring (I’m Going To Cannes!!!).
Went to see Warm Bodies with Wes! Not the most brilliant movie, but adorable and a lot of fun. (︶ω︶)
For those of you watching the new Netflix series House of Cards, I highly recommend watching the original BBC version starring the brilliant Ian Richardson also available on Netflix.
Ran into a neighbor on the bus to work today, and she’d like to hire me to help her with her WordPress. We’ll see what happens… (^-^)
Zest Books Internship, Day #3: Worked on creating prom tips for Zest’s Tumblr as well as a mailing project. Getting to know everyone in the office better — everyone’s super easy to talk to. Took home a copy of Zoo Station to read.
Wow, I adore this new FX show The Americans! Amazing character development and really scary/exciting. Can’t wait for the next episode.
Zest Books Internship, Day #4: Continuing work on Tumblr! Sat at Ann’s desk today — she happens to have a David Bowie paper doll (with multiple outfits) taped to her computer, which brings me endless joy. Got to know fellow intern Olivia a bit better. Extremely excited to proofread/edit the back cover blurb for an upcoming book. Also got to share my opinion on some cover art!
Today’s constant companion: David Bowie!
Saturday, February 9th
Went to see Lewis Black with Wes and the folks! Stomach hurts from laughing so much!
Sunday, February 10th
Finally got to talk with my good friend from high school Tina! Talked on the phone for over 2 hours! (^-^;;)
Worked on TOP SECRET project.
Monday, February 11th
Went downtown today to pick up some more supplies from Britex for The Flea plush toy.
Did a little shopping in preparation for Cannes. A lot more shopping to do in the next few months.
Finished writing responses to Hannah’s questions. Just have to edit a bit and then send them to her.
Worked on TOP SECRET project.
Wednesday, February 13th
Zest Books Internship, Day #5: More historical-themed image research and Tumblr. Asked to do some brainstorming for book ideas. Ended up walking all the way home today since the bus skipped a lot.
A few days ago, e-mailed the Tate Gallery about information on their William Blake collection. Today, received response with good news. Will talk about this more in upcoming post.
Received e-mail from Hannah! She sent a draft of the article, and it looks really wonderful so far. Just have to answer a couple follow-up questions. \(^-^)/
Zest Books Internship, Day #6: More historical-themed image research and Tumblr. Also, talked about a potential book idea I came up with, and some of the staff seems interested! Next week, will be attending the Teen Advisory Board on Wednesday and a staff meeting on Thursday. Very excited!
Saturday, February 16th
Ordered a beautiful dress to wear at Cannes. I needed a maxi dress for pool parties, etc. and couldn’t find the right one in stores. So I browsed Etsy and found the talented Nicole Lebreux! Not only does Nicole have really fun designs, but also she was extremely helpful in answering my questions. So go ahead and check out her shop!
Went to see a simulcast of the new Met production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. The opera is usually set in the 16th century, but this production cleverly reimagines the story in 1960s Las Vegas. Wonderfully creative and engaging production with incredible singers! Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-zXLKd76fk.
Sunday, February 17th
Worked on some upcoming blog posts.
Date night with Wes!
Etcetera
The Poet and the Flea: 63 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-24, 27-30 completed, and 25-26, 31-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
The First Reich: about 1-10 pages of illustrated work in progress.
First Zine: about 6-8 pages of illustrated work in progress.
Some of you have probably noticed me occasionally mentioning a project called The First Reich. This is a graphic novel collaboration I’ve been working on for a number of months with the very talented Shannon Brady. She wrote the incredibly compelling script/storyboard for The First Reich, carefully plotting out each panel to the best of her artistic ability — stick figures though they may be. It’s my job to transform her wonderful draft into a finished illustrated work.
The First Reichis more or less a biographical account of the Jewish-Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, and deals thoughtfully with a number of subjects including the history of psychology, World War II, Nazism, Communism, McCarthyism, and beyond.
Currently, The First Reich‘s website (thefirstreich.wordpress.com) is bare bones, but you can hop over there and read a fascinating and eloquent statement by Shannon about this project. At the moment, I’m working on the first 10 pages of the graphic novel and hope to post them online sometime in the coming months. Below are details from the progress I’ve made so far.
It’s really a pleasure and honor to work on this project. It’s an absolute joy collaborating with Shannon. And it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on my own Jewish heritage and family history.
Any questions or comments are gladly welcomed!
