FMP: Week Two

EXHIBITION VISITS AND COMICS

NoBrow Press (Visit)

My main aim for this week was to visit the NoBrow Press shop in Shoreditch as external research as well as the Cartoon Museum for further inspiration and project research. Beginning early with the trip to NoBrow, I very quickly and very happily became strongly absorbed within their vast amount of differing comics and illustrated books, their large range of artist work, as well as prints and different styles of printing - it was all extremely inspiring and very fun to view!

image sources: (both) nobrow.net

My visit to NoBrow was beyond eye-opening and introduced me to a world of comic books and comic styles I had not yet experienced. Each comic or illustrated book was different into style, concept and art, but they were all published wonderfully and artistically beautiful. In addition to developing inspiration and new ideas, I also definitely learnt a lot about self-publishing from the NoBrow store (and previously from research I'd done on their site). It was extremely intriguing to me to view different kind of self-published work and to view the extreme professionalism and polished look of all the work, despite most of it being produced on a small scale and through independent publication. It gave me even more ideas and tips on how I could potentially produce my own work both for my FMP and generally - something I aim to do hopefully within the near future and further career. In addition to the books and magazines that NoBrow offered, their memorabilia was exciting and engaging and further encouraged me to aim to produce something additional that viewers of my work could interact with more and gain another level of personal contact and more elements of fun and reliability.

Conclusively, I thought NoBrow was amazing and very helpful; not only to my final porject but to me as a creative individual and inspiraing comic artists and illustrator. The use of self-publication was refreshing and was helpful to view such defined and strongly developed pieces of work being produced wonderfully on a small and independent scale. Though anything I produce for my FMP obviously could not be as well developed as the work with NoBrow - due to obvious factors such as time scale, being a student, and funding - viewing was still helpful to me and I did not at all look at as work that was unattainable, just something that might not be possible within my seven week project and student life.

Sunday in the Park with Boys

Whilst searching and visiting the NoBrow store I aimed to find something to take home with me, not only as further resarch I could have first hand, but of course for my own enjoyment; and consequently I discovered the comic book 'Sunday in the Park with Boys'

 image source: koyamapress.com

I was initally drawn to Sunday in the Park with Boys (hereafter: SITPWB) from it's interesting style, and upon actually reading I was immediately engaged within the strongly personal and engaging story - or more so diary.

'With Sunday in the Park with Boys she has given us a poetic account of self-discovery and self-loathing. In this comic as emotional cartography, persona and person collide as Mai contends with loneliness, heartache and herself.'

(account from koyamapress.com)

SITPWB was very relatable to me, and I think is the reason I engaged and felt so strongly for it. It is a diary of sorts about Jane Mai (the author and illustrator) struggle with her identity, dark, bleak feelings and general emotional turmoil. It was an amazing read, I quickly found myself within Mai's character and could immediately see elements within her work that I had aimed for my own. In addition to the engaging story, Mai's art style is simple, yet artistically interesting and very unique. It ranges from a simple cartoonish style to a detailed and 'mature' drawn imagery; additionally including a range of pages consisting only of handwritten text to one page drawings and words. Again all elements I was considering for my project and now certain upon. I feel SITPWB had been the focal point of inspiration for my FMP and I feel, even unintentionally, will I be producing elements that ring very clearly of Jane Mai style and characteristics.