Why Making Graphic Novels Still Appeals to Me (even if I stopped)

-

On many occasions, I've expressed (quite desperately) wanting to quit comics, and for many people, it would seem that all I've been doing is being dramatic about it. On one end, I understand the sentiment, as it brings forth my indecisiveness, and on the other end, it's true. I've been quite dramatic about it, to the point of self-sabotage.

But I don't regret it, because keeping mum about it would betray how passionate I am about the art form. Those who know what it's like to both write and draw a story with a certain quality would understand. Among all the art forms I've explored--acting, writing, and drawing--making long-form comics is really HARD.

And that's why I feel this "ninth art" deserves more respect and patronage.

But that's not for me to declare.

What I really like about making graphic novels is that it is a multi-faceted art, bridging writing, design, illustration, theater and, eventually, film, taking principles from each and combining them into a single package. If done well, a graphic novel can stand the test of time and reach "classic" status, like any celebrated novel. But apart from the level of talent required, it takes a fierce tenacity, and perhaps a couple of deep pockets, to keep at it over the long term.

Add to this is its potential for cross-media. The graphic novel is the proof of concept. It can be film, it can be theater, it can branch off to other entertainment forms, all the way up to myriad merchandising and licensing possibilities. It contains the words, it contains the visuals, it contains the design.

What's more, it can be done by one person given a decent wage. Many creators go about it without even expecting anything in return. This perhaps, is the one thing that graphic novels have going against it--the impression that it's easy to make. And the reason that's a bad thing is another story altogether.

So, what do I plan to do? Nothing, really. I'm in rest mode. For the stories that I want to tell, I'm just going to write them down, maybe hammer out a script if time and drive allows. I like those stories. It would be a shame if I don't give them the chance to play.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How To Pace Comics

-
Image
We took a peek at compression and decompression in comics in the previous blog post . Now, let's look at pacing, or how to pace comics. Pacing is simply how fast a reader reads your comics. Much like compression and decompression, pacing allows you to highlight pivotal events in your story. And this is primarily done by influencing how long your reader stays on a panel. The longer the reader stays on the panel, the reading place slows down. The faster the reader stays on a panel, the reading pace speeds up. 1. By default, the amount of text you place on a panel dictates pacing. The more text, the slower the pace. Chris Claremont is known for having verbose panels during his acclaimed run on Uncanny X-Men . 2. When the size of the panel is small, the pacing quickens. Conversely, large panels slow down the pacing. 3. Then the amount of visual information (details) you have inside a panel dictates pacing. The more visual information, or the more a reader has to look at, the
Click here to read more...

What Would You Do With 11 Billion Pesos?

-
The news industry is abuzz with reports of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos'purchase of The Washington Post for US$250 million, said to come from the liquidation of his Amazon stocks. As of this writing, that amount translates to Php10.88 billion. (It's actually Php10.885. I just took out the 5.) If you had Php10.88 billion, what would you do? To put things in perspective, I made a few calculations, since I'm wont to doing these things as a mental exercise. The examples below do not take inflation into account. MALLS If you allot Php2 billion to start and operate a modest-sized mall, you can build five malls, and you've got spare change to invest somewhere else. (SM Aura was reported to have cost Php3.5 billion.) CONDOMINIUM If you allot Php1.5 billion to build a 300-unit condominium building (DMCI was reported to have invested Php 1.3 billion in a 560-unit Ohana Residences), you'll have seven such buildings. HOUSING If you allot Php100 million to build and furni
Click here to read more...

Two Weeks Since Burnout

-
Image
I think it all started in late-2021. I had been feeling huge bouts of depression in the years prior to that, which had prevented me from making comics. But a friend gave me a tip that enabled me to reassess what I had been going through, and that helped a lot. I ended 2021 with writing and drawing a short comic "Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa PNU," commissioned by the Philippine Normal University. It was a breakthrough for me, as the last comic I was able to finish was in 2016. You can read it here. After that, I dove into finishing the much-delayed "Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila." I spent the first seven months of 2022 working on the last 50 pages of that story alongside my teaching job at the College of Saint Benilde. I also spent time and energy on the pre-production and promotion of the book. You can download a PDF version for free (or pay-what-you-want) through my Gumroad page . For Philippine residents, you can purchase a physical copy of the book through Shopee
Click here to read more...