Preliminary Character Designs: Wilhelm Reich
Preliminary Character Design: Shannon
“The First Reich” Cover Detail
Detail from Page 2
Detail from Page 3
Detail from Page 4
Detail from Page 4
***
For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
Everyone seems really enthusiastic about The Flea plush toy, so I thought I’d tackle this project sooner than later! Below details the progress I’ve made so far…
Tuesday, January 15th: I began drawing a rough outline for what will eventually become a plush toy of The Ghost of a Flea à la my graphic novel The Poet and the Flea. I’m still playing around with various ideas — size, fabric, etc. Ideally, I’d like the finished product to be simultaneously adorable and menacing. (^-^;;)
Friday, January 25th: Worked on a second outline, this time on a larger scale and with slightly more exaggerated features. When the time comes, everything will have to be hand-stiched since I currently don’t own a sewing machine. My mom has a lot of experience with sewing, so she’s going to help me out.
Monday, January 28th: After finalizing my travel arrangements for Cannes/London with an agent, my mom and I stopped by Britex Fabrics and picked up fabric and other supplies (stuffing, needles, thread, etc.). It might take a bit of experimenting to figure out the best materials, but I’m looking forward to it! Stay tuned for more details!
***
For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
Comics I Admire: “Quarterly Stories”
Today, I am pleased to present Joshua Kemble and his new online graphic novel Two Stories.
I stumbled across the website Quarterly Stories whilst on my search for autobiographical/non-fiction webcomics. I’m not sure how I came across this amazing work, but I sure am glad I did.
Two Stories is an autobiographical graphic novel that deals with themes of “…life, love, loss, and depression.” As far as I can tell, the novel will consist of a series of short stories that are all autobiographical, but will be presented in various styles, tones, and genres (“serious to silly”).
Not only are Josh’s illustrations absolutely stunning, full of texture and movement, but his storytelling is powerful and compelling. For this first chapter, it is not just a story of attempted suicide, but more astonishingly a step-by-step examination of the protagonist/author’s thought process — a complex mind that makes connections (from Shakespeare to It’s A Wonderful Life and back to reality) and plays tricks on itself (“The Suicide Game” on page 4).
Josh is a Xeric Award-winning cartoonist who works as a freelance illustrator as well as an adjunct professor at Laguna College of Art and Design. With such an impressive background and body of work, I’m expecting Two Stories to be quickly snatched up by publishers.
The following images belong to Joshua Kemble.
For more Quarterly Stories and Joshua Kemble, please check out the following websites…
quarterlystories.com
joshuakemble.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Joshua-Kemble-Illustrations/130292550362837
Store: joshuakemble.com/?page_id=241
Numb: www.amazon.com/Numb-Lost-Love-Broken-Memories/dp/B002O746WA
***
For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
***
Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
12 comments | tags: Absolutely, Aesthetic, Amazing, Art, Artist, Artwork, Astonishing, Attempted, Author, Autobiographical, Autobiography, Award, Background, biography, Black, Black and White, Blizzard, Blog, Body, Book, Brainstorming, Cartoon, Cartoonist, Chapter, Character, Character Design, Coat, Cold, College, Comic book, Comics, Comment, Compelling, Consist, Creative, Creativity, Dark, Deals, Depression, Design, Doodle, Doodles, Drawing, Drawings, Endeavor, Examination, Examine, Expectations, Expecting, First, Freelance, Freezing, Genres, Gorgeous, Grant, Graphic Design, Graphic Novel, Handmade, Hero, Idea, Ideas, Illustration, Illustrator, Impressive, Ink, Inked, Josh, Joshua Kemble, Laguna College of Art and Design, LCAD, Life, Loss, Love, Movement, New, Non-Fiction, Notable, Note, Noteworthy, Novel, Pen, Pen and Ink, Pencil, Powerful, Present, Process, Professor, Project, Protagonist, Publish, Publisher, Publishers, Quickly, Search, Self-Publish, Sequential Art, Series, Serious, Short Stories, Short Story, Silly, Sketch, Sketchbook, Sketches, Snatched Up, Snow, Snowing, Step-by-Step, Storm, Story, Storyteller, Storytelling, Stunning, Style, Styles, Suicidal, Suicide, Texture, Theme, Themes, Thought, Tone, Tones, Trick, Tricks, Two Stories, University, Various, Vary, Web Comic, Webcomic, Winner, Winning, Work, Writer, Xeric | posted in Graphic Novel, Illustration/Design, Links